Western forces stationed in Afghanistan are using Pakistan’s airspace for crucial supplies in an effort to avoid any negative fallout of Islamabad’s continued blockade of land routes.
This was confirmed by US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter on Thursday, while talking to reporters.
When asked if it was true that despite the blockade of land routes, Pakistan’s airspace was being used for the Nato supplies, Munter responded: “You are right.”
However, it is believed that although alternate means have kept Nato supplies flowing, the financial cost has been much higher than the land routes.
A Pentagon official was quoted as saying by the US media that the cost of moving supplies into Afghanistan is now $104 million a month – $87 million more than the $17 million it used to cost to transport supplies when the routes were open.
The cost estimate includes the added costs of the combined ground and air movements being used to offset the closed border crossings.
The 512% increase in monthly costs resulted from Pakistan’s shut down of the border crossings at Torkham and Chaman shortly after a Nato air strike on November 26 last year killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at a remote border outpost.
Pentagon officials have said that the closure of the border crossings has not impacted Nato’s military operations inside Afghanistan. But rerouting those supplies has proven costly.
Ambassador Munter insisted again on Thursday that the Nato cross border raid was not deliberate.
“What happened was tragic but unintentional and this is something that we all must work together to try to prevent. The way to work together is to make sure these kinds of tragedies do not take place,” Munter said.
He said the US was looking forward to a debate in the Pakistani parliament over the conservation of Pak-US ties.
“We have waited because we think Pakistan has requested time to rethink about how our relationship should go ahead. We welcome those suggestions, the honesty and the spirit to take things forward.”
Meanwhile, at his weekly briefing, foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Basit said no final decision had been made as yet to reopen the Nato supplies.
“Our parliamentary process is underway. We are awaiting policy directions from our parliament to move forward,” he added.
He also confirmed that the US had kept Pakistan updated on its initial contacts with the Afghan Taliban recently.
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