News
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Growing pressure over NATO suppliesCivil, military leaders put heads together
* DCC to take decision on resumption of NATO supplies today
By Tanveer Ahmed
ISLAMABAD: The country’ top civilian and military leadership on Monday put their heads together in the wake of the situation arising from constant pressure from the US and NATO countries over resumption of NATO supplies, suspended since the November 2011 Salala incident.
According to sources, the meeting threw the ball in the court of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet, scheduled to meet on Tuesday (today) to take a decision regarding the reopening.
The meeting at the Presidency was chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari, and attended by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani.
It was also attended by Defence Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Finance Secretary Wajid Rana, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani, ISI DG Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam and the president’s spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar.
The meeting also discussed the upcoming NATO summit in Chicago. A few days back, the NATO chief had indicated that Pakistan could miss out on the important summit if it failed to reopen supply routes in time.
Meanwhile, Islamabad’s willingness to reopen the supply routes could be gauged from the statement of Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, who stated that Pakistan could not afford confrontation with NATO.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk