News
Monday, May 21, 2012
US commander plays down urgency of Pak-NATO dealCHICAGO: The US commander in Afghanistan said he would not be disappointed if a long-sought agreement with Pakistan on supply routes failed to materialise by the end of the NATO summit in Chicago on Monday. General John Allen told Reuters he was confident a deal would eventually be struck but “whether it’s in days or weeks, I don’t know”. Many US officials had hoped for an agreement in time for the Sunday-Monday summit that would end a nearly six-month ban prohibiting trucks in Pakistan from carrying supplies to Afghanistan. Asked if he would be disappointed if Pakistan didn’t strike an agreement before the end of the Chicago talks, Allen said, “No.” “I don’t need the (ground supply lines) to be open to support the campaign. But they’re helpful to us in sending home our equipment,” Allen said. “We don’t want an agreement fast, we want an agreement that’s right. So we’re going to take the time to get it right.” reuters
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk