Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar backs reopening of NATO routes

In quite an unprecedented move, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar delivered some interesting sound bites on Pakistan’s ties with United States and allied forces battling in Afghanistan.

Despite her short tenure as foreign minister, she has already developed a striking ability to answer queries without answering them, which is quality of brilliant politicians.

While interacting to journalists on board the prime minister’s place back to Islamabad from London, she explained many things but many questions went without concrete answers.

She was particularly keen on highlighting the healthy state of relations with the United Kingdom and drawing a parallel with the current Pakistan-US ties.

In her view, the UK and the US have the same objectives in Afghanistan. She, however, said only the latter that seems to have issues with Pakistan while the former has no such problems.

Apart from that Hina Rabbani Khar was also keen on stressing that she personally believed that NATO supply-line, closed for some six months now, should be reopened.

She was of the opinion that there were many friendly countries whose supplies are also blocked while on the other hand she said it was in the country’s interests to facilitate an international operation.

She categorically clarified that NATO and ISAF supplies should not be looked in the context of troubled ties with the United States (US). The umbrella of allied forces consists of over 40 countries including close friends of Pakistan likewise UK and Turkey, she added.

The Foreign Minister had some interesting things to explain about the country’s role its global significance internationally, insisting that the school of thought that said Pakistan should do whatever it takes to remain relevant worldwide was flawed.

She asserted, “I’d rather be irrelevant than negatively relevant”. In her view, the decision to block NATO supply-line was the right step, saying the American raid on May 02 to kill Osama bin Laden and NATO incursion at the Salala check-posts was meant to take sole credit for finding Al-Qaeda leader.

Rubbishing the chances of sanctions being slapped on Pakistan due to the blockade, the foreign minister said Pakistan was bound as the United Nations resolution only called for facilitation.

Declining reports that the American administration refused to offer apology to Pakistan, Khar said that she was not privy to silent backroom discussions on the matter reportedly under way in Islamabad.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=22208

Posted by Faisal Farooq on May 14 2012. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.