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Pakistan seeks U.S. apology over NATO strike: FM

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, May 15 -- Pakistan has sought a formal apology from the United States over a NATO airstrike on its border posts and killing of 24 soldiers in November last year, the country’s Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has said.

Khar also hinted restoration of land routes for NATO troops in Afghanistan that were closed following the strike.

“We want to play a role of a facilitator as far as peace and stability in Afghanistan is concerned,” she told a news conference in Islamabad.

Asked about apology, the Foreign Minister said the parliament last month called upon the Government to seek an apology from the United States over killing of 24 of its troops and the Government has conveyed it in an articulate manner to Washington.

Pakistan is expected to take a final decision about NATO supply routes in the coming days when a panel of senior military and civilian leaders will meet to discuss the issue and take a final decision.

The U.S. embassy spokesman also said in Islamabad on Monday that talks with Pakistan are continuing over the NATO supply line restoration.

Khar said that the talks with the U.S. are heading in a positive direction.

Analysts say that the decision on NATO supply routes would also pave the way for Pakistan’s participation in the upcoming Chicago summit which would discuss the Afghan endgame.

The NATO Secretary General said last week Pakistan can miss the key summit if it does not restore supplies for NATO forces.

Officials say that both sides are keen to resolve the impasse between Islamabad and Washington before the summit on May 21-22.

Hours before the Foreign Minister’s statement, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said the relations with NATO are significant as their magnitude stretch upto 48 countries.

"This is not a matter of one, but 48 countries," Gilani said while speaking to the Chinese media after addressing the visiting 100-member youth delegation from China at Prime Minister House here.

Khar said Pakistan is conducting negotiations with the United States and NATO on the same terms that have been approved by the parliament for the process of re-engagement.

Asked about state of relationship with the United States, the Foreign Minister said there are issues on which the two countries have same position while on others they are moving towards closing in their differences.

She said for almost ten years Pakistan charged not a single penny for use of its infrastructure for transit of NATO goods to Afghanistan at a huge cost to road network and repercussions to its security.

“Pakistan and the international community have same strategic objectives of peace and stability in Afghanistan. Pakistan wants to continue to be a facilitator and enabler for the international community,” she said.

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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 1018166