NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen speaks at the National Press Club in Canberra on June 13, 2012. NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen on June 13 vowed not to abandon Afghanistan as foreign nations plan to transition forces out of the country after a decade of conflict. AFP PHOTO / Mark GRAHAM
Nato chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen speaks at the National Press Club in Canberra on June 13, 2012.    —Photo by  AFP

CANBERRA: Nato’s chief hopes to soon reopen military supply routes through Pakistan despite new transport agreements with other Afghanistan neighbours providing alternatives.

Nato this week struck agreements with Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan allowing the military to evacuate hardware from Afghanistan and bypass Pakistan. Pakistan closed its southern supply routes six months ago after US airstrikes accidentally killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

The US recently said a negotiating team was returning home without a deal to reopen the routes. But Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told reporters in Australia on Wednesday that he hopes Pakistan routes will reopen “in the not too distant future.”

He says Central Asian alternatives could prove more costly.

Opinion

Editorial

Weathering the storm
Updated 29 Apr, 2024

Weathering the storm

Let 2024 be the year when we all proactively ensure that our communities are safeguarded and that the future is secure against the inevitable next storm.
Afghan repatriation
29 Apr, 2024

Afghan repatriation

COMPARED to the roughshod manner in which the caretaker set-up dealt with the issue, the elected government seems a...
Trying harder
29 Apr, 2024

Trying harder

IT is a relief that Pakistan managed to salvage some pride. Pakistan had taken the lead, then fell behind before...
Return to the helm
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Return to the helm

With Nawaz Sharif as PML-N president, will we see more grievances being aired?
Unvaxxed & vulnerable
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Unvaxxed & vulnerable

Even deadly mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue and malaria have vaccines, but they are virtually unheard of in Pakistan.
Gaza’s hell
Updated 28 Apr, 2024

Gaza’s hell

Perhaps Western ‘statesmen’ may moderate their policies if a significant percentage of voters punish them at the ballot box.