WASHINGTON: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) says it is working with Pakistan to reopen supply routes as soon as possible and that the country had an important role to play in Afghanistan’s stability and security.
In the Chicago Summit declaration, released hours after Nato leaders met at McCormick Place in Chicago:
The countries in the region, particularly Pakistan, have important roles in ensuring enduring peace, stability and security in Afghanistan and in facilitating the completion of the transition process. We stand ready to continue dialogue and practical cooperation with relevant regional actors in this regard. We welcome the progress on transit arrangements with our Central Asian partners and Russia.
The declaration also said that Nato is on track to transition responsibility from Isaf to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) by 2013.
“Nato is ready to work towards establishing, at the request of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, a new post-2014 mission of a different nature in Afghanistan, to train, advise and assist the ANSF, including the Afghan Special Operations Forces. This will not be a combat mission. We task the council to begin immediately work on the military planning process for the post-ISAF mission,” said the declaration.
Nato said that they were calling on the international community “to commit to the long-term sustainment of the ANSF.”
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@janobegum: simple answer, pakistan will loose more.
@Afghan Karachiite: So why you live in Karachi??? Why you don't live away from Pakistan??
@Salman Sheikh:
Agreed.
@Dr Priyanka: Read history Doc. You will know Afghanistan had never been conquered over a period of time by outsiders. So Pakistan is not controlling Afghanistan. Like India controlling Nepal or Bhutan.
@Pragmatist: Stability in Afghanistan is possible ONLY if India stays away from there.
Hahaha what a joke.. First they attack Afghanistan which was stable at that time.. Now they want to Pakistan to stabilized Afghanistan.. Its like first you wreck in some other house and ask its neighbors to cleans the rubbish we have made.
@PakistanZindaBaad: Stability in Afghanistan is possible ONLY if Pakistan stays away from there.
Pakistani interpretation of NATO +++++++++++++++++++++++++ No Action Talk Only.
@PakistanZindaBaad: What's the deal with randonly capitalizing words? If you are making a point, it is lost on me.
@Saad: It is north atlantic treaty organisation. You are Asian, not in any way connected to NATO.
@PakistanZindaBaad: Ask the majority Afghans what they want? If you were so good in Afghanistan what are the Americans doing there? Surely if you had helped instead of used the Afghans you wouldnot have had to say all this!
commentatora have missed one major point....no meeting between obama and zardari has nothing to do with afghanistan...if relations between thw were so bad zardari would have not been invited.it onlly has to do with elections in US. Obama cant antagonize the jewish lobby in US who are the real controllers of its politics. i feel pity for US presidents...who cant even go to loo without the permission of their controllers.
Pakistan Zinda Baad
Pak Fouj ko Salam!
LONG LIVE ISI
Ofcourse , Pakistan not just has a role in Afghanistan's security and Stability, but it is the ONLY COUNTRY WHICH HAVE THIS ROLE and it is the ONLY COUNTRY which have the right and which DESERVES to decide that which ELEMENTS are the INSURER of the STABILITY and SECURITY of AFGHANISTAN!
and this CHICAGO conference nothing more than acceptance of the defeat from USA and NATO in Afghanistan by AFGHAN FREEDOM FIGHTERS!!
Pakistan is not a member of NATO made up of 28 countries thats why Zardari not in pic
It is a NATO meeting and not Pakistan meeting. The NATO leaders are all in the picture.
The question is that if Pakistan’s role is so crucial in the Afghanistan’s future and Pakistan wields enormous influence over that major players of the entire game, Taliban, then why American president has chosen to humiliate the entire Pakistani nation by refusing to meet its president and offering a formal apology over Salala demanded by Pakistani president. Is it possible that Americans have been able to reach out to the Taliban without Pakistan’s help and now want to abandon the “bad boy” like they did in 1989. If that be the case, then the endgame is nowhere in sight. If the GLOC is so crucial to NATO, then why Pakistan is being denied its fair price? Is it a fact that the world has stopped taking Pakistani leaders seriously? Read more at: http://passivevoices.wordpress.com/2012/05/21/chicago-summit-can-pakistan-be-a-real-spoiler-of-the-end-game/
Now that Chicago summit is over, NATO supply route will take back seat. President Obama will be busy in his election and Pakistan too has far too many other issues to address. Meanwhile NATO supplies will continue through central Asia. Supply route will remain closed for many reasons and Pakistan will continue to drift into further isolation. Phase of sanctions against Pakistan might start through some sort of non-tariff barriers.. It will be interesting to watch how things unfold.
I think it is time for pakistan to realize the same thing, NATO has come to realize after 10 years of war, that is you can't controle afghanistan. Pakistani pundits/isi/military and the whole establishment think that we in afghanistan support the taliban in the same fashiion as dit 15 years ago. The opposite is actually the case. Most Afghans now hate and detest Taliban. The reason for this disentachment is quite obvious.How can someone support a force which is so brutal that kills its own people? I think these extremist are loosing air because they creat so much destruction, grief and backwardness. No human being(even muslims) would like to live a life of hardship. I think pakistani 'real' policy makers should realize these facts and change their backstabing/brother killing/dishonest and dishounored policy towards afghanistan. They should come clean and just support peace/brotherhood/and prosperity. If they don't then it is not long they will burn themseves as well. In fact judging by the number of people killed in karachi, blauchistan and KP one could say they are burning more than afghanistan.
"Pakistan has an important role to play in Afghanistan’s stability and security"
Pakistan has even a more important role to play in Pakistan's internal stability and internal security..
It is indeed heartening to learn that the NATO forces will be withdrawn from Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and that the responsibility of governing and managing the affairs of Afghanistan will be handed over to Afghan people.This decision taken at the Chicago Summit is the direct outcome of the realization that the NATO forces which invaded Afghanistan have completely failed to achieve its objectives and that it will never achieve.Having got killed over 3000 NATO forces,maimed over thousands,killed over tens of thousands of innocent Afghan civilians and depleted the American coffers,the United States has no option other than to humbly withdraw its forces leaving Afghanistan for Afghans.In the post 2014 era Pakistan has a significant and pivotal role to play in promoting stability and development there.The occupation of Afghanistan by the foreign forces has resulted in destabilization and devastation of that country.Now it is the responsibility of the Western powers led by the United States to commit themselves for the reconstruction,development and progress of Afghanistan.The people need peace and economic progress.Those countries that ruined that country have an obligation to help the Afghan people to secure these..
@Saad: why no Zardari in the picture? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The standard explanation is that his aircraft was late.
To open the routes all they have to do is threaten to block personal accounts in Swiss and other Western/Dubai banks. The route will open within hours.
An important role of Pakistan and no wonder we do not find our most honest, most efficient prez in the pic just anywhere. Maybe he was made to stand in such a position - far far away from important personalities, at his due place.
@khalid or it means that though we have an alternative transit route but we need pakistan route for lost extrication, brother the estimated difference is so huge between both routes that even a power like US cant afford it, 8k dollars per truck, and just the boats of ANF forces cost 2 million more, rest u can well imagine
are we in any kind of bargaining position? we are not. neither we have shown any statesmanship. instead of our reported demand of USD5000/per container we should have demanded building of alternate highways and repairs of roads damaged by the heavy trawlers running on these roads for the last many years. the demand for money smells corruption.
Don't see Zardari in the picture ??
Of course Pakistan has an important role to play in the Afghan endgame. Whether it's in Pakistan's interest to have stability and security in Afghanistan is a different question. If the Taliban can't make peace with the Northern Alliance, backed by the West, especially India, Pakistan will continue supporting the Taliban, to curb Indian influence north of its territory. Civil war might just be a possible scenario after 2014.
Where's our President in the photo?
Is Zardari giving an interview to CNN? Like his PM he may also provide interesting copy! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++The general impression is that the double game of Pakistan is no more acceptable. +++
Our general impression is, NATO has swallowed our crap for over 11 years... they can swallow some more. Not a problem at all.
why no Zardari in the picture?
Chicago summit declaration has endorsed the importance of alternative routes for supply to Afghanistan and has also highlighted that cooperation of Pakistan is very important for a final settlement in this region. What NATO has conveyed is that they will not entertain undue demands from Pakistan and that Pakistan has to play a role in controlling the Haqqani group. The general impression is that the double game of Pakistan is no more acceptable.
'and in facilitating the completion of the transition process'. Does it mean that if the route is not opened, USA/NATO can stay longer. Good choice.
They can't wait to run out of Afghanistan and that's the bottom line of their declaration!