ISLAMABAD: British Foreign Secretary William Hague voiced concern Tuesday over the seven-month impasse between Pakistan and the United States on reopening Nato supply routes into Afghanistan.
Pakistan shut its Afghan border to overland Nato supplies after US air strikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers last November. Washington has refused to apologise formally for the deaths.
The United States said Monday it has withdrawn low-level technocrat negotiators from Pakistan after talks over getting the border open again failed.
"We look to the United States and Pakistan to work successfully together and of greater concern to us, even than those lines of communication, would be a rift between the United States and Pakistan," the visiting British minister said.
He said he raised the issue in his meetings with Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, and hoped that both sides would find a solution.
"Obviously we want this issue to be resolved and of course we raised it and discussed it today," Hague added.
The withdrawal of US negotiators signalled further strains in relations between the nominal allies and follows criticism from US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta that saw Pakistan's army chief refuse to meet a Pentagon official.
The negotiators had been in Pakistan for about six weeks and US officials had believed they were close to a deal with Islamabad to lift the blockade.
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Hail army cheif well done ! u are the man for giving a slap to the usa in the face.
@SM:
Please elaborate like what resources we are talking about here? Are these not same kind of false propaganda that was very common during Iraq time? All these oil & minerals etc are extracted with the help of western firms no matter what, as these government do not have the knowledge or expertise to process them. Just take the example of Reko Dek. Rest of your comment is just a conspiracy theory just the same as Mr Dr. Rehman Malik has been saying about Balochistan but the bottom line is if your house is in order no one can harm you. We are our worse enemies at the moment.
@Away:
In other words you're admitting that because they didn't solve those problems the native people were/are not capable of solving their own problems due to their limited thinking backed by greed?
@Shahid: We have our differences but to call each other enemy is a stretch of imagination by all means.
@roadkashehzada: "how would any mature country would have reacted to killing of its 24 soldiers? not talking about france or germany, how would mexico or cuba have react?"
Would a Mexican border post provide cover fire to terrorists going to US? That is what appeared to be happening in Salala. The American report (which Pakistan chose not to participate despite being invited) was that firing happened on firing side and ANA asked for support from NATO.
I would imagine that Mexico's air-force would also come to the support of its soldiers. Not allow them to be bombed for 1.5 hours without providing any support.
If Pakistan thinks that breaking relationship with USA is in their best interest then plainly say so and go ahead and break the diplomatic relationship but dont say we are friends and act as an enemy.
I hope you carry this message to US as well!
Who and what is stopping UK? C'mon Mr. Secretary, strep up and pay the $5,000/per truck. Issue resolved, isn't it?
Oops, you would rather play with US Tax peyers money than British Pound, wouldn't you?
While on the subject, you do realize the fact that, all of the significant problems in the world today is created by your ancestors during their reign as the colonial masters, don't you?
From middleeast, to south asia to central asia, all created by the erstwhile British empire but you just don't want to pay the price.
@Khan: sir...just wondering how would any mature country would have reacted to killing of its 24 soldiers? not talking about france or germany, how would mexico or cuba have react? re. amicable resolution of the dispute, both sides had their own enquiries blaming eachother for the claim.then do more do more started from US. just google statements from US officials and see any room of amicable solution. as far as helping us during all types of natural calamities is concerned, i would shelf these efforts with bahria dastarkhawan. just wondering a country where parents dont finance their kids and kids dont take care of their parents, do u really think all suport was without any benefit? there are separate reports of Profit and Loss of US aid over past 60 yrs. no country (including china, turkey, saudi, uae) give a single penny to another country without its own interest. re. immature, i rather say amature (and honest)
@Khan: So what you are suggesting is that we let the US and NATO ride roughshod over any opinions we may have? Lets face it that the US and NATO are not in Afghanistan only to destroy extemists but that they are there to hog the resources of the region and deny the Chinese and Russians this area of influence. What is the reason for thousands of CIA contractors running hogwild within Pakistan?
What people like you are not understanding is the Great Game that is being played here and the aim is to destroy Pakistan and Iran so that Western/Indian domination of the region from the tip of China to the shores of the Atlantic can be complete.
@SM: International relations are not meant for immature bloggers and commentators on forums ... We are being held hostage once again by the right wing parties instead of working rationally and solving problems, they are bent on destroying this country and throwing all of us to stone ages just like what they did to Afghanistan. Salala incident is regrettable but it should have been resolved amicably after discussions and changing modus operandi between Pakistan & NATO instead of making it an egoistic issue. Instead of using this so called ghairat against those who have been helping us during all type of natural calamities and investing in our country's future via development projects, throughout the history of Pakistan, we should divert it to eradicate the criminals, reduce overpopulation and increase literacy rate for a better future of 180 million people.
Britain, you're not a superpower anymore :p thought you guys figured that out after Suez fiasco :P
Who cares what Britain thinks.
@roadkashehzada:
Really? All the problems in the world today are because of the "British Mediation/Imposition" through the first half of the last century.
Come on you have concern we have some serious problems. UK should tell its ally to apologize at the first place and the rest could be decided by keeping the mutual interest of all the stakeholders. BTW this is an unrealistic alliance in which all the stakeholders have different objectives.
This NATO supply route issue should be boxed for good now. US has northern route which they brag about quite a lot, use it, keep your 'billions' of dollars to yourself and leave us alone.
Dear Mr. Hague, please go back and tell US to let the ego go.... they can't keep cowing us down indefinitely
btw mediation by UK is still better than mediation by saudi arabia, uae or turkey
Looks like Briton back in picture after initial kick off by David Cameron! UK is trying to bridge the gap, lets see how things fold out.
classic and immortal act of good cop bad cop. the other day US team left leaving a deadlock behind and today we got good cop