ISLAMABAD: The United States has started withdrawing military equipment from Afghanistan and a first convoy of containers crossed the Torkham border point headed to Karachi for shipment, said an official of the cargo company on Sunday.
An official of the cargo company, Bilal Associates, from Karachi told The Express Tribune via phone call that his company received clearance for the US defence equipment at the Torkham border point on Friday.
He said that the first convoy of nearly 25 containers was cleared by the Pakistani custom officials and was allowed to proceed to Karachi.
The official, on condition of anonymity, said that another convoy of containers will enter Pakistan next week. "Many more would follow as it is a huge operation," he said.
The US plans to withdraw several thousand troops from the war-torn Afghanistan this year and the Nato has set 2014 for a complete withdrawal. Washington is engaged in talks with Kabul for a security pact that is likely to allow presence of some troops in Afghanistan after the Nato withdrawal.
The United States, which has currently more than 60,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of nearly 150,000 Nato force, plans to withdraw all its combat troops by 2014.
Top US military officials had earlier stated they would need Pakistan’s support in exit strategy and its land routes will be crucial for withdrawal of troops and equipment. Last year, Pakistan allowed the US military cargo and non-containerised equipment to enter its territory at Torkham and Chaman border in Balochistan province.
Pakistan, however, linked transit of the US military cargo at the time of withdrawal from Afghanistan with certification that Washington would not transit any hazardous waste material and uranium.
COMMENTS (29)
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USA lost in the form of down in its economy, and it spent billions of dollars in killing innocent poor afghans. the 911 is still not clear.
@saleem The Russians were finished after defeat in Afghanistan
Fools they indeed were !
Now they subserved to China
@saleem: so be it ...
Another USSR in making.
Congrats Talibans, you defeated another Super Power and maintained the thousands years old track record.
Hahah!! foolish muslims always winning but still the most backward people,long live NATO and free world.You will taste the victory as you did after defeat of Soviet union but this time Afghan will not be alone to face consequence
@naeem khan Manhattan,Ks:
"I think it is better for Pakistan to allow their withdrawal, but this conflict is not going to end even after 2014, the Americans want to leave 10,000 combat troops behind in the guise of training the Afghan forces but Taliban has sworn to carry on the fight till every foreigner is out of Afghanistan and that also include the Indians. Americans left Iraq after leaving a satrap to run the country and it is the same in Afghanistan. Karzai turned out to be the biggest satrap we have seen for a while.Lets not antagonize the Americans because they will cause lot of mischief for Pakistan behind one pretext or another, don’t forget their surrogates in Afghanistan and India."
You hold such negative, sometimes extremist, and adversarial views of the US, but you live there and enjoy life there. I hope the FBI has a tag on you.
Fools and incompetent are the authorities in Pakistan to allow the withdrawl of the lethal and environamental risk equipment via the Pakistan infrastructure! Right now on CNBC the democratic senate President is publicly claiming that USA is now involved in cyber war which includes 'Drones'.
Why must Pakistan continue to risk its security by involvement with the yanks, whose sinking ship has lost them the big rats and the 'vietnam' repeat was expected by the political strategist Pundits, destruction and abondonment of the war equipment in Afghanistan. Karzai is a clever fox and has managed to transfer the environamental risk to Pakistan.
Rex Minor
@Saj and Raj
The Russians won in Afghanistan too. The Russian withdrawal was actually a victory, and the downward slump of their economy was just a restructuring. Psych...Indiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!
@saj: Us economy in shambles, thousands of soldiers were killed, many more thousands of soldiers were disabled, mental sickness to hundreds of thousand soldiers, they failed to build a base. does any of this gets into your head or you Indians just come here for Muslim bashing & Pakistan bashing? OBL was a CIA asset & he retired in 2002 & all the groups are still active lol. who is dying for peace talk with Taliban in Qatar? US lol. List is endless to prove how defeated US is :) now Indian troll can carry with their shift since your days are numbered too in Afghanistan :)
@Romm:
All I can say now, is: Mehnat Kar; Hasat Na Kar.
Saw photos of Karachi Rickshaws with many such slogans of wisdom.
@O2: you are living in Disneyland , the USA has killed your uncle Osama and many of his supporters....you and our army were fast asleep when this happened....drones attack where they like ,when they like.....and the usa's goal of not having another attack in the USA mainland has been accomplished....if that's your logic of success then you are quite mad
Nato has decided to withdraw its troops from afghanistan via pakistan . It is the ripe time to bargain with nato and isaf as they need safe exit and pakistan is the only guarantee provider in this situation . We must remember the past double standered policy of united states of america and deal according keeping in view our strategic depth.
either NATO or POTATO ... Only Taliban will rule this earth ... soon
So a great war that was started 12 years ago to eliminate Taliban from face of this earth ends with talks with those same Taliban. Yes, its a victory only Americans can explain to the world.
@o2 yeah sure its a big defeat, they came from thousands of miles, gave a slap tight enough for taliban to get out of power, installed another govt, stayed exactly till they said they would, and now are leaving through a route of their choice, no no your right, truly defeated. Ive heard of ostrich mentality but you sir are something else!
I think it is better for Pakistan to allow their withdrawal, but this conflict is not going to end even after 2014, the Americans want to leave 10,000 combat troops behind in the guise of training the Afghan forces but Taliban has sworn to carry on the fight till every foreigner is out of Afghanistan and that also include the Indians. Americans left Iraq after leaving a satrap to run the country and it is the same in Afghanistan. Karzai turned out to be the biggest satrap we have seen for a while.Lets not antagonize the Americans because they will cause lot of mischief for Pakistan behind one pretext or another, don't forget their surrogates in Afghanistan and India.
All I can say is that some will keep talking of past history, not realizing that geography is being changed.
@O2
They killed OBL (no thanks to Pakistan), significantly eroded the strength of Al Qaeda, removed the Taliban from power and will keep a small, cost effective and lethal footprint capable of keeping the Taliban from retaking control of Afghanistan ---- you call that defeat? From my perspective the only thing the American's got wrong is trying to pump Billions into trying to bolster infrastructure to help an economy in a portion of the World notorious for corruption - but most would agree that's not a military objective.
Hope Taliban will now stop killing people in Pakistan which as per Imran's ideology was due to US troops presence in Afghanistan.
@O2: 'This will happen to anyone who might think of attacking Pakistan'. Does this also imply to TTP and therefore the surrender of Pakistan to them?
Now be a good boy america & remember, Never send a child over a man's job!!!
End game for ISAF, but what about Pakistan? Will it be left to deal with the consequences, while the war makers sit in the comfort of their lands far away?
They have taken their revenge and it's time to go back home. Not sure what they (those saying it's a defeat of the US) wanted USA to do. Do they want the US to carry the whole of Afghanistan along with them in a plane???
So ET brings out the fact. It is the facilitaiton of withdrawl US and NATO via land route of Pakistan which if assured by new government can pave the way for elections in time. However since US and NATO feel comfortable with current trioka as such striving hard to continue with current set up till withdrawl is complete.
@Shiv...So according to your comment, this land is separate from India then why you Indians always cry about lost of this land? OR If you think it is part of subcontinent then the whole land has always been plundered, looted and raped not only the Pakistani land but Indian land as well.
@Shiv: yeah India is shinning, right? with half of your population under poverty, which is 3X the population of Pakistan :) @current: difficult times do come for nations, Europe was not always this good, read history books :)
neither is it an easy place to live in.
another big defeat for the superpower lol This will happen to anyone who might think of attacking Pakistan or Afghanistan in near future :) but nobody is going to think of that, this place has never been or is or never will be an easy place to invade.