Pakistan to face sanctions if NATO routes stay closed: Defence Minister
While addressing a press conference in Lahore, Mukhtar said that even though the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) has not approved the resumption of Nato supply routes, it should review its decision for the benefit of the country.
Commenting on Pakistan-US relations, the defence minister said that negotiations between the two countries are done in accordance with public sentiment. He further said that rumours regarding conflict between the government and the Pakistan Army are incorrect and that both the stakeholders are on the same page.
Calling the Siachen issue a battle of egos, Mukhtar said that after losing so many soldiers on that battleground, it has become a very difficult issue to solve.
The defence minister later met Punjab Governor Punjab Governor Sardar Latif Khosa and discussed political matters.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[poll id="743"]
COMMENTS (72)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1731975305-0/Untitled-design-(40)1731975305-0-165x106.webp "article")
1731975060-0/Untitled-design-(39)1731975060-0-165x106.webp "article")
1731929357-0/Express-Tribune-(6)1731929357-0-270x192.webp "punjab govt announces guidelines for school reopening")
What sort of sanction would be applied, does anyone know? I thought NATO supplies were still carried via air?!
Ahmad Mukhtar has a lot to loose if sanctions are placed on Pakistan. His shoe company will loose a client. He, his family, his party and bureaucrats will loose that paltry aid that is being taped in the name of Pakistan. UNO instead of blackmailing us in the name of sanctions , should first repair the roads and infra structure that were used by the UN backed troops but were made from the poor country’s hard earned money . They should repair or remake the Schools , hospitals and markets that has been destroyed in the process.
@geeko: Dear geeko, I agree with 99 per cent of what you said, but was reading that Raymond Davies got himself into trouble the other day. I think I have got it right, but seem to recall that he assaulted a motorist in the U.S. for beating him to a parking space. The man is just a crazy, but then why should he be different from all the other Americans the Pakistanis have to put up with..
@usmanx: "Our country won’t last – said sixty years ago."
Well? Did a majority population not break away in 1971?
Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar on Sunday also hinted at mounting pressure on the government to reopen the supply routes. He told reporters in Lahore that Pakistan could face economic sanctions if it did not unplug the routes. When approached, the US Embassy denied Washington conveyed any threats to Islamabad
We shouldn't sway away in false sentiments and ego. The matter should be resolved amicably and reopen the route for nato supplies on new terms and conditions. A total and outright refuse is certainly not in favour of paikstan interesrts. Pakistan is already facing problems in every field at home and abroad. We should not increase our foes and bad wishers. Pakistan certainly ill affords sour relations with a super power.
@Ali Tanoli: "They dying to open the gates of trade other wise future of there children and bank accounts will be in trouble they real beygharath."
Talk about your own ghairat before speaking about their children living in US. Haven't you frequently claimed that you live in the US?
Friends! the ISAF mission in Afghanistan is a UN Security Council mandated mission. Under the UN charter , all the contries are obliged to implement the decision of the Security Council in good faith. If Pakistan would continue to halting ISAF supplies, then it is very clear that it will be subjected to sanctions and other punitive measures provided in the chapter 7 of the UN charter. This issue is not related to the US and Pakistan relations, but the issue between Pakistan and the UN.
:) well no sanctions can damage our economy more then what we are witnessing! how poor can the poor get? rich anyways don't have to bother!
Truth is a bitter pill to swallow.I am no fan of the defence minister but what he says while in Lahore and also his previous statements as to what will happen if NATO supply route is not opened,needs cool thinking.Emotion,and or past glory coupled with the pride must be controlled and a balanced sensible approach should be key to resolve the issue. Those who believe the country has the capability and capacity to confront USA and the NATO would do a service to themselves by visiting military and economic strength of the country.We are totally dependent on USA and NATO countries. Rupee dollar rate will jump to over 150 within six months of any sanction thus shooting inflation to 40/50percent.Export will collapse ,unemployment will multiply and GDP will fall drastically . By the way USA/NATO have started using CIS countries for the supply though it is much expensive which they can sustain.
There is a good side to everything that may look bad. Pakistan's irrational, suicidal ( 1/2 country lost ) , bellicosity towards India was based on the assumption that USA and China would back Pakistan against India, irrespective of merits, because India was not friends to USA and China. This kind of juvenile, mediocre thinking informed Pakistan policy towards India since 1947. It led to wars. It led to army taking over Pakistan. It led to religious fundamentalism and then the label of failed state. Now Pakistan sees USA differently. USA has better relations with India. China has good relations and excellent trade relations with India. Pakistan has very tense and strained relations with USA. So now, Pakistan's self-damaging bellicosity towards India is coming to an end. Its starting to seek rational, civilized relations with India. If it can carry on the policy and do so then many of Pakistan's problems , will be resolved automatically. It will more than make up for any damage from strained relations with USA. That's the only silver lining I see in the dark clouds gathering. Will Pakistan finally follow a rational policy towards India ?
simply say that the government doesn't have the guts to go against US will.
“I am more afraid of an army of 100 sheep led by a lion than an army of 100 lions led by a sheep. ”Charles M. de Talleyrand"
The Defence Minister is supposed to defend the country through shrewd diplomacy but this man is showing the Americans how they should overawe the Pakistanis.Iand all the patriotic people of Pakistan are ashmed of this man.It is high time that he should be kicked out of the cabinet and sent back to Gujrat to make chappals and export them to America.
@Sandip: "truth will free you" is not saying that US will never sanction Pakistan. He/she is simply saying that if it does so, it will be preceded by very public and frequent warnings. I tend to agree with him/her. I also agree with his/her rationale : this statement comes from GHQ because their plan to extract more - yet again simply did not wiork and having generated all the anti-Maericanism , they do not want to take the blam for the decision - rather they wany politicans to take the blame.
They dying to open the gates of trade other wise future of there children and bank accounts will be in trouble they real beygharath.
Why to believe that this man is actually speaking the truth? HE came back from Chona and made a statement about Gwadar which was immediately contradicted by the Chinese. If the US wants to threaten sanctions (and it may in the future), it will communicate via its organs: articles in NY Times, Wall Stree Journal if it wants to do so indirectly and statements from their state department if it wants to do so directly.
This man is just saying what GHQ wants him to say. GHQ is concerned it will not get spares for F16s and new free weapons, so it wants to reopen the routes. Butit had whipped up anti-Americanism itself so wants politicians to take the heat.
@unbeliever: Yes we can survive without American aid. We survived during 1989 to 2001 without any aid and also with sanctions imposed by USA with Pressller Amendment. We still remember that and we were doing really good. In those years we never had any problems.
Aid is problem and it brings corruption as well as destrution in the country. We will be very happy if America stop all Aid and leave us alone. We are tired of these sanction threats.
We have at this moment most corrupt PPP Govt. We also need to get rid of this corrupt Govt. which came with the help of America.
In Pakistan history America has put 4 times sanctions but then they come back again ask us to help them after a while.
@Tanveer: "bring it on … history has it that we thrive when sanctioned."
You were never sanctioned in the past. In the 1990s aid t Pakistan was stopped. and even that led to what os called a lost decade. Sanctions will mean no one (at least Western nations) will buy your exports or allow remittances to your country.
@geeko: "And the USA already sanctioned us (no aid, military in the 80s-90s, when we went for the nuclear weapons – see the Pressler Amendment (in fact, Pakistan had already bought a F-16 but it was refused to them.)"
A lot of Pakistanis are under the impression that not receiving US aid is tantamount to sanctions. It is very different. Since 1979, Iran has never received US aid, but it has been sanctioned only now and Iranian economy is going rapidly downhill.
As a country you can decide whether or not you want to face sanctions, it is your right. But do not do it under the mistaken conception that you have faced it in the past so you know what it is like. No. You have NOT faced it and you DO NOT know what it's like.
Your exports to US and NATO will stop. Remittances from western countries will stop (at least through banking channels).you will not have forex to import oil/gas and will have a far worse energy crisis than you have now.
AND THE INDIANS POUNCE....
Iranians have a history, we don't. Really - Have you seen the map of modern day pakistan and the indus valley civilization?
Our economy won't last - said ten years ago.
Our country won't last - said sixty years ago.
Call Names like "concerned and cautious, observer, genius and wisdom" come to our aid with their good hearts.
The same people that said we would not stop nato supply trucks, who then said it would not last long, who then said our backs will be broken who now say we are WRONG to stop trucks... in essence the same people who will never be happy are once again... not happy.
if we defy sanctions we are stupid, if we agree to sanctions we are cowards. 1.3 billion will never be happy with, little do they know that we don't care to even make 1 happy.
@Khan: "The success of US-Pak relations is that Pakistani politicians are perhaps the most easily bought commodity on this planet."
Was Ayub Khan who entered the SEATO CENTO agreement a Politician? Was Zia who entered Afghan jihad a politician? Was Musharraf who joined the war on terror a politician? If you had said Pakistani rulers, your statement would have merit, but using this issue to take stab at politicians flies in face facts and logic.
THE work of ppp government is to make people scary and get the things done in their own interest under the name of pakistan....
We cannot expect a bold step from these politiicians, they have set thier fielding in favour of lifting the NATO sanctions and they will surely follow that course. And who knows the route has already been opened by now.
Pakistan shouldn't allow supply route to reopen. We have to show them our strength on our soil. Pakistanis are tigers and we shouldn't eat gross. DCP Zindabad. Anybody know where is Maulana Hafiz Saeed?
@Cautious: Dear Cautious, You really are anti Pakistan aren't you? You have to get over it. Pakistan was chortling along quite well until the U.S. started interfering in its affairs. The money America gives Pakistan is useful, but it will not be the end of the world if it stops coming, and you have to remember that America does not give money because it is generous. They give money on a quid quo pro basis. The Pakistan Government has been a very loyal supporter of America over the last few years, but as always America has to take advantage of a situation. As an aside, and just in case you had not noticed, all the Western countries are in severe economic decline, and America is leading the pack with astronomical debt levels. Almost every country in the world is in for a bout of belt tightening, and there is no end in sight. Why should Pakistan be different?
This is the same gentleman who once said Pakistan can do nothing about drones because we don't have the capability to shoot them. He also said on another occasion that we cannot fight America, so... well, the message is clear: If you cannot fight the enemy join him. With Defence Ministers like these, forget about defence. What if the sole superpower one fine morning decides to bomb this country? The Defence Minister would of course say, surrender! You can't fight them. If we wholeheartedly adopt the philosophy of Mr. Mukhtar, the best thing would be to reduce armed forces to a bare minimum and allow foreign powers to do what they want in Pakistan. At least we would save money to spend on our people. But if anyone thinks we would get more aid thereby, forget it. Even aid is given to those nations who matter somehow.
I feel sorry for my pakistani brothers and sisters. You don't have good leaders. And the army was using the aid that the country received, for it's own benefit. Imagine feeding lies to the people that they have won wars against India, that Pakistan's presence and it's strategy was responsible for the breakdown of the Soviet union etc etc.Info on all these events and instances can be found on the wiki.India has it's own problems and the least of it is our neighbours. We have to deal with China, with America for our friendship with Iran and madam Hillary has landed in India to discuss this.Yet we put up a brave face and deal with the problems. Even Imran Khan seems to have lost it now. It is people who make a country. And people can bring about a change. Wish you all the best!
He would not be the first and only person to know. In fact, he would not be notified by anyone in charge of such decisions. The fact it's him saying it and only him saying it means it's either him prodding for a reaction, he's just stupid or... No, I guess there is no "Or." He's just either stupid or poking the public with a stick.
The threat would make bigger waves than this man running his mouth.
@truth will free you: Has any other US ally ever organized an insurgency that kills american soldiers while at the same time swallowing billions of dollars in aid? And don't stay under the notion that this is the defence minister speaking. It's the GHQ speaking through the defence minister. It must be said that the civilian leadership has once again outsmarted the generals. The generals have been playing this anti-US game for some time to extract more and more for themselves. The civilian leadership just took their game to another extreme thus trapping them at their own game. Now the generals are feeling the heat from their proxies as well as from their rank and file. Serves them right.
The US is doing what is in their national interest, our ruling political does what promotes their selfish interests, even at cost of hundreds of Pakistanis killed. I would like to know how the Defense Minister Mukhtar would feel if his own son is unfortunately killed in a drone attack, or how AZ would feel if his own kith and kin were the victims of such an attack. It is only when leaders have credibility will people trust them. Nobody has any faith with likes of Mukhtar and his boss. Rise up like a nation with honor and respect.
Pakistan with her basket case economy can't survive the sanctions. Pakistan and it's cunning army should now behave like a civilized world and stop supporting the islamic fundos for her strategic depth.
If we do allow NATO transport, then we should tax them heavily AND be only allowed to transport through the Pakistan Railway network. This will force NATO to improve our failing railway lines and hopefully introduce fast new trains.
A true leader is one who can mould public opinion to facilitate adoption of measures which are in the best interests of the nation, be they in foreign policy domain, or in matters related to security, or terror related or in socially relevant issues. Irrespective of the person harm his adoption of rational stand may beget him, he does not change his stand because he has the greater good of the nation and its people in his sight. It is the misfortune of Pakistan that there are no leaders who can explain in un ambiguous terms to its people the consequences of actions which the country is compelled to take due to irrational expectations and hopes generated by different sections of opinion makers be they analysts or religious leaders of leaders of political parties or the army generals.
That wont be the first time for us. All he is saying is he wont get paid ..
We surely have DEATH wish! We do not know what sanctions are! We are a nation of emotional buffons who instead of using logic & reasoning use emotions to take decisions.
ZAB said we are prepqred to eat grass. I think time has come for non NATO ally to eat grass for blocking NATO supplies. What an irony Hillary Clinton visits India to and Pakistan faces sanctions. There was a time no American Official could dare to visit one country and not the other. Finally that India Pakistan comparision/nexus is broken. What a reversal of fortune in such a short time.
bring it on ... history has it that we thrive when sanctioned.
Pakistan is in a catch twenty two situation since it is commited itself to US and NATO for war against terror and is under international obligations to co-operate with both for the same. However, the public opinion after the border incident has forced Pakistan to take a hard stand against US who has refused to bow down to issue an unconditional apology. The fact of the matter is that Pakistan is no position to continue this stand off with US which it had infact carried it too far and may suffer unbearable consequences. Its time for Pakistan to reconcile and make it up with US since it is on the brink and dooms day is not far away.
@A Pakistani: "I’d rather austerity over murder of my people. Bring on the sanctions."
Your people are being murdered on a larger scale on a daily basis by your brotherly Taliban.
Of course the Nato supplies are going to be opened up. Why the farce of a protest? The success of US-Pak relations is that Pakistani politicians are perhaps the most easily bought commodity on this planet.
And we have no electricity, no water, no gas. The idea of sanctions is actually pretty hilarious considering we're being prepared by our government as we speak.
For Nato when poor, brown people die it's all in a days work. News agencies around the world have reporters have sent their people in war zones so why is our media so shy. Where is the coverage each time there is drone attacks. What are the names of the people who are killed, where is the footage of the dead people our media likes to throw at us from time to time?
Cowards the bunch of them.
@Cautious: A friendship which permits one to shoot at the other's soldiers and refusing to even give formal, verbal, virtual, non-monetary and poetic apologies ? A friendship which spits on the Parliament's resolution about drone attacks, Parliament which in any parliamentary democracy is the effective translation of the aspirations of the peoples ?
We don't want the USAID, the money going, as you'd guess in a proto-feudal society, in the pockets of the bureaucratic élite of Islamabad and the generals of Rawalpindi, we can be friend with USA on purely objective parameters, respecting both States national interests but, please, don't say that Pakistan is the "bad ally" here - the day Raymond Davises will be roaming in your streets, killing your citizens and not being judged legally back home, you could. And the USA already sanctioned us (no aid, military in the 80s-90s, when we went for the nuclear weapons - see the Pressler Amendment (in fact, Pakistan had already bought a F-16 but it was refused to them.)
News flash Mr. Defence Minister - Pakistan is already under sanctions thanks to the endless nonstop plundering by the government, due to the fact that all our state institutions have nearly run into the ground and that the non stop millitant attacks have permanently crippled our economy. I cant imagine how much worse it can get under sanctions. So please these threats dont have any teeth. If anything things have been quiet peaceful since we closed the supplies. Atleast the US is holding its tongue for now, otherwise every second day we are getting arm twisted by the Yankees.
In every country where sanity and rationality prevails, the parliament or parliamentary committees set broader guidelines on policy matters. These institutions do not dictate how to implement the policy guidelines. Implementation is always left to the executive of the country. In Pakistan, "GANGA ULTI BEH RAHI HAI" Let parliamentary committee just to give broad guide lines on foreign and security issues and let executive (including military establishment) to decide its implementation. To me resumption of NATO supply route with certain favourable conditions is in larger interest of Pakistan. But the biggest problem in Pakistan is absence of sane and rationale leadership. Every one seems to have been hijacked by the fear of Mullah or extremists. Interest of country has gone to lower priority. And I am sure this suggestion will also receive deaf and dumb approach of so called leaders.
Pakistanis are already facing sanctions - lack of water and electricity is what? Even Iraq under Saddam facing sanctions wasnt this bad... What scares Ahmed Mukhtar and the rest of the government and politicians is that the US will put sanctions on the plunder that foreign aid enables..
It is a well known fact that this guy has no clue whatsoever on what he is talking about.
@Jat: then why this obsessions with 'mercenaries and opportunists'? you life must be in a really pathetic state that you need spend hours and hours on news reports related to 'mercenaries and opportunists'.
NATO may demand an unconditional apology from Pakistan before it agrees to use Pakistan routes and a guarantee that they will not be closed again. Or else sanctions will follow!
@Ali
Oil you do not have.
And Terrorists you have in plenty.
End of comparison with Iran.
India now has its own missile defence shield
have demonstrated it in two layers that is endo-atmospheric (inside the Earth's atmosphere) and exo-atmospheric (outside the Earth's atmosphere)," Saraswat said.
said all the elements such as long-range radars and tracking devices, real-time datalink and mission control system required for the missile system have been "realised" successfully.
@ALi:
There's a big difference between Iran and Pakistan. Iran has oil and doesn't have a runaway growth in its population.
@Ali
If survival is your goal then go for it -- but Iran started out with vast economic wealth and now it's economy is failing with it's currency at an all time low, record inflation and signs that basics used by it's people are disappearing. Pakistan isn't in the same league as Iran - doesn't have the natural resources, culture, or stability - in fact the only thing it has in common is some extremist Muslims who don't like the USA.
@Jat I disagree with you. After making the atom bomb, we di face sanctions, and did survive it. We have faced the worst heat of terrorism, one major earthquake and huge floods, and all in one decade! we still are there. So lets see what these sanctions do to us? Iranians are not the super human beings. Besides, Ch. Mukhtar is only really worried about the people he represents. they definitely will face problems in keeping their corruption going if sanctions come. IF sanctions come, that is.
Retreating from any part of the parliamentary recommendations would mean a high level of disrespect to the people of Pakistan and a failure on part of Pakistani negotiators.
Like its political leaders the pakistani nation is good at hollow slogans. Talking is the easiest thing in the world and we are experts in it. Let us see how long the country runs without American dollars!
fine, we ll face sanctions but i was expecting this from US defense sec. wrong mouth piece!!!
Those sanctions are acceptable over National security & Innocent lives of Pakistanis..!
He is lying as always. The Prez, ex-PM and rest of the ministers want safe passage to USA after they lose the elections. This is what its all about. Pakistan has not violated any UN sanctions. Nor has Pakistan attacked any US forces. Then why this threat of sanctions?? This is all BS of MOD. Routes were permitted as an act of friendship and not for killing soldiers on borders, or CIA agents killing people in cities or drones killing innocents in large numbers. Enough is enough and if this Govt. wants to sell Pakistan for a few pieces of silver, well then that is different matter.
@ALi: Iranians are a nation with a history going back thousands of years. You are just a motley crowd of mercenaries and opportunists.
Loosers cannot be choosers and our succesive leaders have ensured pakistan is in no way able to bargain as they have driven us into an economic gutter while our nieghbours are economic superpowers.
@ALi: no you can't. you don't have oil. also you are not iranian. they forght a continuous war for close to a decade in recent past, while you couldn't hold past two weeks.
Yep, the carrot and stick machine seems to have run out of carrots. Pakistanis are lucky, they get to see the future unfolding before their eyes at such a rapid pace.
how timid.... lets stop kidding the people and face the sanctions as a brave nation...
if Iran can survive after all the sanctions then Pakistan can also survive. Go ahead!
Pakistan has painted itself in to a corner. Let us see how you wriggle out of this one.The world's best intelligence agency is not so smart after all.
I'd rather austerity over murder of my people. Bring on the sanctions.
Time for a reality check - the money, weapons, and influence used by the Americans and NATO on your behalf requires something in return other than a stick in the eye. Your so busy talking trash about your supposed allies that you never pause to look at the benefits you have received.
Sir lets face more sections...stop drones as well...