NATO feels the heat as 100 tankers torched in Pak

Altamash Hashmi , CNN-IBN
Posted on Oct 07, 2010 at 22:29

Islamabad: NATO is feeling the heat in Pakistan as more than 100 oil tankers have been torched in seven days. 6,000 supply vehicles and 150 fuel trucks are stranded at the Torkham crossing on the Afghan border and Pakistan is letting them stew. There is no indication when Islamabad will allow the trucks through.

Abdul Basit, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman, said: "Our authorities are evaluating the security situation and the decision with regard to re-opening the supply route will be taken in due course."

This despite an apology from US Ambassador Anne Patterson over the killing of Frontier Scouts by NATO forces.

The mood in Pakistan is ugly. The intrusion by NATO forces into Pakistan last week in which the Frontier Scouts were killed has raised hackles.

Local reports say it could take another day or two before the Torkham blockade is lifted. NATO claims its supply vehicles are moving normally through the Chaman crossing. It is also using a route through Uzbekistan into Afghanistan, but NATO admits Torkham is convenient.

Brigadier-General Josef Blotz, NATO spokesman, said: "We do expect with the closure of the assessment of reports just published yesterday, we are coming closer to a resolution of all the problems. I understand that Mr Rasmussens, Secretary General of the NATO talked to the Pakistani authorities, General Petraeus talked to his counter part, General Kiani in Islamabad."

The blockade comes in the wake of leaks from Washington that the Pakistani army continues to play footsie with the Taliban, that the ISI is urging the Taliban to target US and NATO forces aggressively. Clearly this is one alliance which both countries find increasingly hard to justify.