NATO supply through Pakistan permanently stopped: Minister

Islambad: Pakistan has permanently stopped passage of NATO supply through the country following an airstrike that left 25 soldiers dead, said Interior Minister Rehman Malik.

Rehman Malik Sunday said that the supply of NATO through Pakistan has not been suspended, rather it has been stopped permanently.

As many as 25 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 15 were injured after NATO helicopters from Afghanistan attacked a border checkpost in Mohmand tribal region near the Afghan border early Saturday, leading to Islamabad lodging a strong protest with Washington.

Talking to reporters here, Rehman Malik strongly condemned the NATO attack on Pakistani forces.

"NATO force should respect feelings of Pakistani nation," Associated Press of Pakistan quoted Rehman Malik as saying.

He said the country was aggrieved at the soldiers' death in the wake of NATO attack on Salala post in Mohmand Agency.

The minister said that NATO containers which have been stopped would not be allowed to cross the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

On Sep 30 last year, the NATO supply was halted by Islamabad following an air attack at a checkpost of paramilitary forces in Kurram Agency area that left some Pakistani armed forces personnel dead. The attack caused severe outrage in Pakistan and the matter was taken up by the government with NATO high command.

The supply of oil and other logistics for NATO troops in Afghanistan had then resumed from Torkham border in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after a 10-day break.

NATO forces are fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan since 2001 and use land route from Pakistan's northwestern and southwestern provinces to carry logistics. Dozens of NATO oil tankers have been attacked and set ablaze by the Taliban in Pakistan.

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The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and the Emeritus Senior Minister, Mr. Goh Chok Tong, unveiled the bust and the Marker of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, at Asian Civilizations Museum, in Singapore on November 20, 2011.

(Photo: M. Asokan )