Pakistan has reopened the Torkham crossing used to transport supplies to NATO troops in Afghanistan, which it closed on September 30 in protest of a NATO airstrike that killed three Pakistan Army soldiers along the border. The decision of reopening the border was made after the US apologised for the strike after an investigation concluded that the “tragic event could have been avoided with better coalition force coordination with the Pakistan military.” The border was opened after the 10th day of a blockade that raised tensions with Washington and left stranded trucks vulnerable to attacks.
In a short statement, the Pakistan Foreign Ministry said it decided to reopen the border after assessing security and that authorities on both sides of the border were coordinating to resume the supply traffic smoothly. Military sources were quoted as saying that the security situation is being reviewed after apologies and regrets statements issued by various US officials over tragic incident in Kurram agency on September 30, 2010 in which three Pakistani soldiers embraced shahadat and two were injured as a result of NATO gunship firing. Immediately after the incident Pakistan Army strongly protested to NATO and US authorities and asked for an investigation as well as explanation of the incident. Public sentiments as well as security situation arising due to incident was also conveyed to them.
A joint inquiry committee, comprising representatives from both ISAF and Pakistani security forces was immediately formed to probe into the incident. Sources said the joint investigation team tirelessly worked for three consecutive days and the committee in its findings concluded that two Coalition helicopters passed into Pakistan airspace several times. Subsequently helicopters fired at a building later identified as a Pakistan border outpost, in response to shots fired from the posts. The assessment team considered it most probable that they had fired in an attempt to warn the helicopters of their presence. Unfortunately, following the engagement, it was discovered that the dead and wounded were members of the Pakistan Frontier Scouts. The joint investigation team statement said that “we believe that Pakistani border guard was simply firing warning shots after hearing the nearby engagement and hearing the helicopters flying overhead”.
Pakistan strongly protested to ISAF and NATO on the two incidents of aerial engagements by ISAF-NATO helicopters on September 27 and September 30 from the Afghanistan side into Pakistani territory. These incidents were a clear violation and breach of the UN mandate under which ISAF operates. The said mandate “terminates and finishes” at the Afghanistan border. There are no agreed “hot pursuit” rules. Any impression to the contrary is not factually correct. Such violations are unacceptable, the military sources said.
NATO’s Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also regretted the incident on September 4 and said that killing of three Pakistani soldiers was unintended and showed the need to improve coordination between the NATO and the Pakistani military. Following the inquiry findings, the US Ambassador in Pakistan, Anne Peterson and Gen David Patreaus, the ISAF Commander, respectively extended their apology and regretted the incident on October 6. Admiral Mike Mullen in a separate letter to the Pakistan Chief Of Army Staff, Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, expressed deep regrets over the incident and said “We take the incident very seriously. Please know that the families of the soldiers lost in this tragic incident are in our constant thoughts and prayers”.
In a previous incident on September 4, 2008, Pakistan Army regretted the killing of innocent civilians at Angoor Adda, in which innocent civilians were killed in a cross-border raid by the Coalition forces. Army believes, sources said, that such-like reckless actions only help the militants and further fuel the militancy in the area. “We believe that the rules of engagement with the Coalition forces are well defined and within that, the right to conduct operations against the militants inside own territory is solely the responsibility of the respective armed forces. There is no question of any agreement or understanding with the Coalition forces whereby they are allowed to conduct operations on our side of the border.”
America and allied forces deployed in Afghanistan use Karachi port up to Torkham and Chaman border crossings as key supply routes for fuel, military vehicles, spare parts, clothing and other non-lethal supplies in Afghanistan. The closure of Torkham left scores of trucks stranded and attacked by Taliban on their way from the port city of Karachi, and bottlenecked traffic to the open but smaller Chaman crossing in the southwest. Observers say even when the border has reopened; lingering tensions will remain in the US-Pakistan relationship. The western partners believe that Pakistan is unwilling to go after the Afghan Taliban on its territory with whom it has strong historical ties and who generally focus their attacks on western troops, not Pakistani targets. But Pakistanis suspect that this is the plot hatched by the US, allied countries, especially by neighbouring India to destabilise Pakistan and create wedge between the Washington and Islamabad. They have cautioned to be vigilant against the bids to fuel the now growing tensions between the two capitals.
Security experts have urged the military authorities and government of Pakistan to raise the issue of CIA drone attacks inside Pakistan’s tribal territories as it is high time for Islamabad to settle it down with Washington. With the opening of Torkham border crossing for NATO troops the people of FATA in particular and across Pakistan is general have understood to believe that the drone attacks are being conducted with Islamabad’s secret understanding while apparently the government denies it. They also point out that when the soldiers of security forces were targeted by the US-NATO airstrikes, the Pakistan military reacted strongly and acted swiftly against the NATO supplies to Afghanistan, but when the common citizens of this country are being killed by drones, the government as well as the security forces, get mum. That’s why the CIA has dramatically stepped up the number of strikes in the tribal belt – in last eight days more than 10 missile strikes were conducted this month. Last month the US launched 21 such attacks, an unprecedented number and nearly all were in North Waziristan. Ironically America rarely acknowledges the covert missile strike program, which Pakistan officially opposes, but is believed to secretly support it.
There is another understanding amongst the security circles that the US would not easily digest this ‘humiliating’ public apology over the NATO airstrikes as it considers Pakistan its stooge, and would teach Pakistan a lesson at appropriate time. It is also believed that the US has in fact checked the spine of our government and military establishment in order to change the future course of strategy if need arises. Anyway the government of Pakistan has accepted the apology and allowed opening of the border with good intension, which Washington should not consider as Pakistan’s weakness but pragmatically understand the security implications of betraying its frontline ally in the war against terror while ignoring the realities on ground. NATO supplies have resumed after suspension of more than a week. Karachi to Kandhar and Kabul are long routes to be protected effectively all along. Many Pakistanis – civil and military – have laid their lives in the process. Pakistani soldiers are dying daily in fighting the Taliban. Drones take a similar heavy toll of innocent men, women and children in the form of collateral damage. For how long we would keep suffering for others – particularly the ungrateful one? It is time to ask US to look after its war on terror itself.
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