Imran, Talibans and NATO supplies to Afghanistan

In 2004  the Bush Administration  designated Pakistan as a Major Non-NATO Ally (MNNA) of the US. In short  through this contract made under supervision of COAS Gen Musharraf , all restrictions had been removed which was imposed on Pakistan during Sharif  regime on activating Nuclear blasts.Free and concessional supply of new equipment was also resumed, the Bush administration projected it as equipment meant to strengthen Pakistan’s counter-terrorism and counter-infiltration capabilities on the border with Afghanistan.The only purpose at that moment seems to be meant merely to bolster the image of Musharraf in the eyes of his subordinates and public without any qualitative upgradation of the military supplies.These were the moments when contracts of war on terror were being signed and in many deals between two military forces,  this  huge transit deal of NATO supply was signed , naming it as big favor from Pakistan to NATO forces as major allay of war on terror.

Pakistan’s Route

NATO’s major supply chain for its forces in Afghanistan stretches from the Pakistani port city of Karachi to Peshawar, then through the Khyber Pass to Kabul. More than 70 percent of NATO supplies and 40 percent of its fuel moves through Peshawar.The route is crucial to supplying the nine-year campaign by U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan against the Taliban insurgency.

Pakistan is the major supply route for equipment destined for 141,000 troops of  Nato forces deputed in Afghanistan, with some 5000 lorries a month traveling through the Khyber pass on their way to the border and Kabul beyond NATO stuff is   being supplied either by trains or NLC or transporters allowed by NLC officials.

The normal supply consists  between 200 and 300 fuel tankers and supply trucks usually cross the border daily.Much of the non-lethal supplies for foreign troops in landlocked Afghanistan come through Pakistan after arriving at the port of Karachi.

One can judge the extent of huge influx of  transfer of NATO supply via Pakistan route that in the past two years, over 60,000 heavy vehicles of NATO have entered Afghanistan through the Chaman border – with an average of 100 vehicles a day.During last year flood the supply to the Nato forces via the border at Torkham was decreased by 80% due to the flood water but sooner restored  on urgent basis by the efforts of Pakistan officials.

A second route, through Baluchistan, to Kandahar Air Base in southern Afghanistan .

The bridge in Jamrud after the Taliban

Last year Pakistan shut the main Khyber Pass border crossing on Sep 30 2010 after a cross-border assault by a NATO helicopter based in Afghanistan killed the Pakistani soldiers.During the closure thousands of oil tankers and supply vehicles became stranded at different points between the port city of Karachi and Peshawar.

Scores of NATO vehicles were destroyed in gun and arson attacks in last two years while the border crossing was shut, as Taliban militants stepped up efforts to disrupt the route and avenge U.S. drone strikes.The Jamrud region ,a Taliban hot spot  where the  NATO military  launched an operation to clear the Taliban from Jamrud but this didn’t work effectively too.

Beneficiaries of NATO Supply:

Regular supply through this lane was initially planned between Pak military and US officials and  many tribal leaders from both side of borders were bribed or facilitated by CIA , including the brother of Afghan president to resume this supply in smooth manner.In Pakistan only 7 billion Rs fraud in NATO containers has come to surface.The investigation into the NATO containers scam has confirmed the smuggling of liquor and arms in the containers supposed to carry goods for the forces based in Afghanistan.The report also divulged the embezzlement of billions of rupees worth of customs money besides the disappearance of NATO lorries.In a major development in the ISAF, NATO containers’ scandal, the federal government  suspended 22 officials of the Pakistan Customs Service, including six officials of Grade-18, for their involvement in the mega scandal. This is not a trivial thing that smuggling is being done in the name of NLC National Logistics Cell.

So in short few made billions through such  mismanaged  deals, making Pakistan and Afghanistan in the list of  few dangerous and corrupt countries of the world  where all kind of officers, including military and civilians , along with tribal leaders were involved in facilitating the NATO forces in the region .

Recent move of Imran khan ‘effort to gather and sit  on Peshawar with fair looking angry  crowd from all over Pakistan at least produced some kind of impression( although too late) that Pakistani people have been really fed up of this mice- cat games and both allies should think of some other option to fool the nation with new  emotional military games.

Present situation is quite tense and it looks that it is becoming    out of control of NATO commanders and CIA operatives as too much attacks  on convoys have been recorded. The alliance has been thinking of  opening new routes into Afghanistan from the north in recent years to try to reduce its dependency on the Pakistan route, which gives Islamabad leverage when negotiating with the West

NATO has  come to an agreement  to allow supplies to pass through the Central Asian republics, and NATO officials  started declaring that they could use Iranian routes to  resupply its forces.So lets see how snake like officials who are real beneficiary of this deal would come forward to save this illegal contract that only created havoc in Pakistan dying economy.