Pakistan president Zardari to attend Nato summit

Islamabad:  Pakistan's president Asif Ali Zardari announced yesterday that he will attend the upcoming Nato summit in Chicago, accepting an invitation that was given after the country indicated it plans to end its six-month blockade of supplies meant for coalition troops in Afghanistan.

Pakistan closed its Afghan border to Nato supplies in November in retaliation for American airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. The route remains closed, but Pakistan's Cabinet has authorised officials to conclude their negotiations with the US over reopening it.

Domestic backlash

The government is likely to face domestic backlash once the supplies resume, partly because the Obama administration refused to apologise for last year's attack and stop drone strikes in the country as demanded by Pakistan's parliament.

Hardline Islamist leaders yesterday threatened to block the supply route if it does reopen, but it's unclear how successful they would be. Anti-American sentiment is rampant in Pakistan, but the country's powerful army has an interest in seeing the supplies resume because the move could free up over $1 billion (Dh11 billion) in frozen US military aid.

The US and Pakistan raced on Wednesday to conclude a new agreement on the supply route, but the two sides remained at odds over how much money Islamabad should be paid to end the blockade. Pakistan has demanded higher fees for goods shipped through the country and has also clashed with the US over how much military aid it is owed.

Before the November attack, the US and other Nato countries fighting in Afghanistan shipped about 30 per cent of their non-lethal supplies through Pakistan. Since then, supplies have taken a far more expensive route through eastern Europe and Asia.

Pakistan has insisted the invitation to the upcoming Nato summit delivered earlier this week was not conditional on the status of the supply line. But many analysts believe the invite was forthcoming only after Pakistan indicated it would reopen the route.

Peace deal

The summit will largely focus on the Afghan war, and Pakistan's president will deliver a speech to the countries that make up the fighting force there, his office said in a statement. He will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani.

Pakistan's presence at the meeting is seen as important because the country is considered vital to brokering a peace deal with the Taliban and their allies in Afghanistan that would allow foreign troops to withdraw without the country descending into further chaos.

Pakistan has historical links to the militants, and many of the top commanders are believed to be based on its territory.