Fire extinguished on NATO trucks but stalemate continues amid threats
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The fire that destroyed nearly two dozens of NATO supply oil tankers was extinguished in Pakistan 's garrison city of Rawalpindi early Thursday morning. However, the ashes still contain threats of more such attacks amid Taliban claims, and stalemate amongst the troika of Pakistani government, insurgents and NATO continues as logistics blockade to Afghanistan entered the fifth day on Monday.
Earlier on Friday, nearly 35 NATO supply oil tankers and container trucks were set ablaze in a terrorist incident at Shikarpur in southern Sindh province. The same day two more NATO trucks were destroyed in southwest Balochistan province.
Bumper-to-bumper lines of trucks clogged at various points over a 1,000 miles stretch from southern port city of Karachi to Peshawar in the northwest are keeping Pakistani law enforcers and trucking companies sleepless amid security vulnerabilities.
"The Taliban plan to target NATO supply trucks across the country and the frequency of such attacks will be increased in days ahead," Azam Tariq, a spokesman of disbanded Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) told media organizations on Saturday while claiming the responsibility of the attacks.
The screeching halt to vital supply trucking to over 140,000 U. S.-led International Security Assistance Force (IASF) fighting Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, was imposed as security preventive measure and also to exhibit Pakistan's anger over violation of its airspace by NATO helicopters.
NATO helicopters attacked a security checkpoint near Afghan border in North Waziristan tribal area on Sept. 30, killing three Pakistani troopers and wounding three others. A second violation occurred the same afternoon in nearby Kurram tribal area.
NATO offered an apology that apparently does not seem to be enough as the Pakistani government is having tough time under mounting public pressure amid mounting anti-Americanism, analysts believe.
An investigation over the violation of Pakistani airspace is currently underway in Afghanistan, which is also being participated by two representatives from Pakistan.
"It's a temporary action," the TTP spokesman said in a phone call from an undisclosed location referring Friday's subversion in Shikarpur.
The Monday morning's incident amply exhibits the gravity of terrorists' threat and that how serious, quick, and practical they are. It was the third major incident that caused mass destruction of NATO contracted trucks since 60 such supply vehicles turned to ashes in June near the Pakistani capital. Over 150 NATO trucks were destroyed in various terrorist incidents during this year in Pakistan.
The Taliban spokesman warned, "If Pakistan remains passive in this matter (the NATO incursion), it will be clear that the country is being ruled by traitors." The continuing seven-year-old Taliban insurgency has been attempting to impose an ultra orthodox controversial Islamic jurisprudence system and religiously fighting back Pakistani troops.
Reacting over the situation in the National Assembly, the low house of the parliament, Pakistani Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani warned of taking some other steps if attacks on country's sovereignty are repeated.
However, analysts are more cynical about the strength of such political statements as Pakistan is heavily dependent on billions of dollars of U.S. military assistance given for being the frontline ally in the war against terror. It also needs to secure the badly needed emergency humanitarian aid to feed over 20 million people displaced by recent two months of floods and rebuild the severely damaged infrastructure across the country.
NATO supplies reach Afghanistan through Pakistan via Torkham in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Chaman border in the southwest Balochistan province.
Despite its desperation for alternate routes due to frequent terrorist attacks on its convoys, over 70 percent of NATO supplies and 40 percent of its fuel needs are heavily dependent on the shortest, physically convenient and economically cheaper route into Afghanistan through Pakistan. Something, the U.S. cannot afford to ignore, analysts say.
A controversial "no inspection" agreement also allows the U.S. to ship in "anything" from essential supplies to lethal weapons into Afghanistan through Pakistan that other countries do not allow.
Pakistani foreign office Sunday stated that the NATO supply blockade would continue until the security situation is improved.
"It's going to have colossal effect on the region," warned the U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke in a teeth-grinding-gesture while arguing the NATO logistic blockade at a think tanks forum in Washington recently.
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