Pakistan is reported to have blocked a supply line for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in retaliation to continued bombings on its soil by manned aircraft since last weekend.
Though Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit refused to confirm whether the Torkham border post for moving goods from Pakistan to Afghanistan had been blocked for NATO shipments, the BBC reported a convoy of 100 trucks with supplies for ISAF was lined up at the checkpost as they were not allowed to cross over.
Three dead
Reports of the blockade came on a day when Pakistan confirmed the death of three Frontier Constabulary soldiers in Kurram tribal agency due to missile attacks on Pakistani posts.
The AFP reported from Kabul that NATO confirmed entry of its aircraft into Pakistani airspace on Thursday morning in self defence and killing several armed individuals after the crew received what “they assessed as effective small arms fire from individuals just across the border in Pakistan”.
Meanwhile, Pakistan registered its protest at the growing number of drone attacks and violation of Pakistani airspace by ISAF with U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Director Leon E. Panetta. That Pakistan's territorial sovereignty should be respected was communicated to him during separate meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani which were attended by Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and Inter Services Intelligence chief Shuja Pasha.
While underscoring the importance of intelligence sharing and cooperation between the two countries, the Pakistani leadership said U.S. and ISAF forces should share credible and actionable information with Pakistan's forces so that required action can be taken against the possible threat in the bordering areas with Afghanistan.
According to a statement put out by the Prime Minister's Office after the meeting, Mr. Panetta conceded that the United Nations mandate to NATO and ISAF extended only to Afghanistan and assured the Pakistani leadership that Washington would look into the intrusions.
