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Pakistan parliament allows non-lethal supplies to NATO

Other News Materials 13 April 2012 10:23 (UTC +04:00)
Pakistan's parliament has approved guidelines for ties with the United States after weeks of discussions, giving the green light to the government to allow the passage of non-lethal supplies to Western troops in Afghanistan but barring arms supplies.
Pakistan parliament allows non-lethal supplies to NATO

Pakistan's parliament has approved guidelines for ties with the United States after weeks of discussions, giving the green light to the government to allow the passage of non-lethal supplies to Western troops in Afghanistan but barring arms supplies, DPA reported.

The guidelines were unanimously passed late Thursday in a joint session of the lower and upper houses after a parliamentary panel presented a revised set of guidelines.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani promised to follow the guidelines.

The new framework demands the complete cessation of drone attacks in Pakistan and an unconditional apology for a border attack by US forces last year in which 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed.

In response to the border-post attack, Pakistan blocked NATO supplies passing through its territory and suspended cooperation with the US in the war in Afghanistan.

Parliament was asked to frame new rules for ties with the US and for shipments to Afghanistan.

Parliament said Pakistan should not allow any covert or overt operations on its territory or private security contractors and intelligence agencies to operate.

Earlier the opposition wanted to make the reopening of supplies conditional on the US commitment to stop unilateral drone attacks but this was dropped from the final text.

Hundreds of people including prominent militants have been killed in dozens of drone strikes in the lawless tribal areas along the Afghan border where al-Qaeda linked militants hide out.

Relations between Pakistan and the US have been under strain since the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden by US special forces in northern Pakistan in May.

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