While Pakistani media crows over the minor victory of finally having gotten Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to apologize over the November 26 attack on Pakistani military bases, the reopening of the supply routes looks to destabilize transport on major supply roads.
“We will attack NATO supplies all over Pakistan. We will not allow anyone to use Pakistani soil to transport supplies that will be used against the Afghan people,” noted a leader of the Pakistani Taliban in a statement released almost immediately after the deal was announced.
The use of Pakistan for supplies is a huge savings for the US, with the alternative route costing an estimated $100 million per month. For Pakistan, the costs of protecting these supplies is significant, and Foreign Minister Hina Khar has already promised they won’t charge any fees to the US for using the route.
This, along with the ethical implications of being involved in the occupation of neighboring Afghanistan, has a number of political and religious groups in Pakistan expressing reservations about the deal, The apology may have saved the US considerable money on shipping, but the cost to Pakistan remains to be seen.