NATO trucks remain stuck in Pakistan today amid continued anti-drone protests along the highways of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwah (KP) Province, and despite police threats to arrest protesters who attempt to stop the trucks they say they are still not willing to try new shipments through the area.
Pakistani transport officials say some 1,500 trucks are loaded and waiting to head through the Khyber Pass, through which some 80 percent of NATO’s supplies from Pakistan enter.
The protests are organized by the Pakistani Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI), the ruling party in the KP Province. They have been condemned by the national ruling party, which says they are encouraging “bullying” of the NATO drivers.
Law Minister Punjab Rana Sansullah insists that the PTI should end the protests, noting the national government is perfectly capable of blocking NATO supplies without them. That said, there is no indication the national government is planning to actually do so, and the PTI has criticized them for insisting they are opposed to US drone strikes but not doing anything about them.
Only Crippling Sanctions could bring NATO to heel. How could we expect NATO to come-to-the-table while planes still feed her hoards? While trucks still facilitate her connivances like manna from the mountains? While ships and planes still watch over her in someone else's land?
Only Crippling Sanctions could bring NATO to heel. How could we expect NATO to come-to-the-table while planes still feed her hoards? While trucks still facilitate her connivances like manna from the mountains? While ships and planes still watch over her in someone else's land? While no smugglers into her clutches are ever punished?