Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: After negotiations with US teams, Pakistan may end the 6-month blockade of NATO supply line as Prime Minister and President jointly chaired an important meeting in this regard, a bid to resume strained ties with the Washington, SAMAA reports.

Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani also attending the meeting held at the President House.

The army chief on Sunday attended Pakistan, Afghanistan and ISAF Trilateral Commission’s parley and reportedly discussed the issue of NATO supply resumption from Pakistan.

Monday’s meeting was also joined by Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar, Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Finance Minister Hafeez Sheikh and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar.

Sources say the federal cabinet members and senior military officials are also scheduled to meet Tuesday to discuss whether to reopen the NATO supply line. That session is to be followed by a full meeting of the Cabinet on Wednesday.

A team of U.S. negotiators has been holding intense talks with Pakistan to reopen its border to supplies meant for NATO troops in Afghanistan ahead of a NATO summit in Chicago on May 20-21 which is largely focused on the Afghan war.

Pakistan will likely only receive an invitation if it ends the six-month blockade of NATO supplies.

Pakistan closed its Afghan border crossings to the U.S.-led coalition at the end of November, in retaliation for American airstrikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at two small outposts in the northwest.

The U.S. expressed its condolences, but that wasn't enough for Pakistan. -- SAMAA