ISLAMABAD – The decision to restore the NATO supplies has caught the experts with surprise and censure with unanimity in their views that Islamabad gave into Washington’s pressure without bargaining for anything having gone its way.While noted defence analysts/foreign affairs experts believe that the matter has headed to its eventual outcome, they are categorical in contending that Pakistan deliberated with the US on a disappointingly weaker note and ‘ended up losing everything instead of gaining,’ as described by a prominent expert.“The pendulum has gone to another extreme,” said former Foreign Secretary Tanveer Ahmed Khan referring to Hillary Clinton’s Tuesday’s statement suggesting that Pakistan will continue not to charge any transit fee ‘in the larger interest of peace and security in Afghanistan and the region.’“It’s a win-win situation for them,” Khan said. The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said ‘sorry’ for the killings of Pakistani soldiers in Salala attack. Pakistan’s Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC’s) decision to restore ground supplies to NATO followed the development.“There’s no apology, no financial gains— just nothing for Pakistan. Clinton said, they’re sorry for the loss of lives of Pakistani soldiers— this means they’re not sorry for what they actually did—shortly after Salala incident, Secretary Clinton had conveyed Washington’s regrets to Pakistan and she did the same Tuesday. That’s not an apology at all,” he told The Nation.According to the former Foreign Secretary, Pakistan was bargaining for charging $ 5000 per container carrying NATO supplies. “But it ended up losing everything instead of gaining. Pakistan has lost even those $ 250 it was previously charging on every NATO container.” In her Tuesday’s statement on Pakistan, the US Secretary of State had also stated, “Foreign Minister Hina Khar and I acknowledged the mistakes that resulted in the loss of Pakistani military lives.”Referring to this, Tanveer Ahmed Khan asked Hina Khar to explain the ‘mistakes’ Pakistan had committed to this effect. “Hina Khar should answer what were those mistakes we made when our 24 soldiers got killed in November last year. It’s for the Army chief to inquire from the FM. Had Pakistan’s Parliament, particularly the Opposition played a proactive role, things would have been different altogether and we would have gained something out of the NATO supplies deadlock.”Hameed Gul said, the government’s decision to announce the restoration of NATO supplies was an expression of what he termed as the ruling elites blind submission to the US dictation. “The Parliament, politicians, political parties, military and above all the people of Pakistan—every body is let down. We would not stay silent and protest over this. This was a totally one-sided trade in which Pakistan came out as an ultimate loser. Why this supplies blockade drama was continued for seven odd months if this was to be the end? It’s high time the ruling elites show some respect and quit.” Taking the US and Pakistani government on a bitterly critical note, Gul said, “Those who martyred our men are arrogant enough not to utter a word of apology while our rulers dance to their tunes. Shame on these rulers!” Norwegian social scientist and former United Nations diplomat Atle Hetland believed that the US, by not tendering an apology, ‘tried to save its soldiers from punishment’. “Had they apologised and accepted responsibility, the guilty US soldiers could be tried in the courts. To share the responsibility and say that both sides made mistakes simply implies that the US has actually saved its soldiers from punishment. The courts in Washington are very strict which is perhaps why Pakistan was made to swallow the bitter and undeserved pill.”The end of NATO supplies deadlock, according to the former diplomat, made what he termed as a disappointing episode of an uncalled for compromise. “This is a compromise. An uncalled for compromise that has gone all the way to the Washington’s way. I can’t see any pluses for Pakistan.” Hetland said, the days ahead would not be easy considering the Taliban threat once the NATO supplies were resumed. “Taliban say they would mess it up if NATO containers crossed Pakistan’s roads. This would be a constant threat.”  Rustam Shah Mohmand said, the Parliament adopted two documents opposing NATO supplies resumption. “The restoration of NATO supplies without concrete assurances and written guarantees and bypassing the will of Parliament has made mockery of Pakistan’s Parliament. The ruling elite and military should apologise to the nation on this shameless episode. It’s one of the darkest hours in Pakistan’s history.” 

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