THE breaking of the chain of Naro Supplies

THE breaking of the chain entails a trail of effects not all of which may be immediately felt.

Thus, it is not just Nato which is feeling the heat of Pakistan`s decision to cut its supplies. Nato may be hurt but reports of clogging at Pakistan`s own ports is a point that deserves attention as supplies pile up at the Karachi and Bin Qasim ports. These supplies had been ordered before the ban and arrived in Pakistan in late November and early December for onward transportation.

A weekend count indicated that the clogging of the ports was now threatening Pakistan`s own exports and imports. Four containers that docked at Port Qasim and Karachi in the preceding few days carried some 1,200 military vehicles and 2,000 boxes. The ports did not have room to store these goods which now impede commercial traffic and threaten delays in the transportation of cargo and monetary losses for transporters, traders and port authorities. Logistics and business sense demanded an early clearing up of the ports; unfortunately, politics and accusations of betrayal prevented that.

The ban on supplies in the wake of last month`s Nato strike on Pakistani posts has encouraged vigorous politicking in the country. It has also led to an outpouring of publicemotion. Consequently, the debate on the effects of the ban on Pakistan has been pushed to the background. On Tuesday, a meeting of the JUI-F called for a permanent cutting off of the Nato supply line.

In order to gain greater public acceptance, many parties find themselves pandering to the popular sentiment. The JUI-F`s statement appeared to be yet another instance of this. In fact, the demands of the Pakistani public on this count predate Islamabad`s protest against the excesses committed by its allies in the war on terror.

While the intensity of the debate has varied from one political party to the other, no one has remained immune. Even those close to the power centre cannot be expected to stay out of the debate focusing on Nato`s aggression and the appropriate response. In this highly emotive situation, politics tends to override simple business sense. It is time for the debate to move on as popular sentiments are up against a hard reality: the inevitability of continuing the partnership with Nato after some Pakistani demands have been conceded. The envoys` conference called in Islamabad to review Pakistan`s foreign policy is said to have at some point discussed taxing Nato supplies. This could well be a suitable measure for the two sides to finally agree upon.