Pakistan refuses to open border despite U.S., NATO apologies

october 7, 2010

Pakistan said Thursday it has not decided when to reopen a key border crossing NATO uses to ship supplies to Afghanistan

The Torkham crossing was closed in late September after NATO helicopter gunships, in pursuit of Afghan militants, mistakenly attacked a Pakistani border post, killing three Pakistani soldiers and injuring three more. Experts expected the crossing to be reopened in just a day or two, though it has remained closed for seven days.

The Washington Post reports that on Wednesday Gen. David Petraeus, the coalition commander in Afghanistan, issued a public apology for the incident, saying that the US and NATO "deeply regret this tragic loss of life and will continue to work with the Pakistan military and government to ensure this doesn't happen again."

The Associated Press reports that Pakistan was still mulling Thursday whether to reopen the crossing after a public apology by the US-led NATO forces.

Drivers of Afghanistan-bound NATO vehicles are parked at Pakistani border town of Torkham wait on Wednesday, Oct. 6. Pakistan blocked a vital supply route for U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan in apparent retaliation for an alleged cross-border helicopter strike by the coalition that killed three Pakistani frontier troops.