President Asif Ali Zardari, along with Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, are set to attend the Nato summit in Chicago this weekend, after receiving a last-minute invitation from the organisers. The decision, which came as talks were reportedly underway to reopen Nato supplies to Afghanistan, was welcomed by the federal cabinet.
The decision to attend the summit and, indeed, to invite Pakistan was linked to the reopening of Nato supplies being transported to Afghanistan. This hurdle, too, seems to be out of the way as hundreds of trucks crossed the Pak-Afghan border late Friday. Negotiations are still underway on the nature of the deal to allow the transportation of supplies to Nato forces.
Pakistan’s presence at the summit is crucial in that it is closely-linked to the future of Afghanistan. While it may be the core reason behind the invitation, it remains to be seen if Pakistan’s views will be heard at the summit.
How will world leaders react to Pakistan’s presence at the Nato summit?
Will Pakistan be able to press its view upon the Nato alliance? Or, did Nato hand out the invitation to complete a cursory formality?
Dawn.com invites its readers to share their opinion…
The world leaders will not care about the presence of Pakistani leaders at the NATO summit in Chicago. No, Zardari and party will not be able to do anything tangible at the NATO summit. They are just being invited as a mere formality in order to let them open the NATO supplies to Afghanistan and save them before their own people as well as the global supporters.
It is a wise decision of NATO to invite Pakistan to the summit to be held in Chicago. Also it is a decent decision of Pakistan Government to accept it. Tension between Pakistan and US/NATO should be defused at the earliest. Pakistanis are peace loving people and they want political as well as financial stability in the country. War and tension is no solution to any problem. Only positive approach could help rid us of prevailing crisis.
The invitation was handed to Pakistan to complete a cursory formality. Only those views will be presented and heard to which US and NATO have already agreed upon.
It is simply mind boggling how cowardly indecisive paralyzed the government has become in the face of challenges from abroad to Pakistan’s life and death national interests. And then running to Chicago at the last minute invitation
Why go to Chicago if you have nothing to offer.
Pak President will have undoubtedly nothing to offer; but they will beg. They will beg to cover up their lavish budget deficit. Without $ support, they are unable to prepare their Budget for 2012-2013.
There is a 10% chance of that heppening.
It is nothing more than a formality.
What a drama?
Pakistan’s stand is untenable. We remain ambivalent and dominated by6 religious groups. Pakistan can only draw out slowly, not suddenly
Pakistan is not sending Charles De Gualle to NATO summit, Pakistan is sending Asif Ali Zardari, the accidental president, whose presence is not going to shift centre of gravity.He is accompanied by another novice, Ms. Khar whose credentials are certainly not at par with the positrion she holds. It is a last minute invitation showing how much importance world leaders attach to Pakistani leadership.
No matter what form of government we have, we will always succumb to the higher powers for obvious reasons. Handouts. We have never been self sufficient because we do not have our self respect. What will Zardari say or do that will change the already course of action by NATO(USA)?. Nothing!!!!!!!
pakistan l leadership have had it by the US General who visited islamnabad recently and they have fallen into line. The fact is that pakistan has no option but to serve its US master as it cannot survive without US military and economic aid. If it does not carry out their bidding it will be crushed.
Are world leaders going to listen to Pakistan: The answer is a big NO.
Has US stopped the drone attacks: NO.
Will Pakistan be able to press its view upon the Nato alliance?: The answer is NO.
Has US stopped the drone attacks: The answer is NO.
Pakistan is viewed as a headache and a spoiler in this war. So no one is going to listen. Zardari is going to come back home humiliated by all the NATO nations and pakistan will get a taste of isolation in the summit.
I don’t understand what is Pakistan going to achieve by going to the summit.
They have invited him just for the sake of filling the gap. But american will do what they feel, is correct for their country. They do not worry about any other country, this NATO, world leaders need to understand that they are being used………