Faced with stiff opposition from hardliners and opposition parties, Pakistan on Thursday agreed to the withdrawal of the 1000-strong North Atlantic Treaty Organisation military personnel engaged in earthquake relief activities in the country, when their initial term of stay ends early next year.
The understanding on the withdrawal of the troops was reached at a meeting between Pakistan Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan and NATO Ambassador Carsten Fausboll, the foreign ministry said.
"In regard to the NATO request for consultations regarding their preparations for withdrawal in view of the mutually agreed period of 90 days for their relief assistance operation in Pakistan, the foreign secretary assured that the government of Pakistan would extend all cooperation to facilitate the NATO preparations to carry out the withdrawal in accordance with the stipulated period," it said in a statement.
Opposition political and religious parties had opposed NATO deployment, charging it has never withdrawn from any country where they deployed forces.
Sensing controversy over its deployment, the NATO formally requested Pakistan to tell it whether it should stay beyond 90-day duration.
NATO personnel have been engaged in relief operation in Bagh in Pak-occupied Kashmir close to the Line of Control.
Thanking NATO for sending a relief team for the first time in its history, Khan said the NATO relief assistance has been timely and substantial in providing shelter, especially through the transportation of tents and other relief supplies, to the affected areas.
"Over 147 NATO relief flights to date, ferrying 2,600 tons of UN and other national relief goods, as well as from the Pakistani Diaspora, constitute the largest single contribution to the relief airlift," the Pakistan foreign secretary said.
"The NATO heavy-lift helicopters also played an important role in transporting relief and shelter supplies to otherwise difficult to reach affected areas," he said.
The Hurriyat Conference faction headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had asked the NATO troops to supervise demilitarisation of Indian and Pakistan troops from both sides of Kashmir, an idea NATO shot down.
A spokesperson said NATO's role in Pakistan was related to humanitarian relief in response to a request from Pakistan.
NATO has neither any desire nor has any intention to play other role in Pakistan, he said.
Ambassador Carsten expressed NATO's deep appreciation of all the cooperation extended to NATO and its relief contingents in Pakistan in this second such relief assistance operation after Hurricane Katrina, which had strengthened the bonds of friendship between the governments and peoples of the NATO member states and partners and of Pakistan, the foreign ministry statement said.
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