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Summary Defence Minister Ch Ahmed Mukhtar says US has no other route for supply to Nato in Afghanistan.
The minister said that the US would have to apologise to Pakistan while Pakistan would decided if to accept the apology in the light of national consensus. He said that the defence of Pakistan is in safe hands.Talking to media in Islamabad, the defence minister said that no one should be an enemy of their own country. He said that Nato will have to appologise for the assault on Pakistani troops.Ahmed Mukhtar said that we used to say that ‘we will see’, but now we say ‘we will do.’He said Shamsi airbase would be evacuated on December 11 and decision on Shahbaz Airbase would be taken keeping in view national interests.The minister said Pakistan would not back off from its decision, adding that the decision to stop Nato supplies was also taken in line with the national interest. “We will not back off from our stand,” he said and added the government in the past merely issued warnings but now it gave deadlines.He said that all the precautionary measures were being taken to show the nation that ‘we all are united’.Replying a query, he said that the US and Nato apology would be accepted only when the nation would ask to do so.Asked if Pakistan would shoot down the spy planes, the defence minister said that Pakistan did not want a war with the United States.
