NATO supply line is also important for economy of Pakistan: Pentagon

Pentagon clearly stated in a statement that NATO supply line is also essential for economy of Pakistan. Pak-American ties would not be affected after the Kurram Agency attack. US and NATO forces have killed more than 100 fighters from a Pakistan-based faction of the Taliban during two weeks of stepped-up military operations along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, the Pentagon said Tuesday.We have been given indications that we are making progress on that front and hope to have the gate reopened as soon as possible, said Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell. The pending decisions comes as NATO prepares to release a report on its investigation into a recent a deadly skirmish on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. That incident, in which three Pakistan Frontier Corps soldiers were killed after firing on a NATO helicopter, is the latest pressure point in relations between the two countries. After that border violence, the Pakistani government closed Torkham gate, the traditional Khyber Pass crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan and a major supply route for US forces. Besides safe passage for NATO supplies, the US needs Pakistan to help target the Taliban and Al-Qaida militants who stage cross-border attacks on troops in Afghanistan. Pakistan meanwhile receives billions of dollars in military and civilian assistance that help keep its economy afloat.