Pak, US to hold talks on transporting supplies to Afghanistan

Islamabad:  Pakistan and the US are expected to hold crucial talks on a new framework for transporting supplies to foreign troops in Afghanistan through Pakistani territory when a senior US official visits Islamabad thisweek, according to a media report today.US Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides is expected to travel to Pakistan this week for discussions on framing a new agreement on the NATO supply routes, The Express Tribune quoted unnamed officials as saying.[caption id="attachment_263297" align="alignleft" width="380" caption="Reuters"][/caption]Nides, who is the responsible for management and resources, is due to hold talks with top Pakistani officials, including Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, an official said.A Pakistani parliamentary panel has recommended that the ban on the supply routes should not be lifted until the US offers an apology for the NATO attack and agrees to pay a tax on the transportation of supplies through Pakistani territory.The official said Washington had shown its "willingness to accept Islamabad's demand of additional fees on NATO goods passing through Pakistan".The issue of reimbursements to Pakistan from the Coalition Support Fund for expenses incurred on the war on terror is also expected to be discussed during Nides' visit to Islamabad, another official said.The reimbursements have been a contentious issue between the two countries.PTI