Pakistan's blockade of a key land route to Afghanistan disrupted crucial NATO fuel supplies for a fourth consecutive day on Sunday,leaving scores of trucks and tankers stranded at the frontier. Pakistan blockaded the main land route for fuel and logistic supplies for US-led forces in Afghanistan after three Pakistani soldiers were killed in a NATO air strike this week. Supplies to NATO and foreign troops in Afghanistan via the Torkhum border post in northwest Pakistan continued to be suspended,and long queues of trucks and tankers were seen at the frontier. Around 24 oil tankers and 126 containers were waiting at the Torkhum post in Khyber tribal region,said Assistant Political Agent,Azam Jan Khalil. NATO convoys that could not reach Torkhum have stopped in different areas near Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa capital Peshawar. Khalil said he had not received any order from competent authorities to allow the NATO supplies to cross over to Afghanistan. "We are bound to ensure the security of the NATO supplies on our side and we have taken all proper measures to this effect," he said. However,sources said the owners and drivers of the vehicles were worried about the possibility of attacks particularly after an assault at Shikarpur in southern Sindh province on Friday that resulted in the destruction of 28 trucks and tankers. The Torkhum route was closed for supplies to Afghanistan on Thursday after NATO helicopters attacked a Pakistani border outpost in Kurram tribal region,killing three soldiers. Pakistan,NATO and the US are conducting a joint investigation into the incident,which Islamabad described as a violation of its sovereignty. Officials have sought to create the impression that the supply convoys have been stopped to ensure they are not attacked due to anger over the air strikes. Pakistan's envoy to the US Hussain Haqqani said Pakistan and NATO are working through their disagreement over the air strike that killed Pakistani soldiers and the supply route to Afghanistan will be re-opened as soon as safety is ensured for convoys passing through the Khyber Pass. "We are working through our disagreement. NATO and ISAF have agreed to conduct an inquiry about the incident. And I think,as soon as we can ensure the security of the convoys moving through the Khyber Pass,we will have them moving again," Haqqani told CNN. The highway passing through Khyber Agency is the main NATO supply route to Afghanistan,where over 150,000 US and allied troops are fighting the Taliban.
