The first week of February 2012 will be crucial for strained US-Pakistan relations as a joint session of the Parliament of Pakistan is going to decide fate of NATO supply routes into Afghanistan.

The supply routes were closed by Pakistan as a protest over US airstrikes at Salala checkpost inside Pakistan near the Afghanistan border which resulted in killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers and injuring 13 others in November 2011.

The incident invited widespread condemnation and even led Pakistan to review and redefine its relations with United States and NATO.

It is important to mention here that on January 23 the Pakistan Military while reacting to a report of US Central Command (CENTCOM) about the Salala checkpost incident said several portions and findings as factually incorrect.

“The fundamental cause of the incident of 26th November 2011 was the failure of US / ISAF to share its near-border operation with Pakistan at any level. This obviously was a major omission, as were several others, like the complicated chain of command, complex command and control structure and unimaginative / intricate Rules of Engagement as well as lack of unified military command in Afghanistan,” reads a press release issued by Pakistan’s Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR). The CENTCOM report is available here.

An editorial in The Nation newspaper reads:

It was unanimously declared that there could be no question of a compromise on Pakistan’s sovereignty and integrity.  Prime Minister Gilani, Foreign Minister Hina Khar, COAS General Kayani and ISI chief Lt-General Pasha, all agreed that the joint session of Parliament being held on February 3 would be the appropriate forum to debate on the 35 recommendations made by the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and finalise the shape reviewed ties with the US should take.

It is also pertinent to mention that Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Pakistan’s largest Islamist political party, has threatened to besiege the Parliament House if the joint session of the house decides to restore NATO supplies.