Afghanistan's former minister of commerce and economic analyst said that Pakistain's decision to hike the transit price for US containers headed for Afghanistan is a clear violation of international norms and standards.Mohammad Amin Farhang said that Pakistain's actions may be an attempt to recover its decreased income on the back of reduced US financial aid.
"As Pakistain is recently [more] isolated, it is trying different ways to overcome the situation - the decrease of US financial aid to Pakistain has been disastrous for it," Farhang said.
"One of its efforts is to ask $5,000 per NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A single organization with differing goals, equipment, language, doctrine, and organization....
truck, which is extortion. Pakistain is trying to compensate for the decrease of US aid in this way."
US senators denounced Pakistain's new fee - its latest condition to reopen the supply route across its border - saying the US would not pay anywhere near that amount.
Senators
John MaverickMcCain
... the Senator-for-Life from Arizona, former presidential candidate and even more former
foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution...
, who also described the fee as "extortion" told US media: "We can't look at aid in that light. It's now becoming a matter of principle."
Senator Carl Levin also said that the US should not pay Pakistain fees anywhere near that level, according to media reports.
Last week, Pakistain said it wanted as much as $5,000 for each US or NATO truck that passed through its territory, whereas the fee before the border crossing closed six months ago was around $250 per truck.
Pakistain blocked the supply route in November after a deadly NATO