Pakistan mulls NATO toll tax

Islamabad, April 19 (IANS) Pakistan Communications Minister Arbab Alamgir Khan has proposed a levy of $1,000 on each NATO truck transporting vital supplies through the country to the coalition forces in Afghanistan.

Khan told reporters that the NATO heavy vehicles have left 26 percent of the country's highways in a deteriorated condition and their reconstruction will cost $1.3 billion.

Seventy percent of Afghan NATO supplies pass through Pakistan via three routes.

The minister was speaking to reporters after addressing the closing session of a road transport conference in Islamabad, Geo TV reported.

Pakistan had banned NATO supplies to Afghanistan after a cross-border raid by coalition forces on two check posts in November last year left 24 Pakistani soldiers dead.