Pak to attend NATO summit focused on discussing 'Afghan endgame'

Islamabad - Pakistan has planned to attend a meeting convened by the North-Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in the US where world leaders will discuss the endgame in war-torn Afghanistan.

According to a Foreign Office official, NATO had sent a formal invitation to Pakistan early last year when the summit's schedule was finalized.

Pakistan had boycotted the December 2011 conference in Bonn, Germany, in protest against a deadly NATO air raid on its border posts that killed two dozen soldiers.

But Pakistan will not skip the Chicago conclave, which will be held on May 20 and 21, The Express Tribune reports.

According to the official, it is yet to be decided as to who would represent Pakistan at the summit.

"Ideally, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani should attend the summit," the official added.

According to the paper, the Chicago summit will principally focus on three crucial issues.

First, NATO's commitment to Afghanistan through transition and beyond.

Second, ensuring that the alliance has the capabilities it needs to defend its population and territory and to deal with the challenges of the 21st century, and third, strengthening the alliance's network of partners across the globe.