Pakistan said on Wednesday that it has given passage to the international forces to withdraw from Afghanistan by reopening ground supply routes to NATO forces.

The resumption provides a boost for US President Barack Obama, whose administration has been criticized for paying extra money for the closed supply convoy, and the reopening also helps the Pakistani government win back respect and support from domestic public, analysts said.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in a telephone call on Tuesday with Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, apologized for a November NATO airstrike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and prompted an infuriated Islamabad to slam the supply routes closed.