ISLAMABAD: The government denied the presence of any US military or air base in Pakistan for counterterrorism operations, saying media reports suggesting otherwise are “baseless and irresponsible” and should be avoided.
The statement from the Foreign Office came in response to a Pentagon claim last week suggesting Islamabad has allowed overflights and ground access to Washington to facilitate its military presence in Afghanistan
“There is no US military or air base in Pakistan, nor was any such proposal envisaged. Any speculation on this account is baseless and irresponsible and should be avoided,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudri said late Monday night.
There is no U.S. military or air base in #Pakistan; nor is any such proposal envisaged. Any speculation on this account is baseless and irresponsible and should be avoided. 1/2
— Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri (@Zhchaudhri) May 24, 2021
Chaudri said Pakistan and the US have a framework of cooperation in terms of Air Lines of Communication and Ground Lines of Communication (GLOC) in place since 2001.
“No new agreement has been made in this regard,” he said.
American troops and more than 15 US military aircraft were deployed in Pakistan for the first time in October 2001 after the government of then-chief executive Gen Pervez Musharraf agreed to let Washington use at least two isolated airbases — in Jacobabad, Sindh and Pasni, Balochistan — but demanded that an offensive wouldn’t be launched from Pakistan soil.
Both airports are a few minutes’ flying time from southern Afghanistan. The US personnel that arrived on the stations were not fighter troops but were used for refuelling and logistics once an attack was underway.
The bases and ground and air lines of communication played a vital role in facilitating and sustaining the US-led military invasion of Afghanistan that was undertaken to oust the Taliban from power.
Shortly after the September 11 attacks, Gen Musharraf promised “unstinted cooperation” to Washington. US officials also asked to see Pakistan’s extensive intelligence files on Osama bin Laden and to use airspace.
In return, Washington and London promised rescheduling of Islamabad’s colossal foreign debt and new loans.
However, the government has long retaken control of its bases, though its airspace and land routes are still being used to ferry nonlethal military supplies for international forces across the Afghan border and facilitating the ongoing US troop drawdown process.
In recent days, President Joe Biden’s administration has acknowledged it is in talks with several Central Asian neighbours of Afghanistan to examine where it can reposition troops to prevent the landlocked country from once again becoming a terrorist base for groups.
But US officials have not named Pakistan nor have they commented on media speculation that the subject of bases might be under bilateral discussions.
ATTENTION NOTICE:
Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed submitted a notice to the Senate, calling attention to the reports.
Filed Calling Attention Notice in Senate on US air/ground mily role in Pakistan: asking Government to explain/clarify content & relevance of 2001 Pakistan-US Framework of Cooperation for ALOCS/GLOCS, given US military withdrawal to be completed from Afghanistan by Sep 11, 2021! pic.twitter.com/1MCTx1VfLS
— Mushahid Hussain (@Mushahid) May 25, 2021
“Such a decision would be contrary to the national interest of Pakistan as the Pakistani people experienced the worst blowback from our previous entanglement after the 9/11,” the notice read.
“[…] people of Pakistan would resolutely resist the encroachment of their sovereignty under any pretext,” it added.
