ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan categorically ruled out the possibility of allowing the US to operate a military base or conduct drone operations inside Afghanistan using Pakistan’s soil.
“Absolutely not,” the prime minister told “Axios on HBO” in a wide-ranging interview airing Monday at 3:00 am PKT. “There is no way we are going to allow any bases […] any sort of action from Pakistani territory into Afghanistan. Absolutely not.”
The rather blunt response came in response to a question interviewer, Jonathan Swan, asked: “Will you allow the American government to have CIA here in Pakistan […] to conduct cross border counter-terrorism missions against Al-Qaeda, ISIS or the Taliban?”
Startled, the interviewer interrupted Imran midway, wondering if he was “seriously” ruling out the possibility.
Washington is looking for bases around Afghanistan from where it could gather intelligence on the war-torn country and execute counterterrorism strikes after the completion of troop withdrawal, which it last week said is already 50 percent done.
Independent observers and people familiar with the situation say that Islamabad has refused access to its bases to Washington. Prime Minister Imran, they say, has long opposed military intervention in Afghanistan and the country’s tribal region and it is unlikely he will back down.
Washington has yet to publicly acknowledge Islamabad’s refusal to host its military aircraft and drones. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, instead, told a press conference earlier this month that Washington has had “constructive discussions in the military, intelligence and diplomatic channels” in response to a question about a possible drone base in Pakistan.
In a story earlier this month, the New York Times reported that Central Intelligence Agency chief William Burns visited Islamabad last month where he met Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and the ISI Director General Lt Gen Faiz Hameed.
During the visit, Burns had requested an audience with the prime minister but was refused. Reports citing insiders said the Prime Minister’s Office informed the spy chief that he will only talk to his counterpart, US President Joe Biden.
Recently, in an address in Senate, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi rejected as unfounded the reports suggesting Islamabad’s willingness to host American troops in return for incentives and clarified that the government would never provide bases to the US, nor would allow drone attacks “from our soil”.
Shortly after, in a cabinet briefing, Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry also ruled out the possibility, saying as all these military facilities were under military’s use.
“All the airbases are under the use of Pakistan. Right now, no negotiations in this regard are underway as the government cannot give any airbase [to any country],” he said.
DOES ANY BODY CAN PREDICT WHEN SHEEP-HEAD WILL MAKE U-TURN?