Has Pakistan done the right thing by denying drone bases on their soil?

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: Government officials have privately begun confirming a secret visit to Islamabad of CIA Director William Burns and are suggesting that he was firmly told that Pakistan would not host the spy agency’s drone bases on its territory.

This comes after New York Times in an article published on June 6 claimed that Mr Burns had travelled to Pakistan for meetings with Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and ISI Director General Lt Gen Faiz Hamid to explore the possibility of counterterrorism cooperation between the two sides.

The Central Intelligence Agency is said to be looking for bases around Afghanistan from where it could gather intelligence on Afghanistan and execute counterterrorism strikes after the completion of troop withdrawal from there.

Meanwhile, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, in response to a question about the US seeking a drone base in Pakistan, said: “We have had constructive discussions in the military, intelligence and diplomatic channels with Pakistan about the future of America’s capabilities to ensure that Afghanistan never again becomes a base from which Al Qaeda rises or any other terrorist group can attack the United States.”

Although the exact date of the CIA director’s hours-long trip has not been disclosed by either side, it is believed to have taken place in late April.

The purpose of quietly sharing of information by the Pakistani officials with select journalists at this stage apparently looked to dispel the impression that the two sides were engaged in negotiations on hosting of US drone bases by Pakistan.

New York Times article had at one point said that American officials believed that Pakistan wanted to allow the US to access a base. But, it indicated that Pakistani officials were setting very stringent conditions.

“In discussions between American and Pakistani officials, the Pakistanis have demanded a variety of restrictions in exchange for the use of a base in the country, and they have effectively required that they sign off on any targets that either the CIA or the military would want to hit inside Afghanistan, according to three Americans familiar with the discussions,” as per the article.

Discussions between Pakistan and the US on this issue over the past few weeks have taken place at multiple levels — between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, NSA Moeed Yusuf and his American counterpart Jake Sullivan, Gen Bajwa and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, COAS/DG ISI and CIA chief, and the army chief and the US charge d’affaires.

Officials said the CIA chief wanted to meet Prime Minister Imran Khan, but was plainly told that only counterpart meeting between heads of government of the two countries was possible.

The government’s insistence on counterpart meeting also stems from its anger over the absence of engagement at the highest level since US President Joe Biden took office in January.

The officials further said the CIA chief was categorically conveyed that no US operation would be allowed from Pakistani territory. They rather suggested to have asked the Americans to hand over the drones to them for carrying out the strikes against terrorist targets.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2021

https://www.dawn.com/news/1628311/cia-chief-told-drone-bases-wont-be-hosted

 

[MenInG]

Should we not be helping CIA monitor what's happening in Afghanistan? Isn't that in our best interests?

 

[Varun]

If they have, then it's 10 years too late.

 

[IAJ]

Should we not be helping CIA monitor what's happening in Afghanistan? Isn't that in our best interests?

And risk another 60 000-80 000 innocent lives in Pakistan? Shahbash.

 

[golagunda]

As with all such matters we will never know what deals really happened behind close doors. Neither US nor Pakistan will publicly acknowledge anything and all these 'leaked stories' and 'unnamed sources' are for the benefit of the common man.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

If they have, then it's 10 years too late.

Better late than never.

Pakistani decision makers of that time (politicians, military people, isi etc) thought about their personal gain and got into a stupid and absurd war.

Who is responsible for the unnecessary deaths of Afghans and Pakistani civilians?

In any case, Imran Khan was against it back and it is refreshing to see he is still holding against pressure to stay away from this mess.

Our only focus should be Indian Occupied Kashmir from this point on.

 

[Varun]

In any case, Imran Khan was against it back and it is refreshing to see he is still holding against pressure to stay away from this mess.

It was easy for him to be against it at the time - when he was in the opposition, and it's easy for him to cancel drone ops now, when even the US has fired the last of them 3-4 years ago.

If Afghanistan becomes a thing and the US wants to start droning again, that's when the test is in front of whichever leader is in power.

 

[Bewal Express]

PK cannot allow basis on its soil. If IK does then he has to resign.

 

[mazkhan]

It's not up to immy though is it or shah mahmud

It's up to the bajwa

Bajwa extended biradari like asim bajwa have interests in the west like papa John's pizza empire.

Biggest looters and swindlers are these generals

They will sell out just wait and watch you will have okinawa type base in pakistan with Raymond Davis type characters roaming around .

 

[Mamoon]

Better late than never.

Pakistani decision makers of that time (politicians, military people, isi etc) thought about their personal gain and got into a stupid and absurd war.

Who is responsible for the unnecessary deaths of Afghans and Pakistani civilians?

In any case, Imran Khan was against it back and it is refreshing to see he is still holding against pressure to stay away from this mess.

Our only focus should be Indian Occupied Kashmir from this point on.

Yes because it is Imran’s decision to make.

The naivety of some people is hysterical.

 

[Mamoon]

PK cannot allow basis on its soil. If IK does then he has to resign.

Imran should resign for being the most incompetent PM in Pakistan’s history. However, he has as much of a say in this as you and I do.

 

[King-Misbah]

Well done to Imran Khan and reality check for the haters whose leaders sold, would have further sold Pakistan and its people ���� This is due to their corruption, dishonesty, lack of sincerity to Pakistani people and lack of guts.

 

[IAJ]

Difficult to believe. I refuse to believe that Pakistan would refuse dollars. Throughout history, Pakistan has served as a hired gun for world powers.

One word, just one word : tabdeeli

 

[PetroDollars]

IK has no say in this, its between Bajwa and China, IF pakistan ultimately value CPEC then this decison will be made in Beijing and not Pindi.

However it all comes down to money and trade, what deal is the US offering in exchange for allowing bases.

The US goes on and on about Chinas investment, but what alternatives have they given to Cpec?

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Yes because it is Imran’s decision to make.

The naivety of some people is hysterical.

So then why do you criticize Imran Khan? if everything is decided by Military establishment and/or China!

In any case here is a very old interview:

USA+Nato are following exactly what IK has been advocating since 2001.

 

[Bewal Express]

So then why do you criticize Imran Khan? if everything is decided by Military establishment and/or China!

In any case here is a very old interview:

USA+Nato are following exactly what IK has been advocating since 2001.

These videos hurt these losers.

 

[Bewal Express]

IK has no say in this, its between Bajwa and China, IF pakistan ultimately value CPEC then this decison will be made in Beijing and not Pindi.

However it all comes down to money and trade, what deal is the US offering in exchange for allowing bases.

The US goes on and on about Chinas investment, but what alternatives have they given to Cpec?

So if IK says no as he has, you think the army can go ahead? No chance.

 

[PetroDollars]

So if IK says no as he has, you think the army can go ahead? No chance.

This is why gov. is giving aggressive statements in the press probably, so if IK still doesn't comply then i guess army will act by bringing out TLP on the streets again.

US drone bases will bascially be to spy on chinese bases and cpec but the main question is if PK allows china to operate bases in the country why not US.

As far as i can see Pakistan is slowly becoming a battleground for the US-China war.

 

[Bewal Express]

This is why gov. is giving aggressive statements in the press probably, so if IK still doesn't comply then i guess army will act by bringing out TLP on the streets again.

US drone bases will bascially be to spy on chinese bases and cpec but the main question is if PK allows china to operate bases in the country why not US.

As far as i can see Pakistan is slowly becoming a battleground for the US-China war.

The army are now reliant on IK. You know as well as I that if IK asked for a million to come on the streets, they will come straight away. And what's more these people are genuine supporters of the army as they are patriots unlike haraamkhors that mostly support the Nooras and the PPP. If the army lose the support of people like me, they will be in trouble.

 

[PetroDollars]

The army are now reliant on IK. You know as well as I that if IK asked for a million to come on the streets, they will come straight away. And what's more these people are genuine supporters of the army as they are patriots unlike haraamkhors that mostly support the Nooras and the PPP. If the army lose the support of people like me, they will be in trouble.

)

Keep dreaming, no one is reliant on IK, he will be lucky to get 30 seats if elections were held today, Army never supports unpopular leaders, they ditched there own Musharraf when he was asking to come back and launch a new party, IK was used and abused to send a message to PMLN that they cant cross the line with the army, and looking at the developments that message has been heard loud and clear by them as they now seem to be getting more friendly with the army.

IK will have no option other then to join PPP and sitting with Zadari will not go well with his supporters nor his corrupion clean image.

 

[moghul]

Whether Ik has anything to do with this decision or not, that's not the point, encouraging news is that Pakistan is now in a position to say no to US.

 

[Bewal Express]

)

Keep dreaming, no one is reliant on IK, he will be lucky to get 30 seats if elections were held today, Army never supports unpopular leaders, they ditched there own Musharraf when he was asking to come back and launch a new party, IK was used and abused to send a message to PMLN that they cant cross the line with the army, and looking at the developments that message has been heard loud and clear by them as they now seem to be getting more friendly with the army.

IK will have no option other then to join PPP and sitting with Zadari will not go well with his supporters nor his corrupion clean image.

He may or may not get the seats but he has set the agenda which all and sundry will have to respond to. His legacy will be a very positive one. Only dishonest cretins and total illiterates fail to understand, I am not sure which of these 2 you fall into.
What you don't realise is that your dreams of the Noora family dynasty are over, the days where one crook takes over from another in a dynasty is over. They will not be able to loot with impunity in the age of social media and if the army support them, they too will sink.
And don't crack open the champagne bottle too early. The growth rate of 4% and possibly 4.5% in the pandemic is an achievement for the ages. And when people have a choice between NS, a crook on the run, his daughter a convict, Billo, the son of AZ and IK, honest and patriotic, the decision maybe become obvious and easy.
I bet you like at [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] won't have the balls to name your leader, I await in anticipation.

 

[Bewal Express]

)

Keep dreaming, no one is reliant on IK, he will be lucky to get 30 seats if elections were held today, Army never supports unpopular leaders, they ditched there own Musharraf when he was asking to come back and launch a new party, IK was used and abused to send a message to PMLN that they cant cross the line with the army, and looking at the developments that message has been heard loud and clear by them as they now seem to be getting more friendly with the army.

IK will have no option other then to join PPP and sitting with Zadari will not go well with his supporters nor his corrupion clean image.

Aren't you the guy that ran when I asked you about the Punjab Qabza mafia. I was trying to remember the thread but I remember making you run like Usain Bolt when I mentioned the Khokhars, Iffy Butt, Mansha Bomb. That shows your level of morals if you support those thugs.

 

[Bewal Express]

Whether Ik has anything to do with this decision or not, that's not the point, encouraging news is that Pakistan is now in a position to say no to US.

Whether the army agrees or not, IK will not agree and if he doesn't agree, if ain't happening.

 

[King-Misbah]

Noorahs and Jiyalas can't believe that Pakistan has changed. Keep burning

 

[PetroDollars]

He may or may not get the seats but he has set the agenda which all and sundry will have to respond to. His legacy will be a very positive one. Only dishonest cretins and total illiterates fail to understand, I am not sure which of these 2 you fall into.
What you don't realise is that your dreams of the Noora family dynasty are over, the days where one crook takes over from another in a dynasty is over. They will not be able to loot with impunity in the age of social media and if the army support them, they too will sink.
And don't crack open the champagne bottle too early. The growth rate of 4% and possibly 4.5% in the pandemic is an achievement for the ages. And when people have a choice between NS, a crook on the run, his daughter a convict, Billo, the son of AZ and IK, honest and patriotic, the decision maybe become obvious and easy.
I bet you like at [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION] won't have the balls to name your leader, I await in anticipation.

so for you IK only claim to fame is, everyone else is corrupt, well why do you run away when asked what he has done about corruption, which is zilch, almost 80% of his party are the same lotas who you accuse of corruption.
As for the growth rates, this is currency devaluation, most credible economists have rejected this nonsense, you seem to have missed how your own fawad choudary was embarrased on BBC

I dont have a leader, im not a ******* who worships politians like a football team and continues supporting them when they fail to deliver and become a joke. I supported IK but he has failed, now only worshippers remain.

 

[PetroDollars]

Aren't you the guy that ran when I asked you about the Punjab Qabza mafia. I was trying to remember the thread but I remember making you run like Usain Bolt when I mentioned the Khokhars, Iffy Butt, Mansha Bomb. That shows your level of morals if you support those thugs.

Ive never spoken about any punjab qabza mafia, so i dont know where you got that from? its typical of IK ******* to mudsling and lie when they cant prove there point as there leader has failed to even deliver on a single of his promises, the only one who runs is you when you have no more excuses or lies to throw around.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

Who knows if, in the name of activity in Afghanistan, the only thing they wanted to closely monitor, is Pakistan’s nuclear program? And then either plan to sabotage it or pass on the secret information to India and Israel?

Think about it, why even an iota worth of interest is left for Americans in Afghanistan? ABSOLUTE ZERO!

Why would they spend an extra penny in Afghanistan? There is zero return.

For all they care, Afghanistan can go to hell.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

)

Keep dreaming, no one is reliant on IK, he will be lucky to get 30 seats if elections were held today, Army never supports unpopular leaders, they ditched there own Musharraf when he was asking to come back and launch a new party, IK was used and abused to send a message to PMLN that they cant cross the line with the army, and looking at the developments that message has been heard loud and clear by them as they now seem to be getting more friendly with the army.

IK will have no option other then to join PPP and sitting with Zadari will not go well with his supporters nor his corrupion clean image.

Can you name one politician who is more popular than Imran Khan in Pakistan today?

 

[MenInG]

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Wednesday opposed Pakistan’s alleged decision to allow the US to use its airbases after the latter's withdrawal of its troops from neighbouring Afghanistan.

“They [the government] should make the agreement public,” she told reporters outside the Islamabad High Court, where she came for the hearing of an appeal against her conviction in the Avenfield properties reference.

“Such a pact cannot be made in secrecy.”

Maryam pointed out that the government had neither denied or confirmed domestic and international media reports on the matter.

“This probably means that they are true, regardless of whether the government has struck a deal over the country's ‘sovereignty' to save itself or simply ‘surrendered'.”

She claimed that the government had “capitulated” in a similar manner on the issue of Kashmir.

“If some weakness has compelled you to make this move, inform the nation through parliament about it.”

Read more: Maryam Nawaz’s tone was regretful: Marri

To a query, the PML-N leader said former IHC judge Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui should not be punished for “speaking the truth”.

“Other judges, who want to deliver justice, uphold the law and make independent decisions will be in the same position as he [Siddiqui] is today.”

She added that the judiciary should consider the cases of the former IHC judge and Justice Qazi Faez Isa as an attack on its independence.

“Judges should realise that the decisions they are forced to make under duress and through blackmailing leave a lasting impact on their careers.”

Maryam stressed the need for the trend of “pressuring judges” to end.

“Judges and the Supreme Judicial Council should consider [Siddiqui's] case as their own and end external pressures and dictating of decisions,” she added.

The PML-N leader also refuted any rifts in the opposition alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

“The parties in the alliance are all on the sane page,” she maintained.

“It won't help until all the constituent parties of the alliance collectively submit their resignations.”

She added that the PPP was not a part of the PDM. “It [PPP] is neither my target, nor my opponent.”

Maryam said PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif would soon present the party's strategy on the upcoming budget.

“The PML-N ‘exposed’ the government in its pre-budget seminar,” she maintained.

“The only edge that this government could have was through its performance, which is hardly evident,” she added.

“Incompetence and corruption are at their peak.”

The PML-N leader said her party would become the voice of the people affected by the PTI government’s policies.

“When [my father and former prime minister] Nawaz Sharif came to power, there were power outages lasting for up to 22 hours,” she claimed.

“During the PML-N's tenure, record electricity generation was witnessed. Power outages went came down to zero. Industries were set up. The present government, through its sheer incompetence, has again taken the country to a stage where power outages lasting 22 hours have become common.”

Express Tribune

 

[street cricketer]

The army are now reliant on IK. You know as well as I that if IK asked for a million to come on the streets, they will come straight away. And what's more these people are genuine supporters of the army as they are patriots unlike haraamkhors that mostly support the Nooras and the PPP. If the army lose the support of people like me, they will be in trouble.

I have no stake in Pakistani politics, in fact I believe Imran is probably the best choice for Pakistan right now. But the bolded part is not at all true. The Pakistani armed forces is still in charge of defense and foreign affairs and often General Bajwa visits heads of foreign states either with Imran or even before Imran lands in the foreign state. Not saying Imran is a puppet, he has control over the economy and everything else but foreign affairs and defense is strictly a domain of the Pakistani army.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

I have no stake in Pakistani politics, in fact I believe Imran is probably the best choice for Pakistan right now. But the bolded part is not at all true. The Pakistani armed forces is still in charge of defense and foreign affairs and often General Bajwa visits heads of foreign states either with Imran or even before Imran lands in the foreign state. Not saying Imran is a puppet, he has control over the economy and everything else but foreign affairs and defense is strictly a domain of the Pakistani army.

Isn’t that the case with most countries? Don’t you think that the US military has an influence in foreign affairs? I mean, could you imagine a US president that was an anti-Zionist, and tried to break ties with Israel? The US military would probably have him assassinated.

 

[mazkhan]

Who knows if, in the name of activity in Afghanistan, the only thing they wanted to closely monitor, is Pakistan’s nuclear program? And then either plan to sabotage it or pass on the secret information to India and Israel?

Think about it, why even an iota worth of interest is left for Americans in Afghanistan? ABSOLUTE ZERO!

Why would they spend an extra penny in Afghanistan? There is zero return.

For all they care, Afghanistan can go to hell.

You are right but who keeps falling into the laps of these big powers whether its usa or china our generals

They are the ones who signed up for war on terror , cpec , and any future bases will be down to them. Only in pakistan you can have outside power giving the sitting government a blank and going directly to a coas .

If you want generals loyal to state look no further than iran or the madcase that is n Korea.

Pakistan is not a madcase its a vibrant society with 220 million people behind them so what these pak general are doing is mind boggling constantly putting pakistan into perils . This whole taliban groups who we are fighting today lashkar this and that are their creations because they signed up to the Afghan war of the 80s.

The baloch insurgency was fuelled by death of Bugti who was never anti pakistan but loyal to the concept of pakistan.

When are these generals gonna liberate kashmir which is their primary job not sending son abroad and funneling money to open papa John's

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Let's suppose for a second that it is indeed Military/China/Arabs etc. who dictate Pakistani internal/external policies...

Even then, I firmly support this decision (whoever is behind it). Drones, bombs and war will only bring destruction and misery to average Pakistani/Afghan.

 

[street cricketer]

Isn’t that the case with most countries? Don’t you think that the US military has an influence in foreign affairs? I mean, could you imagine a US president that was an anti-Zionist, and tried to break ties with Israel? The US military would probably have him assassinated.

Well what you're referring to in the context of US is the deep state, which is not a single entity but includes their intelligence agency, military and civil servants. In the context of India, it is the Cabinet which includes members from the intelligence agency, civil servants, and top ministers. The RAW which is the intelligence agency is usually headed by civil servants from the IPS cadre but also sometimes the IFS cadre. The External affairs minister takes care of all the foreign affairs of the country while the Defense minister takes care of the defense deals.

In the context of Pakistan though, the delineation isn't as clear as it is in other countries and their intelligence agency (ISI), foreign affairs and defense affairs are all taken care of by their military. And it's all up front, the military doesn't shy away from taking a front seat and letting everyone know who's in charge. I mean, the chief of the army accompanies Imran to the UN General assembly, visits Saudi Arabia to mend relations after their civilian foreign minister lets out a statement criticising the Saudis for not taking action on Kashmir, visits China for defense and economic deals along with Imran. So it's all quite up front and I'm not even going into civilian organisations (like the PIA) which are headed by retired generals and air marshalls.

 

[mazkhan]

Let's suppose for a second that it is indeed Military/China/Arabs etc. who dictate Pakistani internal/external policies...

Even then, I firmly support this decision (whoever is behind it). Drones, bombs and war will only bring destruction and misery to average Pakistani/Afghan.

Any drone base will give afghan taliban licence to attack pakistan and from their exploits in Afghanistan In routing the incompetent afghan army in many areas even with usa nato troops supporting them and giving them air cover .
Pakistan army won't fare to well expect mass desertions and surrenders at frontier corps level and pashtun soldiers even the Afghan army has better jeeps usa donated humvees than our soldiers in hiluxes which will be sitting ducks for rpgs.
We simply could not afford it financially to battle a hostile Afghan taliban who have very close ties with groups In kpk fata and balochistan . The British rated them highly on the battlefield they are no mickey mouse fighters who will give up easily.

Any one signing up for usa bases should be held for high treason the sooner we get out of this Afghan war mess the better for Pakistan.

 

[Pakpak]

Who knows if, in the name of activity in Afghanistan, the only thing they wanted to closely monitor, is Pakistan’s nuclear program? And then either plan to sabotage it or pass on the secret information to India and Israel?

Think about it, why even an iota worth of interest is left for Americans in Afghanistan? ABSOLUTE ZERO!

Why would they spend an extra penny in Afghanistan? There is zero return.

For all they care, Afghanistan can go to hell.

Its China. Just like the US tried to encircle the Soviets, and now have successfully encircled the Russians from having all the ex Soviet states as NATO members, their plan is to do the same to China. US already has bases and tens of thousands of soldiers in South Korea and Japan. They haven't got any stronghold in the south of China. Which is why they push India as their puppet when it comes to China and want to stay in Afghanistan to keep an eye on China. This myth of US monitoring our nukes is old, I remember reading quite a few years ago that while the US doesn't know where the nukes are, Pakistan regularly collaborates with the US for security measures when it comes to nukes.

As for India and Israel, both chickened out of the strike on Kahuta in the 80's when our army was even weaker and our air force was oudated. There is absolutely no chance that would happen now.

 

[PetroDollars]

Can you name one politician who is more popular than Imran Khan in Pakistan today?

The question is whos not?

All three Shabaz, NS, Maryam are more popular than IK

Even Saad rizvi is pulling more votes than IK.

Ofcourse PTI trolls going to call me a noora now

without realising i put both pti/pmln in the same bracket, they have ran out of excuses to defend there prophet.
The only reply they have these days is to start attacking NS, thinking they are defending IK and hurting us, without realising what a fool they make out of them selves because we are the real supporters of change who gave IK a chance to rid us of corruption now hes joined the same team as PPP/PMLn in creating a sham democracy and they have been blinded thinking hes against them.

The evidence is in the pudding, and the way pti was routed in the recent karachi elections, shows how they have lost the support.

 

[gazza619]

Should we not be helping CIA monitor what's happening in Afghanistan? Isn't that in our best interests?

No that would be the worst thing we would ever do.

 

[OMB]

'Absolutely not': PM Imran says no US bases will be allowed in Pakistan post Afghan withdrawal

There's no way we will allow any bases or any sort of action from Pakistani territory into Afghanistan, says Imran


Prime Minister Imran has categorically rejected that Pakistan will host bases for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) or the US armed forces once the withdrawal of NATO forces is completed from war-torn Afghanistan.

As the United States prepares to end its longest foreign war in history, it is exploring options to maintain its military and intelligence footprint in the region as part of its contingency plan to deal with the possible resurgence of terrorist groups.

One of the options is to seek bases in the neighbouring countries of Afghanistan where it can ensure surveillance through the skies and even use drones to take out targets.

"Absolute not," said the prime minister when asked by a journalist if he would allow CIA bases in Pakistan to "conduct counter-terrorism missions against Al Qaeda, ISIS or the Taliban" during an interview which would air on HBO Max on Sunday.

The journalist, seemingly surprised by the prime minister's blunt reply, said "seriously?"

"Absolutely not," said the premier once again and added that "there's no way we will allow any bases or any sort of action from Pakistani territory into Afghanistan".

Earlier in June, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed that the United States had discussions with Pakistan in the military, intelligence and diplomatic channels to make sure that Afghanistan never again becomes a base from which terrorist groups would attack the US.

Read: Sullivan confirms US had military talks with Pakistan

Sullivan made the remarks at a press briefing in response to a question on the US’ willingness to have a drone base in Pakistan.

Washing is, however, facing a tough situation as central Asian states bordering Afghanistan are reluctant to station American assets in their backyard because of the Russian influence while Pakistan is also not keen to extend such a facility.

Since the reports surfaced in the US media about the possible deal between Pakistan and the US, Islamabad has repeatedly denied such reports. Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on the floor of parliament and media interviews as well as Foreign Office spokesperson in his weekly briefings made abundantly clear that there was no proposal on the table to allow the US to set up bases in Pakistan.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry also made it clear that giving military bases to the United States for future US operations in Afghanistan is out of the question, saying that no negotiations are in progress with anyone for giving any base.

A senior government official while requesting anonymity told The Express Tribune earlier that there was no question of allowing the US to set up any bases in Pakistan.

“We are absolutely clear … ‘NO’ US bases on our soil,” the official added.

When asked whether the US could use any pressure tactics to convince Pakistan, the official explained that Washington had no more enjoyed “the kind of leverage” it had in the past.

He said the US had long suspended the military and security assistance as well as Coalition Support Fund (CSF). In the past, the US did use this as a bargaining chip. “Now, the US is left with fewer options such as keeping Pakistan in the FATF grey list. Rest, it has no more options,” the official explained.

The reason Pakistan is opposed to allowing any US military footprint on its soil stemmed from both domestic backlash as well as for strategic reasons.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2306066/absolutely-not-pm-imran-says-no-us-bases-will-be-allowed-in-pakistan-post-afghan-withdrawal

 

[Bewal Express]

We can never do enough for the Americans and time has come to put PK 1st. We have sacrificed 1000s of PK lives to please the Americans and all they do is to blame us. Well done IK

 

[El Generico]

So far Imran Khan has been sticking to his word. This tweet is from almost a decade ago but he hasn’t budged from this position.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">US: We will be your friend, not your slave. We will help you withdraw from Afghanistan, but will not launch military operation for you</p>— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/156698849023492096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2012</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[classic]

To answer the OP. Absolutely yes.

Feel so proud to have a leader like Imran Khan.

Message is sent loud and clear.

 

[King_Kohli]

Pakistan would be 'targeted for revenge' if bases given to US: PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Pakistan would again be 'targeted for revenge' by terrorists if the country agreed to host the US bases after their withdrawal from Afghanistan.

"If Pakistan were to agree to host U.S. bases, from which to bomb Afghanistan, and an Afghan civil war ensued, Pakistan would be targeted for revenge by terrorists again," said the premier in an opinion piece published in the Washington Post.

He added that Pakistan cannot "simply afford this" and the country has already paid a heavy price by becoming a frontline state in the decades-long global war on terror.

The Afghan Taliban earlier warned Afghanistan’s neighbouring countries against hosting US military bases following the exit of foreign forces from the strife-torn country which appears to be on a cusp of a civil war.

"If the United States, with the most powerful military machine in history, couldn’t win the war from inside Afghanistan after 20 years, how would America do it from bases in our country," questioned the premier in his opinion piece.

Imran reiterated that Pakistan is ready to be a partner for peace in Afghanistan with the US, but as the US troops withdraw, "we will avoid risking further conflict".

"Our countries have the same interest in that long-suffering country: a political settlement, stability, economic development and the denial of any haven for terrorists. We oppose any military takeover of Afghanistan, which will lead only to decades of civil war, as the Taliban cannot win over the whole of the country, and yet must be included in any government for it to succeed," he further said.

The premier further wrote that in the past, Pakistan made a mistake by choosing between warring Afghan parties, but we have learned from that experience.

"We have no favourites and will work with any government that enjoys the confidence of the Afghan people. History proves that Afghanistan can never be controlled from the outside," he said.

"Our country has suffered so much from the wars in Afghanistan. More than 70,000 Pakistanis have been killed. While the United States provided $20 billion in aid, losses to the Pakistani economy have exceeded $150 billion," explained the prime minister to the international audience – which is largely oblivious to sacrifices made by the country.

PM Imran lamented that tourism and investment had dried up. "After joining the US-led effort, Pakistan was targeted as a collaborator, leading to terrorism against our country from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and other groups."

"US drone attacks, which I warned against, didn’t win the war, but they did create hatred for Americans, swelling the ranks of terrorist groups against both our countries," the premier wrote.

"While I argued for years that there was no military solution in Afghanistan, the United States pressured Pakistan for the very first time to send our troops into the semiautonomous tribal areas bordering Afghanistan, in the false expectation that it would end the insurgency," he said.


Imran explained that the counter-terrorism operations did not end the insurgency in Afghanistan, but for Pakistan, it had an effect on the local population, half of which was displaced in the tribal areas, with one million IDPs from North Waziristan alone and " billions of dollars of damage done and whole villages destroyed".

The “collateral” damage to civilians in that incursion led to suicide attacks against the Pakistani Army, killing many more soldiers than the United States lost in Afghanistan and Iraq combined while breeding even more terrorism against us. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province alone, 500 Pakistani policemen were murdered, he added.

"There are more than 3 million Afghan refugees in our country — if there is further civil war, instead of a political settlement, there will be many more refugees, destabilizing and further impoverishing the frontier areas on our border."

"Most of the Taliban are from the Pashtun ethnic group — and more than half the Pashtuns live on our side of the border. We are even now fencing this historically open border almost completely," elaborated the premier while explaining the dynamics of the tribal areas.

The premier further wrote that the interests of Pakistan and the United States in Afghanistan are the same.

"We want a negotiated peace, not a civil war. We need stability and an end to terrorism aimed at both our countries. We support an agreement that preserves the development gains made in Afghanistan in the past two decades,' PM Imran added.

Imran said the goal was economic development, and increased trade and connectivity in Central Asia, to lift Pakistan's economy. "We will all go down the drain if there is further civil war," warned Imran.

"This is why we have done a lot of real diplomatic heavy lifting to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table, first with the Americans, and then with the Afghan government. We know that if the Taliban tries to declare a military victory, it will lead to endless bloodshed. We hope the Afghan government will also show more flexibility in the talks, and stop blaming Pakistan, as we are doing everything we can short of military action," he stated.

PM Imran further maintained that this is also why Islamabad was part of the recent “Extended Troika” joint statements, along with Russia, China and the United States, unambiguously declaring that any effort to impose a government by force in Kabul would be opposed by us all, and also would deprive Afghanistan access to the foreign assistance it will need.

"These joint statements mark the first time four of Afghanistan’s neighbours and partners have spoken with one voice on what a political settlement should look like. This could also lead to a new regional compact for peace and development in the region, which could include a requirement to share intelligence and work with the Afghan government to counter emergent terrorist threats. Afghanistan’s neighbours would pledge not to allow their territory to be used against Afghanistan or any other country, and Afghanistan would pledge the same. The compact could also lead to a commitment to help Afghans rebuild their country."

"I believe that promoting economic connectivity and regional trade is the key to lasting peace and security in Afghanistan. Further military action is futile. If we share this responsibility, Afghanistan, once synonymous with the “Great Game” and regional rivalries, could instead emerge as a model of regional cooperation." the PM wrote.

The prime minister earlier categorically said that Pakistan would "absolutely not" allow any bases and use of its territory for any sort of action inside Afghanistan.

"Absolutely not. There is no way we are going to allow any bases, any sort of action from Pakistani territory into Afghanistan. Absolutely not," the prime minister said in an interview on a foreign channel.

Recently, in his address at the Senate, Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi also ruled out the possibility of providing its military bases to the US for counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan.

He rejected as unfounded the reports to this effect and made it clear that the government would never provide military bases to the US, nor would allow drone attacks inside Pakistan.

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday slammed Prime Minister Imran Khan for unnecessarily playing up the matter of US military bases and “lying to the nation that he took a stand" against the United States “as if you were asked in the first place”.

Addressing an election rally in Azad Jammu and Kashmir's Haveli District, Bilawal heaped scorn on the premier for being a “puppet” and creating a false impression in front of the nation that he had stood firm in the face of US pressure “when no one even asked you”.

The chairperson said it was only during the PPP’s tenure that the country did not give in to Washington and went on to shut its bases.

"You must have been hearing that the US will not be given bases and the prime minister has taken a stand. But no one has even asked him, no one has made him a phone call, no one has asked him for a base, he is just saying it on his own," the PPP leader alleged.

Last month, the premier had categorically said that Pakistan would "absolutely not" allow any bases and use of its territory for any sort of action inside Afghanistan.

"Absolutely not. There is no way we are going to allow any bases, any sort of action from Pakistani territory into Afghanistan. Absolutely not," the prime minister told "Axios on HBO" in an interview.

Taking a dig at Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Bilawal in his speech claimed his party would triumph over all political parties, urging the state’s people to get rid of "cats" – a thinly-veiled reference to PML-N. He pointedly lashed out at the party and said "they" should do politics like lions, not cats.

"The cat runs away but the lions remain among its people and face the challenges. We want that whoever is your representative remains among you and doesn't run away."

The chairman laced into PM Imran’s approach to the Kashmir issue. “We do not want a prime minister who prays for Modi's success in elections, nor a prime minister who invites Modi to wedding celebrations.”

“This PM was a polling agent of General Musharraf and Modi,” the PPP leader said, claiming the PPP was the only party that cannot compromise on Kashmir as it was founded on the issue of Kashmir.

Chairman PPP said that the real face of Imran Khan's change was historic poverty, record hike in unemployment. “The PPP increased salaries by 120 per cent, pensions by 100 per cent and for the soldiers fighting terrorism by 175 per cent.”

“The current government is snatching people’s roti, kapra aur makaan (bread, clothing and house).”

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2309608/no-one-asked-pm-for-us-military-bases-bilawal

 

[King-Misbah]

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday slammed Prime Minister Imran Khan for unnecessarily playing up the matter of US military bases and “lying to the nation that he took a stand" against the United States “as if you were asked in the first place”.

Addressing an election rally in Azad Jammu and Kashmir's Haveli District, Bilawal heaped scorn on the premier for being a “puppet” and creating a false impression in front of the nation that he had stood firm in the face of US pressure “when no one even asked you”.

The chairperson said it was only during the PPP’s tenure that the country did not give in to Washington and went on to shut its bases.

"You must have been hearing that the US will not be given bases and the prime minister has taken a stand. But no one has even asked him, no one has made him a phone call, no one has asked him for a base, he is just saying it on his own," the PPP leader alleged.

Last month, the premier had categorically said that Pakistan would "absolutely not" allow any bases and use of its territory for any sort of action inside Afghanistan.

"Absolutely not. There is no way we are going to allow any bases, any sort of action from Pakistani territory into Afghanistan. Absolutely not," the prime minister told "Axios on HBO" in an interview.

Taking a dig at Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Bilawal in his speech claimed his party would triumph over all political parties, urging the state’s people to get rid of "cats" – a thinly-veiled reference to PML-N. He pointedly lashed out at the party and said "they" should do politics like lions, not cats.

"The cat runs away but the lions remain among its people and face the challenges. We want that whoever is your representative remains among you and doesn't run away."

The chairman laced into PM Imran’s approach to the Kashmir issue. “We do not want a prime minister who prays for Modi's success in elections, nor a prime minister who invites Modi to wedding celebrations.”

“This PM was a polling agent of General Musharraf and Modi,” the PPP leader said, claiming the PPP was the only party that cannot compromise on Kashmir as it was founded on the issue of Kashmir.

Chairman PPP said that the real face of Imran Khan's change was historic poverty, record hike in unemployment. “The PPP increased salaries by 120 per cent, pensions by 100 per cent and for the soldiers fighting terrorism by 175 per cent.”

“The current government is snatching people’s roti, kapra aur makaan (bread, clothing and house).”

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2309608/no-one-asked-pm-for-us-military-bases-bilawal

What a bunch of liars. PPP said kill Pakistanis, don't worry, we will just condemn it. Special place in he'll reserved for PPP leaders.

 

[PakLFC]

Yes we have done the right thing. The alternative would be to allow the American's killing our people. IK has delivered on his promise here no doubt about it. Under previous regimes the American's were bombing us and the Afghans then the latter was creating havoc in Pak cities. As many have said the American's are no ones friend.

 

[King-Misbah]

The decision is already proving to be correct. Pakistan should stay clear of all this violence as it is not our issue. We can not afford another wave of violence.

 

[OMB]

Will not allow any foreign bases in Pakistan, reiterates PM Imran

Premier says the US will stop air attacks in Afghanistan after Aug 31 troop withdrawal deadline

Prime Minister Imran Khan has reiterated that his government will not allow any foreign military bases on Pakistani soil as the country can not again get 'embroiled' in another Afghan civil war.

The premier further said that as far as he knows, "the Americans are going to stop all sorts of air attacks on Afghanistan" after August 31.

"We have made it very clear that our soil will not be used...so that we again get embroiled in Afghanistan's civil war. So we do not want any bases in Pakistan, we don't want our soil to be used for attacks into Afghanistan and as far as I know, after the 31st, the Americans are going to stop all sorts of air attacks on Afghanistan."

The prime minister also clarified that he is not 'waiting' for a call by US President Joe Biden regarding the Afghanistan issue.

"I keep hearing that President Biden has not called me. It's his business. It's not like I am waiting for any phone call," said the premier while talking to foreign journalists on Wednesday night.

Imran said the Afghan government should stop making Pakistan a scapegoat for its own failures and added that Pakistan was not responsible for Afghanistan's internal problems.

The prime minister reiterated that the country has played a crucial role in making peace in Afghanistan and the Doha talks were meant to ensure peace there through a ceasefire and political settlement.

He also said the United States sees Pakistan as useful only in the context of the "mess" it is leaving behind in Afghanistan after 20 years of fighting.

"Pakistan is just considered only to be useful in the context of somehow settling this mess which has been left behind after 20 years of trying to find a military solution when there was not one," PM Imran told foreign journalists.

"I think that the Americans have decided that India is their strategic partner now, and I think that's why there's a different way of treating Pakistan now," he said.

He said he tried to persuade Taliban leaders when they were visiting Pakistan to reach a settlement.

"The condition is that as long as [President] Ashraf Ghani is there, we (Taliban) are not going to talk to the Afghan government," Khan said, quoting the Taliban leaders as telling him.

Peace talks between the Taliban, who view Ghani and his government as US puppets, and a team of Kabul-nominated Afghan negotiators started last September but have made no substantive progress.

Representatives of a number of countries, including the United States, are currently in the Qatari capital of Doha talking to both sides in a last-ditch push for a ceasefire.

US forces have continued to use air strikes to support Afghan forces against Taliban advances, but it remains unclear if such support will continue after Aug 31.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2315255/will-not-allow-any-foreign-bases-in-pakistan-reiterates-pm-imran

 

[gazza619]

Will not allow any foreign bases in Pakistan, reiterates PM Imran

Premier says the US will stop air attacks in Afghanistan after Aug 31 troop withdrawal deadline

Prime Minister Imran Khan has reiterated that his government will not allow any foreign military bases on Pakistani soil as the country can not again get 'embroiled' in another Afghan civil war.

The premier further said that as far as he knows, "the Americans are going to stop all sorts of air attacks on Afghanistan" after August 31.

"We have made it very clear that our soil will not be used...so that we again get embroiled in Afghanistan's civil war. So we do not want any bases in Pakistan, we don't want our soil to be used for attacks into Afghanistan and as far as I know, after the 31st, the Americans are going to stop all sorts of air attacks on Afghanistan."

The prime minister also clarified that he is not 'waiting' for a call by US President Joe Biden regarding the Afghanistan issue.

"I keep hearing that President Biden has not called me. It's his business. It's not like I am waiting for any phone call," said the premier while talking to foreign journalists on Wednesday night.

Imran said the Afghan government should stop making Pakistan a scapegoat for its own failures and added that Pakistan was not responsible for Afghanistan's internal problems.

The prime minister reiterated that the country has played a crucial role in making peace in Afghanistan and the Doha talks were meant to ensure peace there through a ceasefire and political settlement.

He also said the United States sees Pakistan as useful only in the context of the "mess" it is leaving behind in Afghanistan after 20 years of fighting.

"Pakistan is just considered only to be useful in the context of somehow settling this mess which has been left behind after 20 years of trying to find a military solution when there was not one," PM Imran told foreign journalists.

"I think that the Americans have decided that India is their strategic partner now, and I think that's why there's a different way of treating Pakistan now," he said.

He said he tried to persuade Taliban leaders when they were visiting Pakistan to reach a settlement.

"The condition is that as long as [President] Ashraf Ghani is there, we (Taliban) are not going to talk to the Afghan government," Khan said, quoting the Taliban leaders as telling him.

Peace talks between the Taliban, who view Ghani and his government as US puppets, and a team of Kabul-nominated Afghan negotiators started last September but have made no substantive progress.

Representatives of a number of countries, including the United States, are currently in the Qatari capital of Doha talking to both sides in a last-ditch push for a ceasefire.

US forces have continued to use air strikes to support Afghan forces against Taliban advances, but it remains unclear if such support will continue after Aug 31.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2315255/will-not-allow-any-foreign-bases-in-pakistan-reiterates-pm-imran

Good on Imran.

Never ever has Pakistan had a premier who was so straight forward.

 

[Colorblind Genius]

ISLAMABAD: Government officials have privately begun confirming a secret visit to Islamabad of CIA Director William Burns and are suggesting that he was firmly told that Pakistan would not host the spy agency’s drone bases on its territory.

This comes after New York Times in an article published on June 6 claimed that Mr Burns had travelled to Pakistan for meetings with Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and ISI Director General Lt Gen Faiz Hamid to explore the possibility of counterterrorism cooperation between the two sides.

The Central Intelligence Agency is said to be looking for bases around Afghanistan from where it could gather intelligence on Afghanistan and execute counterterrorism strikes after the completion of troop withdrawal from there.

Meanwhile, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, in response to a question about the US seeking a drone base in Pakistan, said: “We have had constructive discussions in the military, intelligence and diplomatic channels with Pakistan about the future of America’s capabilities to ensure that Afghanistan never again becomes a base from which Al Qaeda rises or any other terrorist group can attack the United States.”

Although the exact date of the CIA director’s hours-long trip has not been disclosed by either side, it is believed to have taken place in late April.

The purpose of quietly sharing of information by the Pakistani officials with select journalists at this stage apparently looked to dispel the impression that the two sides were engaged in negotiations on hosting of US drone bases by Pakistan.

New York Times article had at one point said that American officials believed that Pakistan wanted to allow the US to access a base. But, it indicated that Pakistani officials were setting very stringent conditions.

“In discussions between American and Pakistani officials, the Pakistanis have demanded a variety of restrictions in exchange for the use of a base in the country, and they have effectively required that they sign off on any targets that either the CIA or the military would want to hit inside Afghanistan, according to three Americans familiar with the discussions,” as per the article.

Discussions between Pakistan and the US on this issue over the past few weeks have taken place at multiple levels — between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, NSA Moeed Yusuf and his American counterpart Jake Sullivan, Gen Bajwa and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, COAS/DG ISI and CIA chief, and the army chief and the US charge d’affaires.

Officials said the CIA chief wanted to meet Prime Minister Imran Khan, but was plainly told that only counterpart meeting between heads of government of the two countries was possible.

The government’s insistence on counterpart meeting also stems from its anger over the absence of engagement at the highest level since US President Joe Biden took office in January.

The officials further said the CIA chief was categorically conveyed that no US operation would be allowed from Pakistani territory. They rather suggested to have asked the Americans to hand over the drones to them for carrying out the strikes against terrorist targets.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2021

https://www.dawn.com/news/1628311/cia-chief-told-drone-bases-wont-be-hosted

Coming to think of it, it turned out to be an absolute gem of a decision and a true master stroke by IK.

I think it also has signs of help from almighty that we had the right leader in place to make the right and bold decision. Otherwise, if we had those cheap, corrupt and bikau PMs like Nawaz or Zardari, they would've been on their knees for a little money or pressure to allow the bases in Pakistan SUPPOSEDLY for monitoring Afghanistan (but in fact they wanted to closely monitor China).

And now, Talibans would've been all up against Pakistan for allowing those bases.

 

[globalcitizen]

I wonder who was calling shots in 2011 asking US to vacate drone bases

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jun/30/pakistan-orders-us-out-drone-base

This was when USA killed Osama in Pakistan, and its same reason they are not allowed now so they don't hunt other UN designated terrorists. Some great decision lol

 

[Lego20]

Pakistan will be fine till Taliban/Al-Qaeda hurts any American interest. At that point, somebody is gonna get hurt real bad.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

USA killed thousands of Pakistani Civilians living in remote regions by drone strikes. They can go F themselves.

 

[IAJ]

Pakistan will be fine till Taliban/Al-Qaeda hurts any American interest. At that point, somebody is gonna get hurt real bad.

Time will show that, but right now, the fact is somebody is really really hurt.

 

[MenInG]

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad has ruled out a long-term presence in Pakistan of those US troops who are coming from Afghanistan, saying that the foreigners who will stay in the country had been issued transit visas ranging from 21 to 30 days.

Talking to Dawn, he rejected the assertion that Pakistan was set to return to the Musharraf era and chided the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam’s chief for his claim that the government was booking hotels for Americans in the federal capital.

Answering a question, he said as many as 2,192 individuals had entered Pakistan from the Torkham border while 1,627 had come to Islamabad by air. A small number of people had come from the Chaman border, he added.

Mr Ahmad clarified that many people travelled between Pakistan and Afghanistan through the Chaman border on a daily basis. Many Afghans entered Pakistan from this border and returned to their country, he said, adding that it was “a normal activity”.

Says transit visas ranging from 21 to 30 days being issued to people coming from Afghanistan

He said issuance of visas to those coming from Afghanistan was not a money-making exercise, adding that no target had been set to generate funds through this activity. He pointed out that normal visa fee was being charged from these people while visas on arrival were being issued for free of cost.

Asked as to what was the status of individuals crossing into Pakistan from Tor*kham and Chaman borders, he said none of them had been given refugee status.

Earlier speaking at a press conference, the interior minister referred to Thursday’s suicide attack outside Kabul airport and said, “We feared a huge influx of migrants, but it did not happen”.

He said Pakistan was a “responsible country” and it would fulfil its duty of national security and its international expectations, adding that it had played a historic role in the Afghan peace process. He said no other country had rendered sacrifices for peace in Afghanistan more than Pakistan. Peace and stability in Afghanistan was linked with peace and stability in Pakistan, he added.

In reply to a question, he said almost all Pakistanis had been evacuated from Afghanistan. Around 30 to 40 Pakistanis were still in Afghanistan, but they were not interested in coming back to the country because they had their families there.

He said arrangements had been made to host 3,000 people in Islamabad. He explained that Pakistan was not bearing the cost of the evacuation process. Organisations sponsoring the evacuation process responsible for its cost, he said, adding that planes parked at the country’s airports were paying parking fees.

Similarly, he said, hotel accommodations being provided to evacuees awaiting transit was also not free of cost.

Mr Ahmad said that the Taliban had assured the Pakistan government that the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) would not be allowed to use the Afghan territory for terrorist activities against Pakistan. He went on to say that Pakistan Army was effectively guarding the borders of the country.

Fearing that India might use terrorist groups against Pakistan, he said Pakistan would fulfil its responsibilities related to national security besides meeting all its international obligations as a responsible nation.

March towards Islamabad

Responding to the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s announcement of organising a march towards Islamabad, he said the opposition parties were welcome to do so, adding that they would be treated in accordance with the law and the constitution.

He, however, expressed the confidence that there was no threat to the Imran Khan government and said the opposition would fail in its attempt to topple the government at a time when the country was facing enormous challenges due to fast changing regional scenario.

He advised the opposition to prepare for the next elections and said corruption cases were also expected to reach their logical conclusion before the next elections in the country. He said the country’s religious parties should play their role in promoting Pakistan’s positive image.

He criticised the opposition for exhibiting irresponsibility and not understanding the political environment while Pakistan was becoming the centre of international politics.

He said the opposition lacked ability to see beyond the wall and was focused on petty issues while Pakistan was gaining international significance due to its geo-strategic location amidst developments in Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2021

 

[MenInG]

US Senator Chris Van Hollen on Tuesday thanked Pakistan among other countries for helping evacuate American nationals and others stranded in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover of the country.

“Even as the last US troops leave Afghanistan I'll continue to do everything in my power to bring home all Americans and provide asylum to our Afghan partners endangered by their support to the US…,” Hollen, a Karachi-born Democrat from Maryland, said in a tweet.

He continued: “Also thankful to Qatar, UAE, Pakistan, Kuwait and many others supporting evacuation efforts.”

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s ambassador to the US, Asad Majeed Khan, said in a tweet that he had a telephonic conversation with Hollen.

Majeed said he briefed the US Senator on "Pakistan’s support for evacuations of US, Afghan and other nationals from Afghanistan".

“ shared Pakistan’s perspective on the urgency of securing an inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan,” he added.

Last week, US Senator Lindsey Graham had also appreciated Pakistan for helping with the evacuation efforts in the war-torn country, and emphasised that Pakistan must be made part of a “sustainable solution” to the conflict in Afghanistan.

“Any sustainable solution in Afghanistan must include Pakistan,” the US senator had said on Twitter, calling the region “very complicated” and the current period “dangerous”.

“We all must remember Pakistan is a nuclear-armed nation,” he had said, adding that “there is a Pakistan version of the Taliban who wishes (to) topple the Pakistani government and military.”

“ very much appreciate the efforts of the Pakistani government to assist with the evacuation of US citizens, our allies, and other nations,” Graham wrote on Twitter.

A few days ago, the US had reached out to Pakistan and half a dozen other countries it believes can influence the situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban appear to be consolidating their hold after capturing Kabul.

The foreign ministers of Pakistan, China, Russia, India and Turkey and the foreign secretary of Britain were among the top diplomats' US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with on Aug 16, his office had announced in a statement.

Later, Blinken had called his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi to discuss Afghanistan and the developing situation there.

According to Radio Pakistan, Qureshi had assured Blinken during their telephonic conversation that Pakistan would remain closely engaged with the US and other international partners in "promoting efforts for supporting a peaceful and stable Afghanistan".

The foreign minister had stressed the importance of an "inclusive political settlement as the best way forward" in Afghanistan and the need for the US to continue economic engagement with Afghanistan.

National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf had on Aug 26 also underlined that the United States and Pakistan had a shared interest in working together in Afghanistan.

“I’m not asking for any sympathy for Pakistan,” the NSA said. “I’m thinking in terms of pure US selfish national interests. How does it help to push away a country of this size, stature and power,” he wondered.

 

[Major]

USA killed thousands of Pakistani Civilians living in remote regions by drone strikes. They can go F themselves.

I dont understand how is US to be blamed for this?

Pakistan had stupid rules that said there police cant enter the Fata region, thus the people of Fata protecting terrorists in their villiages. What was USA suppose to do?

Drone attacks were the only way out. Now it was for the people living there to move out as it was a warzone.

Eventualy Zarb e Azam was the same thing. Only difference was that they displaced the people living there.

People bash drone attacks but take joy in Zarb e Azab

 

[mazkhan]

It's only a matter of time when pakistan army will be pulling out from fata , there are daily attacks by ttp on troops and they are fighting an attritional war.

Eventually army will have to negotiate and withdraw , that's fine because the world's superpower with all its military hardware eventually had to talk with the people in slippers and turbans and negotiate a humiliating withdrawl

Pakistan neither has the money or the military might to keep troops in fata . You can't have one rule for superpower and another for a bankrupt corrupt state like pakistan .

 

[PetroDollars]

USA themselves are in talks with the Taliban to conduct airstrikes on ISISK, imagine if its taliban that tell Pakistan to give airbases to USA )

 

[Napa]

Seems like Pakistan may give US access in return for "assistance with its own counterterrorism efforts and help in managing the relationship with India".

"US nearing a formal agreement to use Pakistan's airspace to carry out military operations in Afghanistan"

https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/22/politics/us-pakistan-afghanistan-airspace/index.html

 

[ExpressPacer]

Seems like Pakistan may give US access in return for "assistance with its own counterterrorism efforts and help in managing the relationship with India".

"US nearing a formal agreement to use Pakistan's airspace to carry out military operations in Afghanistan"

https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/22/politics/us-pakistan-afghanistan-airspace/index.html

I think there's a big difference between letting the US use your airspace and giving them your bases.

 

[street cricketer]

I think there's a big difference between letting the US use your airspace and giving them your bases.

I don't think Pakistan allowed the US to use its bases even during the previous regimes, at least officially.

Apparently, Shamsi airfield was unofficially used by the US to house its predator drones for its drone operations in Pakistan.

 

[saeedhk]

Seems like Pakistan may give US access in return for "assistance with its own counterterrorism efforts and help in managing the relationship with India".

"US nearing a formal agreement to use Pakistan's airspace to carry out military operations in Afghanistan"

https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/22/politics/us-pakistan-afghanistan-airspace/index.html

As I have said from day one, if the price is right, we never say no! This is an established fact; it has been like this throughout our history. We have always sold ourselves and our country for dollars.

I wonder what IK fans have to say now? They were over the moon over the news of Pakistan saying ‘No’ to the US.

 

[MenInG]

Pakistan on Saturday denied that there was any understanding between Islamabad and Washington for use of the country's airspace by the United States to conduct military and intelligence operations in Afghanistan.

In an earlier interview with a foreign correspondent, Prime Minister Imran Khan had categorically said that Pakistan would "absolutely not" allow any bases and use of its territory for any sort of action inside Afghanistan.

"Absolutely not. There is no way we are going to allow any bases, any sort of action from Pakistani territory into Afghanistan. Absolutely not," the prime minister had told 'Axios on HBO' in an interview.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the latest news reports alluding to such an agreement and stated "no such understanding was in place".

"Pakistan and the US have longstanding cooperation on regional security and counter-terrorism and the two sides remain engaged in regular consultations."

Earlier, the opposition had also demanded from the government to give an explanation to the house about claims made by a senior Pentagon official that Pakistan had allowed the US military to use the country’s airspace to support its presence in Afghanistan.

The newly-formed Taliban government has also called on all countries, especially the United States, to “act in accordance with international commitments and not encroach on Afghanistan’s airspace”.

According to a statement issued by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), all countries are the sole owners of the territorial and air sovereignty of their states under the international law, “therefore, the Islamic Emirate, as the sole legal entity of Afghanistan, is the guardian of Afghanistan’s land and airspace”.

US drones, the IEA officials said, are invading Afghanistan’s sacred airspace and such violations must be rectified and prevented.

The interim government in Afghanistan has urged all countries to respect the international laws under the guise of mutual respect and commitment to “prevent any negative consequences”.

The Taliban declared the war in Afghanistan over after taking control of Kabul on August 15.

 

[Bewal Express]

As I have said from day one, if the price is right, we never say no! This is an established fact; it has been like this throughout our history. We have always sold ourselves and our country for dollars.

I wonder what IK fans have to say now? They were over the moon over the news of Pakistan saying ‘No’ to the US.

This is fake news, and clever fake news because of the tension between IK and the TLP. You always jump the gun in your desperation to please your masters.

 

[Napa]

This is fake news, and clever fake news because of the tension between IK and the TLP. You always jump the gun in your desperation to please your masters.

It’s from CNN. Also, Pakistan is saying it won’t allow bases, it didn’t say it wouldn’t allow use of its airspace.

 

[Napa]

I don't think Pakistan allowed the US to use its bases even during the previous regimes, at least officially.

Apparently, Shamsi airfield was unofficially used by the US to house its predator drones for its drone operations in Pakistan.

At this point it is not clear to me why the US would want any more involvement in Afghanistan?

 

[Bewal Express]

It’s from CNN. Also, Pakistan is saying it won’t allow bases, it didn’t say it wouldn’t allow use of its airspace.

But why do you think this story came out now? Nothing to do with TLP Marches i take it.

 

[mazkhan]

If it is fixed wing aircraft then Pakistan will just allow use of airspace

If usa uses drones and helicopters I don't think the usa will fly from Qatar they will need a base closer and that's where the Charlie's will come in.

I don't think a predator can fly all the way from the Qatar and then carry out an attack and then return.


But either way as we have seen with these attacks a lot off innocent people will get caught up as collateral damage and then Charlie's will only have themselves to blame if afghan taliban turn their guns on them and they start egging on their politically and religiously allied groups in pakistan.

 

[street cricketer]

At this point it is not clear to me why the US would want any more involvement in Afghanistan?

The US can never really afford to wash Afghanistan off its hands, especially an Afghanistan that's under the Taliban regime. The last time they took their eyes off Afghanistan once the Soviets left to concentrate on the gulf war, a little known Arab outfit called the Al Qaeda, which fought with the Mujahideens during the jihad, slowly grew in stature under the Taliban in the late 90s and became world famous in a single day when the 9/11 happened and everyone came to know who OBL was. The US wouldn't want an another OBL to arise out of Afghanistan after they take it easy, especially when IS-K are conducting weekly attacks against Shias in their mosques.

Besides, the US wouldn't want Afghanistan to fall entirely into the hands of the Chinese, and allow the Chinese an exclusive access to the natural resources of Afghanistan. They would maintain a relation with whoever is ruling Afghanistan, even if it means maintaining a sort of a security pact with the Taliban to aid them in their fight against IS.

 

[Gharib Aadmi]

As I have said from day one, if the price is right, we never say no! This is an established fact; it has been like this throughout our history. We have always sold ourselves and our country for dollars.

I wonder what IK fans have to say now? They were over the moon over the news of Pakistan saying ‘No’ to the US.

The government has denied this. However if it is true, most IK fans would condemn this decision. We support the IK who says "absolutely not" when asked about bases.

 

[Napa]

The US can never really afford to wash Afghanistan off its hands, especially an Afghanistan that's under the Taliban regime. The last time they took their eyes off Afghanistan once the Soviets left to concentrate on the gulf war, a little known Arab outfit called the Al Qaeda, which fought with the Mujahideens during the jihad, slowly grew in stature under the Taliban in the late 90s and became world famous in a single day when the 9/11 happened and everyone came to know who OBL was. The US wouldn't want an another OBL to arise out of Afghanistan after they take it easy, especially when IS-K are conducting weekly attacks against Shias in their mosques.

Besides, the US wouldn't want Afghanistan to fall entirely into the hands of the Chinese, and allow the Chinese an exclusive access to the natural resources of Afghanistan. They would maintain a relation with whoever is ruling Afghanistan, even if it means maintaining a sort of a security pact with the Taliban to aid them in their fight against IS.

The US tried to punish the Taliban by occupying Afghanistan and somewhat succeeded by keeping them out of power for 20 years. However the cost to the US was too great. Next time the Taliban harbor an OBL, the US should just bomb them the way Reagan bombed Ghadaffi to get him to behave. It worked.

As for the natural resources of Afghanistan, one can't have everything. I doubt any of those resources are critical for the US.

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2327828/pakistan-denies-presence-of-us-military-or-air-base-yet-again

Islamabad on Thursday categorically denied the presence of any US military base in Pakistan, saying speculations in this regard are “baseless and irresponsible”.

“There is no US military or air base in Pakistan; nor was any such proposal envisaged. Any speculation on this account was baseless and irresponsible and should be avoided,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmed said in a statement.

He added that Pakistan and the United States have a framework of cooperation in terms of Air Lines of Communication (ALOC) and Ground Lines of Communication (GLOC) in place since 2001.

“No new agreement has been made in this regard.​”

Pakistan last month denied that it had reached any formal agreement with the US for the use of its airspace to conduct “military and intelligence operations” in Afghanistan.

The statement came after the CNN, in its report, cited three "sources familiar with the details of a classified briefing" to the US Congress, and said that the Biden administration had informed US lawmakers that the country was close to striking a formal deal with Pakistan on the use of its airspace to conduct operations in Afghanistan.

The report claimed that Pakistan had "expressed a desire" to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in return for help in its own counterterrorism operations and assistance with managing the relationship with India.

It further maintained that according to a source, negotiations were still underway and the details of the agreement, which have not yet been hammered out, were still subject to change.

The briefing comes as the White House is still trying to ensure that it can carry out counterterrorism operations against ISIS-K and other adversaries in Afghanistan now that there is no longer a US presence on the ground for the first time in two decades after the Nato withdrawal from the country.

The US military currently uses Pakistan's airspace to reach Afghanistan as part of ongoing intelligence-gathering efforts but there is no formal agreement in place to ensure continued access to a critical piece of airspace necessary for the US to reach the landlocked country.

The air corridor through Pakistan to Afghanistan may become even more critical if and when the US resumes flights into Kabul to fly out American citizens and others who remain in the country following a hasty withdrawal of the Western forces after two decades of inconclusive war.

The third source said that an agreement was discussed when US officials visited Pakistan but it's not yet clear what Pakistan wants or how much the US would be willing to give in return.

 

[MenInG]

Three ex-military officers, civilian sentenced by FGCM on espionage charges

Three retired military officers and a civilian have been convicted of espionage and handed different jail terms by the Field General Court Martial, according to sources privy to the development.

The four – three former military officials and a civilian – were tried under the Pakistan Army Act and Official Secret Act 1923 by separate Field General Court Martial (FGCM) on the charges of espionage prejudice to the national security, the sources said.

The convicts include Lt Col (retd) Faiz Rasool, who was awarded 14-year rigorous imprisonment; Lt Col (retd) Akmal, who was sentenced to 10-year rigorous imprisonment; Major (retd) Saif Ullah Babar, who was handed 12-year rigorous imprisonment; and Idris Khattak, who was sentenced to 14-year rigorous imprisonment.

The sources said Idris Khattak, who claims to be a social activist, was tried by the FGCM in Jhelum, while the retired military officers stood trial in Rawalpindi. The main charge Khattak faced was that he provided ground intelligence for US drone strikes in Pakistan.

According to BBC, Owais Khattak, brother of Idris Khattak, said they received a phone call from Jhelum on Friday in which he was informed that his brother has been shifted to the district jail in Jhelum.

Asked if a civilian could stand trial in a military court, the sources said a civilian could be tried in the FGCM under “specific circumstances”.

Earlier in February, a two-judge bench of the Peshawar High Court – headed by Chief Justice Qaiser Rasheed – had dismissed a plea against Khattak’s trial in a military court. The petition was filed by Khattak’s brother.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/233245...vilian-sentenced-by-fgcm-on-espionage-charges

 

[Last Monetarist]

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2333680/national-security-encompasses-inclusive-growth-pm-imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said Pakistan had not been credited by western countries for the sacrifices made during the decades-long global war on terror.

The premier's remarks came during his address to the opening session of Margalla Dialogue 2021 in Islamabad.

The premier stated that the country faced immense collateral damage and was the only country in the US-led alliance which suffered more than 80,000 casualties, displacement of millions and over Rs100bn in economic losses.

Imran also regretted that Pakistan was not able to effectively present its point of view before the world.

Referring to national security, the prime minister said the focus was on military power but "it [national security] is actually an all-encompassing thing. You can't have national security until there is inclusive growth".

He said sans inclusive growth, inequality becomes the basis of discord in society. "It is a very important issue of national security that how can we have equitable [and] inclusive development."

“Unequal distribution of resources leads to anarchy among the people who are left out of the mainstream development,” he said. "The uplift of the underprivileged segment of the society was critical to ensure across the board national security."

He stressed that rule of law and equality for all were the preconditions for democracy. PM Imran also pointed out that differences in educational standards in the country resulted in three different kinds of generations with discrimination in regards to hiring practices.

"Corruption, particularly of the elite, was detrimental to the development of a country," he said and emphasized the importance of research by the think tanks of the country to counter the negative propaganda in the world.

“Research leads to original thinking within a society. You have to define yourself instead of letting others define you,” he said. "Lack of in-depth research led to reliance on second-hand information by the western think tanks on important issues such as Afghanistan."

On Islamophobia, the PM said, a strong response by Muslim think tanks was important to nullify the impression of Islam’s linkage with terrorism.

"The racist government in India is pursuing fascist policies against minorities including in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir," Imran said referring to New Delhi, adding that western countries do not criticise the illegal occupation.

 

[MenInG]

Terrorism in Pakistan

The US also welcomed anti-terror efforts by the Pakistani military and security forces, saying in 2020 Pakistan restrained “India-focused militant groups from conducting attacks”.

“Pakistani military and security forces undertook CT operations against groups that conducted attacks within Pakistan, such as, Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP), ISIS-K, and the Balochistan Liberation Army,” the report said.

Pakistan convicted Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed and four other senior LeT leaders in multiple terrorism financing cases, it said.

According to the report, “The Sindh High Court overturned the 2002 convictions of Omar Sheikh and three co-conspirators for the 2002 kidnapping and murder of US journalist Daniel Pearl on April 2 and ordered their release on December 24.”

Sheikh remained detained while provincial and federal officials’ appeals continued through the end of the year, it added.

About counter-terrorism operation, the report said, “The United States cooperates with Pakistan on counterterrorism operations, which has helped Pakistan reclaim parts of the country previously held by militant groups.”

https://tribune.com.pk/story/233434...RCMHZFeS1HVnpTSTdlOXdJV19VSmJRbzRROVktUFZYUlI

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Pakistan's foreign policy not free from US influence: NSA Moeed Yusuf

• Pakistan does not have financial independence, NSA Moeed Yusuf says.
• Not having economic sovereignty affects foreign policy, he says.
• NSA says Islamabad wants to improve ties with New Delhi.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's foreign policy is still not free from the influence of the United States, says National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Moeed Yusuf.

"It is still not [free from US influence] and I doubt that there is any country which is free from it," the national security adviser said during an interview on Geo News programme Jirga.

Yusuf said Pakistan does not have financial and economic independence, as he noted that the country does not have enough capital to meet the requirements of the population — which are increasing.

"When we cannot [fulfill] the demands, we seek foreign loans. When you procure loans, your economic sovereignty is compromised," the national security adviser said.

Economic sovereignty affects financial independence
NSA Yusuf said a country's economic sovereignty is comprised whenever it seeks loans from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or any other institution.

"Now because of this, it affects a country's foreign policy, and when foreign policy is affected, you cannot run the affairs, as they would be in an ideal situation," he said when asked about Pakistan's plans on Afghanistan.

Yusuf noted that when a country is dependent on international money lenders, it cannot allocate resources for human welfare or traditional security — armed forces and internal security.

"A country cannot have financial independence till it fulfills all local demands through its own resources," the national security adviser said.

On Pakistan's first National Security Policy
Meanwhile, he also said implementation of the country's first-ever National Security Policy (NSP) would be ensured through a clearly devised framework for state institutions.

The NSA said there was a comprehensive implementation framework for state institutions in the document of the policy. Yusuf said economic and human security are at the NSP's core.

On Indo-Pak relations
Responding to a query about Pakistan-India relations, he said Islamabad wants to improve ties with New Delhi, as higher connectivity will boost the economy and alleviate poverty in the region.

However, the adviser said Pakistan had to halt backdoor diplomatic contacts with India due to New Delhi's non-seriousness and extremist mindset.

He said Pakistan's principal stance is that India should care for Kashmiris on humanitarian grounds and revoke its August 5, 2019, measures to resume bilateral talks.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/392546-pakistans-foreign-policy-not-free-from-us-influence-nsa-moeed-yusuf

 

[MenInG]

Are Drone strikes are back in Pakistan?

SHAWAL:
Authorities in North Waziristan on Sunday rejected reports of a drone attack in the region causing casualties, and urged public to confirm any such development before passing it on.

In an official statement, Deputy Commissioner North Waziristan Shahid Ali Khan and district administration denied any such reports that suggested seven people had died in an attack by the unmanned aircraft in Shawal area of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s tribal district bordering Afghanistan.

They noted that the stories were being concocted through different social media platforms, but there was no substance in them.

The authorities further said that the citizens should not be tricked by misleading reports at a critical time in the country to avoid any harm.

Earlier today, there were unconfirmed reports of drone strikes in the tribal district as well as in Afghanistan.

Express Tribune

 

[daytrader]

https://www.dawn.com/news/1684811/i...mediate-irreversible-action-against-terrorism

"Do more" is back. When will we ever learn