FO denies presence of US military or air base in Pakistan

(Karachi) Foreign Office Spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudri has denied media reports about the presence of a US military or air base inside Pakistan, saying such baseless speculations must be avoided.

In a series of tweets, Chaudhri stated: "There is no US military or airbase in #Pakistan; nor is any such proposal envisaged."

He added, "Any speculation on this account is baseless and irresponsible and should be avoided."

The FO maintained that Pakistan and the US 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," he mentioned.

Last week, a Pentagon official said that Pakistan has allowed the US military to use its airspace and given ground access to ensure its presence in Afghanistan.

Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Affairs, David F. Helvey, told the US Senate Armed Services Committee that the United States would continue its talks with Pakistan because it has a key role to play in restoring peace in Afghanistan.

Helvey said Pakistan has played a key role in Afghanistan, supporting the Afghan peace process, allowing us to use its airspace, and maintaining ground access to maintain our military presence in Afghanistan.

“We will continue our dialogue with Pakistan to support and play a role in Afghanistan’s future and for peace in Afghanistan,” he said.

Diplomatic sources in Washington told one of the Pakistani newspapers that Pakistan has always given the United States to use its airspace and land access to maintain its military presence in Afghanistan and would continue to do so.