The Federal government has unofficially given Bandari airbase in Balochistan to the Americans from where they are carrying out drone attacks on Pakistan soil and killing innocent people. This was stated by spokesperson of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Dr Shireen Mazari while addressing a press conference at PTI office here on Thursday.
"If the government would not take any action against the drone attacks, then PTI is planning to arrange a long March," she added "Americans are confidently using this air base for holding drone attacks on Pakistani soil, which they cannot do without the support of our government," Dr Mazari said.
She demanded of the government to immediately take back this airbase from Americans, as they were taking full advantage of an airbase located near Pak-Iran border. "They are utilising this base not only against Pakistan, but are also for destroying Pak-Iran relations," she added.
"The US drone attacks on Pakistani soil tantamount to attack on sovereignty of a country and government should take up the issue internationally to get rid of these attacks," Dr Mazari said. She said that under Article 4 of the Constitution, drone attacks were an open challenge to Pakistan and it was need of hour to raise this issue internationally to bring them to an end.
She criticised the apologetic attitude of the government, saying that it had no right to give its land to others with a clean chit to kill its own people. "If the government is not capable of stopping the drone attacks, then it should at least take back its territory from the Americans," she added.
She said that this was the time for the government to understand the negative impact of drone attacks and take action against them. "I can confidently say that our government can easily stop the drone attacks," she said.
She urged that the Balochistan Chief Minister to recognise it and rectify it. Talking about the security of nuclear assets under Command and Control, she said that it was not our problem but of the West. She expressed her concern over permission granted to the Nato to travel through train in Pakistan. She said that this decision would create an insecure environment in the country.
Answering a question if the PTI will participate in the sit-in organised by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) to protest against drone attacks, she said it would be decided in the partys central executive committee meeting on Saturday.