Foreign Office (FO) has categorically denied rumors claiming that there is a US military base in Pakistan.
In a statement, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri has denied rumors regarding any US military base in Pakistan.
‘There is no U.S. 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,’ said the MoFA spokesperson.
Furthermore, Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri accentuated 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.
There is no U.S. military or air base in #Pakistan; nor is any such proposal envisaged. Any speculation on this account is baseless and irresponsible and should be avoided. 1/2
— Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri (@Zhchaudhri) May 24, 2021
Pakistan and the U.S. 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. 2/2
— Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri (@Zhchaudhri) May 24, 2021
No new agreement has been made in this regard, he added.
The clarification comes as earlier David F Helvey – Assistant Secretary of Defence of Indo-Pacific Affairs, while responding to queries from US Senators had praised Pakistan’s assistance and said that Pakistan has allowed US to have overflight and access to be able to support our military presence in Afghanistan.
Following Mr David F Helvey’s remarks, rumors began circulating regarding the existence of a US military base inside Pakistan’s territory.
PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique has said that the authorities must explain what were the terms of the agreement. He also sought an explanation as to when implementation on the agreement was halted.
Meanwhile, Jamaat Islami Ameer Sirajul Haq has warned the government against allowing the US army to use military bases in Pakistan, asking Prime Minister Imran Khan to clarify the statement of the US administration claiming that Islamabad has allowed Washington to use its military bases and air space.
