Islamabad rejects Pentagon's claim

ISLAMABAD: After the Pentagon official claimed that Pakistan has allowed the US to use its airspace and ground routes as part of its Afghanistan campaign, a debate is underway in Islamabad regarding giving such an access to the US.

Pakistan officials have also categorically denied the claim made by Pentagon, pushing US to rethink its Afghan approach as its troops prepare to leave the country by September 11, this year.

In Pakistan, allowing access to airspace and ground routes to the US would be a costly mistake as it would have serious repercussions on Pakistan's national security.

Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri, Pakistan foreign office spokesperson, said in a statement on Monday: "There was no US military or air base in Pakistan, nor was any such proposal envisaged," adding that any speculation on the topic was "baseless, irresponsible and should be avoided".

Since 2001, Pakistan and the US have had a framework of cooperation for Air Lines of Communication and Ground Lines of Communication, but "no new agreement has been made in this regard", the statement added.

The pentagon claim was also echoed in the Upper House, the Senate of Pakistan, where a member submitted a call for attention notice, calling on the house to discuss the Pentagon claim. "This would be a grave and serious violation of the Parliament of Pakistan's unanimously adopted terms of engagement for American/foreign forces adopted on April 12, 2021," read the notice submitted by Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed. IANS

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