Islamabad: Pakistan’s Defense Minister Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar, who is considered an inactive minister, has ordered the United States to leave a Shamsi Airbase in the country’s southwestern Balochistan province.
Mukhtar said that the Airbase is reportedly being used for unmanned drone attacks and will soon be handed over to Pakistan’s army.
“We have told them (American officials) to leave the air base,” Mukhtar told reporters in Islamabad on Wednesday.
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has been using the airbase to station its unmanned predator drones.
The strategic location of the base allows US forces to launch the illegal drone strikes inside Pakistan within minutes of an order.
The Times revealed in 2010 that the CIA has been secretly using Shamsi Airbase to launch strikes on targets on the Pakistani side, bordering Afghanistan.
The drones have been used to attack targets inside Pakistan’s tribal areas killing several hundred innocent civilians.
The base was also extensively used in 2001 when the US-led invasion of Afghanistan began.
The Pakistani military had reportedly allowed the US to use the base, Jacobabad, and two other bases – Pasni and Dalbadin – in its 2001 invasion of Afghanistan.
The then military government, led by Gen. Pervez Musharraf, said the Americans had left the bases in 2006.
Relations between Islamabad and Washington have been tense amid repeated breach of Pakistani sovereignty by US forces.
Parliament of Pakistan have recently passed a resolution condemning the unilateral US raid inside Pakistan that led to the death of former al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden on May 02.
Pakistani lawmakers demanded that President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani that review ties with the US and other Western countries.
Pakistan has also called on the US to steeply reduce the number of CIA operatives and halt the non-UN-sanctioned drone attacks on its soil.
Meanwhile, reports said that the US President Barack Obama has rejected Islamabad’s call for more transparency regarding CIA operations in the country.
Mukhtar also said that Pakistan has made many sacrifices in the war against terrorism while payments from the coalition support fund have stalled.
His order to vacate the base emerged shortly after he announced Pakistan was reconsidering relations with the US in the war on terror.
Dear TNT Reader,
At The News Tribe, our mission is to bring you free, independent, and unbiased news and content that keeps you informed and empowered. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism, as we understand that we are a platform for truth.
Apart from independent global news coverage, we also commit our unique focus on the Muslim world. In an age marked by the troubling rise of Islamophobia and widespread misrepresentation of Muslims in Western media, we strive to provide accurate and fair coverage.
But to continue doing so, we need your support. Even a small donation of 1$ can make a big difference. Your contribution will help us maintain the quality of our news and counteract the negative narratives that are so prevalent.
Please consider donating today to ensure we can keep delivering the news that matters. Together, we can make a positive impact on the world, and work towards a more inclusive, informed global society.
Donate Monthly Subscription Annual Subscription