Reports of talks with US on airspace use rejected

R ejecting a US media report, Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Saturday categorically denied that any understanding with the United States was in place to allow the use of Pakistan’s airspace by the US to carry out military operations in Afghanistan.

Quoting three sources, a CNN report on Friday claimed the Biden administration had told US lawmakers that the country is nearing to formalise agreement with Pakistan for the use of its airspace to conduct military and intelligence operations in Afghanistan.

However, responding to the US media claim, the Foreign Office spokesperson said: “No such understanding was in place.”

“Pakistan and the US have long-standing cooperation on regional security and counterterrorism and the two sides remain engaged in regular consultations,” he maintained.

Islamabad expressed a desire to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in exchange for assistance with its own counterterrorism efforts, CNN quoted one of the sources as saying.

The report said negotiations were still underway and the details of the agreement, which have not yet been hammered out, were still subject to change.

In an earlier interview with a foreign correspondent, Prime Minister Imran Khan had categorically said that Pakistan would “absolutely not” allow any bases and use of its territory for any sort of action inside Afghanistan. —

Pakistan and the US have long-standing cooperation on regional security and counter-terrorism and the two sides remain engaged in regular consultations Foreign Office