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Reports of Pakistan demanding US exit Shamsi airbase bogus: Firdous
Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar was earlier quoted in the media stating the US had been asked to exit Shamsi base.
Awan was speaking to the media in Lahore. PHOTO: FILE
WASHINGTON / LAHORE: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Thursday said news of Pakistan demanding the United States exit Shamsi Airbase was bogus and had been created by the media, Express News reported.
Speaking to the media in Lahore, Awan said that she was a member of the Defence Committee and nothing of this sort was discussed during the meeting.
Earlier this week, Pakistani Defense Minister Ahmed Mukhtar told the Financial Times that Pakistan had already stopped US drone operations there.
The minister also told a group of journalists in Islamabad that it was time to review anti-terror cooperation with the US.
“We have told them [US officials] to leave the airbase,” APP quoted Mukhtar as saying.
On Thursday, Mukhtar told Reuters: “When they (US forces) will not operate from there, no drone attacks will be carried out.” He said Islamabad had been pressuring the US to vacate the base even before the May 2 commando raid in which US Navy SEAL commandos killed Osama bin Laden. After the raid, Mukhtar said, “We told them again.”
Reuters reported the United States had rejected demands from Pakistani officials that American personnel abandon the military base used by the CIA to stage drone strikes against suspected militants.
US personnel have not left the remote Pakistani military installation known as Shamsi Air Base and there is no plan for them to do so, said a US official familiar with the matter, who asked for anonymity to discuss sensitive material.
“That base is neither vacated nor being vacated,” the official said.
The information was confirmed by a second US official. The US declaration that drone operations in Pakistan will continue unabated is the latest twist in a fraught relationship between security authorities in Washington and Islamabad, which has been under increasing strain for months.
Read more:
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Reader Comments (113)
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Pakistan never gave an airbase to the US in 2006.
Pakistan tells USA to stop the drone attacks.
Pakistan told USA to vacate Shamsi Airbase.
What is the truth? Can you ever tell the truth for a change, even by mistake? How many lies would the defense forces offer to cover themselves?
The liars and their touts call me anti Pakistan and anti Islam for asking to tell the truth?Recommend
We are officially colonized by the US through this statement. However, can we be fortunate enough to be given the same status as Puerto Rico or US just wants to treat us like its mistress AKA Philippines.Recommend
This is TOO FUNNY. Looks like Pakistan has no sovereignity or self-respect. First the base was sold to the UAE sheikhs and then sub-leased by US murder machine and now the criminal tenants refuse to leave. They may cause major vadalism before being evicted, but by whom?Recommend
wow, its like we’ve become the 53rd state of the USA… a bit under privelleged though…Recommend
The big news of this story, if the Express Tribune’s photo shown above is to be believed, is that German military drones are being used in Pakistan.Recommend
Looks like the kumbal (blanket) is difficult to remove. This is all Musharraf and Zardari’s doing. Both of them should be hanged for treason. Treason means an act committed against Pakistan that causes harm. Not just an overthrow of a government. There are thousands of treasonous Pakistanis, such as those working for foreign agencies, against Pakistan by providing non-public information. They should all be summarily hanged. Time has come to take drastic measures.Recommend
very insulting….Recommend
Things are coming to a head now and there is no going back. Goodbye America and good riddance.Recommend
dear general kiyani pls DO SOMETHING…ANYTHIGN for crying out loud.. get the americans off our bases.. and go after militants yourself.. stop relying on the maericans to clean up our mess…. and for Gods sake stop letting them take credit for out intelligenceRecommend
We’ll first have to cancel the lease agreement with our Ummah brothers of UAE, but UAE also finances our “strategic assets”!Recommend
tak tht pak gov….anoth confmation tht we dont hav balls.Recommend
This statement just sums up the US-Pak:Master-Slave relationship. We were better off under British colonial rule than this. What a slap on the face of the Government and the Army.Recommend
@Aristo: if you really want a diferent status you can get the status of afghanistan.Recommend
i have no idea that why untill now Pakistan has not asked USA for an official status as its state ? if we are declared a US state officialy, atleast we could demand some basic rights such as electricity, water, gas, petrol, security etc from the USA, which our own previous and present governments have failed to provide us.Recommend
They can say what they want. Trying to be brave in the face of Pakis putting an end to unfettered cia ops.Recommend
Whose airbase is it ? Pakistan’s or UAE’s or USA’s . If Pakistan has genuinely asked US to vacate and US did not oblige, then Pak should take legal steps to make US oblige its request. It Pak’s request is a sound and light show for people’s consumption, then the minister should resignRecommend
As forecast by many intelligent readers matters are coming to a boil. The Pakistan Military and the US administration came to many deals in the aftermath of 9/11. Public may never know the details but what seems obvious is that Pakistan is looking to back track from some of those spur of moment decisions. Pakistan has not been able to honour many of those commitments main being – not giving shelter to terrorists, rooting out terrorist networks from the roots and preventing terror attacks emanating from its soil. The US is of course feeling shortchanged after providing over USD 20 billion since 9/11. The discovery of OBL in Abbotabad and the response of the Pakistani Government to go after the informants rather than those who sheltered him have altered the prism from which the World is looking at Pakistani duplicity. Act 1 of the PLAY is over on 2 May 2011, ACT 2 has resumed. As usual the losers may be the oppressed citizens and not the powerful trouble makers.Recommend
Things are improving, a few more bold steps well make them run forever.Recommend
US is behaving like a true bandit and treating Pakistan with sheer contempt. The simple fact is that these daily drone murders of mostly unarmed civilians has caused more anti-Americanism than most people realize and it is also eroding any sympathy left for the military. The US is bankrupt and barely doles out $1.5 billion in increasingly worthless US dollars, such a puny per capita amount for a large nation of almost 200 million is less than PEANUTS and even trained monkeys would rebel. Pakistan needs to cut back on its increasingly counterproductive military subservience to US and throw all US military personnel, spies and inflated number of destabilizing “diplomats” out. Pakistan’s case is not that hopeless, it needs to improve relations with its neighbours, particularly Iran and depend more on China and the Muslim world. An insulting “friendship” based on mutual contempt is a recipe for disaster. Pax Americana is coming to a rapid end anyway. SHUT DOWN US DRONE MURDERS IMMEDIATELY. As Kissinger once noted, FRIENDSHIP WITH THE US IS A KISS OF DEATH.Recommend
I think they were not asked to vacate, populist politics by Defense Minister. Just like drones, they protest against drone attacks but never asked USA to stop them.Recommend
The only way this could have been better is if they added a ridiculous smiley face to the title. “US rejects demands to vacate Shamsi airbase :D”Recommend
The USA is doing the work your army either can or will not do. The USA does not intend to insult your nation.Recommend
IF PAKISTAN IS SERIOUS, IT SHOULD MOVE THE CASE IN UNO !!! LETS SEE WHAT RELIEF IS GIVEN BY US SPONCERED UNO.Recommend
As long as America’s massive arms industry continues to profit from making bombs and other killing machines, their leaders will continue to look for places where they can use them. Its a pity that trillions of dollars have been spent on these aggressive wars. Imagine the number of world problems that could have been solved with that amount of money.Recommend
I wonder if Pakistan will take it back by force?…. In that case i have a question i.e.
1 Pakistani Soldier== 10 Indian Soldiers
1 pakistani Soldier== How many US soldiers?Recommend
@Brent:
oh my God how about the rest of the world attack the US for various violations of human rights.. lets take for example its undying support of israel………….pls stop trying to justify thisRecommend
@Brent
Our Army has done a lot for this nation, I don’t disagree that they have screwed up in the past, and probably will in the future. However, they are the least corrupt institution in this country. They have lost a lot of soldiers, and we will lose more before this war is over.
This is our fight as well, but in no way does it justify that USA can act on their own terms.
They might be doing what are Army is not, fine lets agree with you for a moment. But lets look at what else they are also doing.
– Violating the sovereignty of our country.
– Brennan stated that, “Not a single collateral death” had been caused by US counter-terrorism operations over the last year. Only a complete idiot would make a statement like such.
-Not everything can be learned through satellite images and third party intelligence. I wont say that the collateral damage is a lot, because i have no way to prove that, the same way, you don’t have any proof that there isn’t any collateral damage at all. -
USA, does what it has to, to protect their own people. This might be a shocker to the rest of the world, but for the majority of the Pakistani’s, our nation is our priority, not helping you fight of your enemies. We need to protect our own nation, not yours.
All this has led to a split in our institutions, the army is demoralized, the govt. isn’t supported by the people, the people are no longer scared, are no longer happy, we have started losing hope, we have started losing faith. We have come to the point where we don’t know what to do, where to turn, how to fix this problem.
If our own leaders cannot take control of our country, and make decisions that are executed within, such as asking USA to leave our base, which is our right. Then what are we left with??
Tomorrow you may win the WAR against Al-Qaeda, but by then, our nation will fall apart.
The US needs Pakistan a lot more then we need them at this time, and like in the past, once they have achieved their goal, they will leave us to fend for ourselves, and i doubt we would be able to by then.
So leave, let us fix our internal problems, work out our own issues. We don’t have the time and resources to fight the world. The normal Pakistani just wants peace, and quite.
I want to leave my house, not being scared. I want to live my life, without having to see my pakistani brothers and sisters die everyday.
Thats what WE want, but no other nation understands or respects that.
-
–Recommend
quitting afganisthan and occupying pakisthan what to say about this
and pakisthanis should not feel happy that US withrawing troop from
afganisthan because they going to occupy pakisthan now as a US drone
base.Recommend
Folks fault lies not in Americans but in ourselves….Recommend
Seems that US paid very good sum in advance to the Rawalpindi royals for occupation of the bases, that is why they very firmly rejected the demands of Pakistani officials. The game goes on…Recommend
Vow, this is what is what could be termed as USA hooliganism. The much feared response has finally knocked at our door of sovereignty. Those at the helms of affairs have , of course, seemingly no other option but to keep mum most probably knowing the fact that beggars cannot be the choosers and are supposed to succumb to any kind of pressures. The august readers would bear me out that such a blatant disregard and violation of our sovereignty has probably never been noticed before. The aliens have become the owners of our lands – what a disgrace. It is better to die with dignity than live in disgrace. They have started betraying us openly. The great political scholar Chomseky had very rightly said “The geostrategic position has rewarded Pakistan, where as the history has always punished it”Recommend
@A J khan:
I dont understand, this Air Base, belongs to Pakistan but sold to UAE, currently used by US to bomb Pakistan and you are planning to go to UN (sponsored by US) to get back something that is not yours. Hmmm Am i confused ?Recommend
Pakistan’s security establishment & even the government never demanded the US to leave Shamsi base.
We are lucky to have Ch sahib having a specialities in shoes & rubber products as our worthy defence minister. After all, with the strongest security establishment, controlling defence as well as foreign policy of poor nation – we need a clown as defence minister to entrain the nation.Recommend
@Mirza:
My dear man, since when has anyone ever told truth to its people in pakistan????
The fact of the matter is that this Base is not an property of pakistan, it belongs to UAE !!!Recommend
@Anthony Mitchell:
Its name is Global Hawk an unarmed long endurance UAV much more advanced than Predator or Reaper drones which are slow and low flying aircraft but carry missiles. It’s American not German.Recommend
@Arsalan
I bet you thought you were making a pretty clever statement….
So the US Government (which apparently is controlled by the Military-Industrial Complex since its policies according to you are pro-war) wages war so that it can pay for the weapons manufactured by the US Military-Industrial complex out of its federal budget. This would increase the ever spiraling debt of the US Govt. Which sane govt would want to put itself in such a position willingly?Recommend
Shameful!!!!Recommend
Such a disgrace, I am really very very much disappointed by the issues going on.
All including;
1. Usama Drama,
2. Raymond Release
3. Drone Attacks
4. Mehran Air Base Attack
Much much worried & tensed, i just wanna ask from you all & every one who reads it,
What do you think, where we are going. :-(Recommend
Hey America mind u V r a sovereign state….V r a nuclear power…V have friend emerging Global power…V r the World’s bravest nation…Don’t provoke us…First v have asked by words to leave Shamsi…if u didn’t v can also do something else because for any patriotic Pakistani nothing is more important than our sovereignty and self respect…& yeah try to remember soviet union what v did to them v can do to u too…Recommend
US officials are saying they never received any formal request (complain) from Govt of Pakistan. Looks like these kind of news are only for media.Recommend
ENOUGH OF AL CIA DARecommend
This act of defiance by US is even a worst insult than Abbotabad incident which tantamounts to grave provocation against the sovereignty of a democratic state who is also an ally of the US.Recommend
If we are failing to control the mice that is spreading into the neighbourhood, besides spreading deadly disease in our own house, the neighbour gets the chance to intrude into our house to clean for us and for others!! Its simple. If we really love our sovereignty, we have to eliminate the mice with all our might and the neighbours will have no excuse to intude.Recommend
… the Waning Powers have finally found more than their match in South Central Asia …
… its very easy to come in … but very hard to leave … without paying the price for Adventure … Remember the only Brit to reach Torkham …
… it takes more than Greed and Gun to win … it takes Grit …Recommend
Who caved in to the demands of USA? Pakistani leaders.
Who agreed to rent the bases to USA? Pakistani leaders.
Who agreed to drone attacks from these bases? Pakistani leaders.
Who agreed to supply these bases with materials? Pakistani leaders.
Who tried to hide the above facts from their own people? Pakistani leaders.
Who showed up at Uncle’s door step asking for arms and aid? Pakistani leaders.
But very liberating and convenient to blame USA! .Recommend
PM needs to give a warning to US to leave
immediately.
If not heeded, Pakistan reserves the right
to use whatever means possible to clean
the place from the Americans.
PM, please stand up.Recommend
It was an agreement signed back in 2004 in Dubai.
and one thing more,,,
think about it…
and then hang me if i am wrong….
If Hajjaj Bin Yusuf can order Bin Qasim to attack the sub-continent when pirates looted an Arab ship,,,why cant US search her enemies…Recommend
Oh! What a country we have become? Is there any shame left? Is there any accountability? How can General Mush do this? Our Generals will selloff even……
Let’s stop talking of Ghairat? Its long sold! Ashamed!
Lets just live in our delusional conspiracies. Army zindabad! Politicians zindabad! Quaid is fortunate that he passed away, else he would be crying seeing our mard-e-momins selling off our people, lands & honour!Recommend
This is the fate which is eventually reached by all nation led by coward leader.REMEMBER,one day lived by a lion a better than hundered years lived by a jackal.BHutto was part of the govt which broke pakistan in two,and Zardari is responsible for selling the rest of it.Our leaders are not Men,they are HIJRA’s.people of pakistan,prepare yourself for a revolution.Time has come we need to take matters into our own hand.PAKISTAN ZINDABADRecommend
Give 48 Hours ultimatum …Straighten your Missiles and see if they know how to hit the target…….this time wipe out Shamsi Airbase…..Recommend
@Mirza…
too emotional and illogical…
Its not the defense forces but the Government of Pakistan…who has allowed them the space inside Pakistan…Its high time that we, as a nation, should decide Americans as our enemy or friend…Till the time we remain caught between the dilemma, such things would continue…If we decide him to be our enemy then we should brace ourselves to fight against the mighty superpower and also face the wrath of the entire world…if we decide them to be our friend then close ur eyes to such PETTY things..But remember whatever happens we must never sow the seeds of discord among ourselves like bullying the defense forces…that is the worst thing to do…Recommend
In the words of Alexander Hamilton “A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.”
Let us be sure that a great war is coming to Pakistan…its just the matter of time..!!!Recommend
@ all pakistanis
weather or not the base is our or weather or not the govt has informed the US to vacate the base is irrelevant.. what we need to do is unite over the fact that AMERICANS HAVE TO GO.. and the govrrnemnt and armed forces have to mitigate the risk of militants by taking them out and ensuring no cross border movement of militants from afghanistan or india…………but for us to stand on our own two feet we first need to get rid of that physical impairment holding us back i.e. USA………
@ all americans
pls keep ur USDs and more than anythign else pls keep hiliry clinton to urself.. we dont want either.. wel solve our problems ourselves… we realize u feel the need to play the “HERO”.. everyone does these days.. but pls take the back seat for one…..
@PAKISTANI ARMED FORCES
for the love of God develope a backbone…good God this country is begging for another musharraf.. DO SOMETHIGN TAKE CHARGE WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU SO SCARED OF?Recommend
@A J khan
If UN is sponsored by US, why Pakistan and other muslim countries are part of it. Being a claimant of muslim world’s leader, you can start your own UN.Recommend
Foreign power occupying airfields, foreign terrorists hiding all over the country, religious extremists dictating the political agenda… Forget Azad Kashmir first fight for Azad Pakistan !!Recommend
Please don’t condemn the US for using our air bases, as it brings a lot of Black & White money to our great homeland.
Abba G (US) Please use any of the base you wish, let give us sometime and we will forget everything. But please don’t stop the flow of Dollars (nothing more than a piece of paper for U, but means a lot for us)
Long Live America!Recommend
The base is now a disputed territory just like PoK.Recommend
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Thursday said news of Pakistan demanding the United States exit Shamsi Airbase was bogus and had been created by the mediaRecommend
I am expecting that the establishment will shortly issue a statement denying the existence of the Shamsi air base.Recommend
I suggest the the Defense Minister stop giving interviews – he’s as bad as Interior Minister Rehman Malik. and I didn’t think that was possible.Recommend
A defense minister, who cannot even defend his statements.Recommend
The USA’s message on these drone attacks has been consistent – no one outside of Pakistan believes the USA is going to stop these drone attacks and they probably wonder why the attacks are limited to drones. Somehow the people in Pakistan haven’t figured out that there are consequences to harboring terrorist —- I suggest that it’s time to wake up. Sovereignty comes with responsibilities – one of those responsibilities is not allowing your territory to be used as a base of operation to attack your neighbors and allies.Recommend
A game, which is beyond our imaginations..I am sure US must have deposited a BIG amount in US & Saudi accounts..Recommend
It is interesting to see the federal information minister saying defence minister is a liar. Pakistan needs to fix her home front first before blaming Americans.Recommend
@Cautious:
Is there any single minister who has apptitude and ability to make responsible Statements to Media in this present Govt ??
PM should really reign them in and ste out a policy as to how these people should act and behave as they are very seriously becoming laughing stock on International stage!!!!Recommend
@T:
I understand and appreciate your point of view.
The other nations also understand do respect this fact, however, then please tell me, Why has Pakistan Army not taken any action against the very people who are causing mayhem and havoc in your own towns and cities on regular basis with huge loss of lives and casualties too!!!!
Why did the Army create and support these outfits to fight their proxy wars across the borders and caused havoc and mayhem in the cities in India?
Show me a single culprit that has been brought to Justice for these crimes commited in Pakistan???
There my good man, lies the answer to the problems of today’s Pakistan!!!
Additionally without US Aid, do note that Pakistan would have been Bankrupt Nation good few years back! Now that Aid is stopping same situation is on your doorstep once more!!!!Recommend
Whats our in this country?Recommend
@Common Sense:
You need to look at the situation from reality rather than selective insight!!!!
The so called fello Muslim Nations and the brothers in Middle East, actually do loan you some money, but at very high interest rates!!!! Do check what they charged you as interest for loan just few months back!! So one should’nt really bank on them to bail you out!!
In regards to the Chinese, well just try asking them for Loan or Aid and see the response!!!!
Need i say anything further!!
Like it or not without US and its generous support, the Country was already bankrupt!!!!Recommend
This situation is directly due to Musharraf and Zardari – both have betrayed Pakistan for American dollars.
They must be tried for treason against the people of Pakistan.
Expel all Americans and close the 18 acre US Embassy in Islamabad before it becomes an operational US military base.Recommend
This is hilarious. After a scolding from the USA, the leaders are taking back their comments. Pathetic idiots.Recommend
I suggest you view the airbase the same way you view the Tribal Territories — sovereign territory that you have no control over – sovereign territory that you allow 3′rd parties to conduct battle against your allies/strategic assets. Just another in a long line of nefarious deals.Recommend
So where are the true defenders of the Nation, namely The Ghairat Brigade !!!
Why are they not in the streets, burning flags and ensuring that the world’s media get full exposure of their displeasure with US????Recommend
So sings the fat lady!Recommend
@Chota Shakil
1 Pakistani Soldier== 10 Indian Soldiers
1 pakistani Soldier== How many US soldiers?”
The answer is:
“1 Taliban suicide bomber (strategic asset) = 40 Pakistani Soldiers”Recommend
HAHAHA, ofcourse the demand is bogus now. They find themselves unable to do anything when US said no. So to recover a little bit of self respect now they’re going to claim that the demand was bogus. These illiterate political bafoons are pathetic.Recommend
bogus peopleRecommend
@R:
Whosoever you are can’t agree with you more!!!!Recommend
@Blithe:
PM stand up???!!! He simply doesn’t have the SPINE!!!!Recommend
@Zahid Qureshi:
And then what?????Recommend
EVEN TALIBAN ARE BETTER THAN THESE SHAMLESS POLITICIANS…. THEY ARE AT LEAST COMMITED TO THEIRE WORDS.Recommend
Oh for GODS SAKE Firdous Ahiq Awan , why do you have to lie??? This statement was given by your Defense Minister.Recommend
we lostRecommend
Politicians should stay out of defense matters as nobody tells them anything or wants to anyway. Ahmed Mukhtar is a great example of a fool who knows nothing but still comments.Recommend
@Brent:
Then they should help by taking-off from Afghanistan, and not by conquering our own country in the name of help …Recommend
In Pakistan someone who knows nothing is made either the Education Minister or the Defence Minister. Ahmed Mukhtar is a classic example. A defence minister is particularly useless because the military resolutely resists any intervention in its affairs.Recommend
I think Pak Govt. and the Media have a serious issue with spoken English.. They think in Urdu and then confuse the tenses in English. There is no other explanation for such gross incompetence. Its comicalRecommend
Bay GHairat Govt. kay bay ghairat ministers.. all corrupt traiters…Recommend
@R S JOHAR”worst insult than Abbotabad incident which tantamounts to grave provocation against the sovereignty of a democratic state who is also an ally of the US”
Think your missing the point — an ally of the USA would not have provided protection to OBL or allow it’s territory to be used as a sanctuary by terrorist to attack American soldiers in Afghanistan. In short — Pakistan needs to pick a side and bear the consequences. The USA is apparently prepared for whatever choice you make.Recommend
This lady should be assigned to look after cow sheds insteas of representing government.Recommend
@Mirza:
Telling truth is not in the DNA.Recommend
@T:
You are delusional. First, fallacy is US needs Pakistan more than Pakistan needs US, you must live in an alternate universe. Your country is broke, infested with terrorists and your defense has become industrialists and land lords and yet you claim they are least corrupt. The demoralization is brought on by themsleves that’s what happens when you hide the worlds, most wanted terrorist in a garrison city and hope no one is going to find out while continuing with two faced game. Your military is junk, tell me one thing they have successfully executed? On the contrary, they have screwed up many things including your beloved country Pakistan, they made into the epicenter of terrorism and made it into a Porkistan.Recommend
@Muhammad Ehsan Elahi:
Where we are going? That is a million dollar question. Let me add to your concerns:
We are in such a peaceful and rich nation that we are demanding a fair national election before its time! Can we sustain these kinds of expanses and a long hostile election campaign under current conditions?
Regards,
MirzaRecommend
@Ali Fahad:
Thanks for critical but civil comments. In 2006 the govt and army was the same. Mush was the president and army chief, when he handed over the base to the US/UAE for drone operations. I have been asking for the truth and not the excuses. Now that the US has offered Pakistan a one finger salute, Pakistan had to cough up the truth. Pakistan which gave the airbase willingly and for money in 2006 has never demanded it back. It was like China was making Gwadar port, which they contradicted and exposed the lies. In short, being a patriotic Pakistani, I want the truth from Islamic Republic of Pakistan and ISPR, before they are again exposed and humiliated in the world. Is it so bad to ask?
Regards,
MirzaRecommend
fardous dont read news paper im dam sure .Recommend
The politicians of this country are serious Embarrassment to the People of Pakistan, who incidently gave them mandate to rule them!!!
Is this the best Pakistan has got????Recommend
@Zahid Qureshi:
“…Give 48 Hours ultimatum …Straighten your Missiles and see if they know how to hit the target…”
Don’t you think it will take a wee bit more than 48 hours to, first, straighten those crooked missiles. And, then are you expecting the missiles to tell them if they (missiles) know how to hit the target? Now, be reasonable, it will take some time to get the answer, knowing how missiles can be self-willed. But, you probably know your Chinese missiles better than any one else!!!!Recommend
The establishment should moot the idea of forming a new corps called the ‘Ghairiat Corps’ and order a bullet-proof , top of the line BMW for the Ghairat Corps Commander, to solve the issue of Pakistani ghairat.Recommend
Why the heck should the USA vacate a base that belongs to it.
Pakistan sold the base to the UAE in 2006 for cold hard cash which they’ve merrily spent away. That land doesn’t belong to Pak any longer. Stuff the self-righteousness – that base isn’t yours to ask to vacate. The USA is right here.Recommend
Information Minister refuting defense minister’s statement within 24 hrs.
Miss Awan, the most bogus thing in the world is Pakistan government.Recommend
While the government of Pakistan carries on with the comedy show, what is stopping people of Pakistan from taking a rally to the base, in presence of media, and evicting the Americans?
The place is just 200 miles of Quetta, less than a day’s journey under worst of roads.Recommend
Destroy the terrorists. Fix the real issue. USA is not the problem.Recommend
This is all a CIA/Mossad/RAW conspiracy to make the Pakistani military and establishment look like a complete joke! They are surely the most competent people in the world!Recommend
Huh? This Shamsi AIr Base is in Baluchistan. Baluchistan doesnot want to be in Pakistan. Someone sold this base to UAE. UAE rents the base to US. US flies drones from this base. Drones hit Pakistan. I am really confused.Recommend
Classic Pakistan —- left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing. When the dust settles I suspect that it will turn out that Pakistan authorities spent all their time talking to news reporters and no time taking to the American’s. I seriously doubt that the American’s would not leave a military base if asked by the proper authorities — after all they have the will and means to bomb Pakistan without using your own military bases so it’s probably no big deal to them.Recommend
People who believe that US is a menace, need to rethink. If US was to leave; then Pakistan will have to default on its loan. The Standards & Poor rating of Pakistani bonds is very dismal. It is US money that is being used to pay off most of these loans.
Pak needs US esp so now and we need to get rid of these small minority who is holding the whole nation at bay through terror.
US can park an Aircraft carrier and carry out those mission. And those who think that US can be intimidate through force are mistaken. Pak military can be decimated within first few minutes of a US SEAD (suppression of enemy air defense) I have 16+ years in US military industrial complex. Pakistani people seems like they have a short memory or have a memory lapse. Just a reminder “Abbotabad”; US can enter Pak. airspace at will without Pak military finding out.
It is worth mentioning that it has been 66 years since the end of World War II and the entire Western Europe has benefited by leasing bases to US we have them in UK, Germany Belgium, Italy, Holland, Denmark, Greece, Turkey etc and in Oceania we have them in Japan, Taiwan, Marshall Island, Midway Island, Thailand etc. All these countries were in shambles after WWII and we all know now these economies are now envy of the world (Pak economy I am told was great in 60′s due to US funding Pakistan’s economic growth).
Pak. as a nation needs to learn from history and develop a policy that is friendly with its neighbors and benefit from its global friends including US.Recommend
@T:
What is the basis of your claim that the army is the least corrupt institution in the country? Do you live on Mars?Recommend
What else we can expect from you!Recommend
Eliminate all the private jihadis and terrorists from the soil of Pakistan. Then there will not be any need for drone attacks nor a foreign power using your base.Recommend
Eliminate all the private jihadis and terrorists from the soil of Pakistan. Then neither will there be drone attacks nor any need for a foreign power to use your base.Recommend
Right now drones are the only means of targeting the terrorists who are wreaking havoc. Why would Pakistanis want to put a stop to that?? I wonder if the whole population has been radicalized and they too are starting to look at these elements as “strategic assets”. They refer to the odd “innocent” citizen who is taken out along with the criminals. What about the hundreds of innocent civilians who get killed by these terrorists? Is there anybody to shed a tear for them?Recommend
@T: Some people think the army is not corrupt (wonder how Mush pays for his expenses). Even if that be true, please remember the Nazis were also not corrupt. Howevevr thier choice of goals and means to attain such goals led thier country to ruin. The choice between politicians and army is not a choice for lesser or greater corruption. It is a choice of what future Pakistan sees for itself – one in which the people are in charge, or one in which the gun is in charge.Recommend
@R: who elected those Pakistani leaders ? Who allowed the army to be in power ?Recommend
I feel shame and at the same time become angry when I hear or read conflicting statements like these by our so called leaders. I don’t know who elects them and why these so called leaders at least once think that how we feel and think about them.I don’t want to say any thing else.Recommend