Military shipment: Pakistan allows Afghanistan to use airspace

Maiden flight carried 15 military vehicles meant for the Afghan National Security Forces.

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan on Monday allowed Afghanistan to use its airspace for shipment of military equipment to Kabul.

The maiden flight of the “Commercial Multi-Model Operation” carried 15 military vehicles meant for the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), said a statement issued here by the Ministry of Defence.

The decision was taken as “special gesture” by the government of Pakistan, added the statement.

It said the vehicles were of vital importance and urgently required by ANSF. Defence Secretary Lt Gen (retd) Asif Yasin Malik witnessed the launching of the operation.

The arrangement was made to facilitate rapid delivery of vital military cargo to “our brotherly neighbouring state” to enhance its security and stability, the statement further said.

“This effort is expected to contribute towards strengthening the existing relations with Afghanistan,” it added.

Originally a part of Pak-US MoU signed in July 2012, which deals with use of Pakistan lines of communications, to and from Afghanistan, the operation would be treated as “commercial” and would continue for next couple of weeks.

In July 2012, official sources had revealed that Pakistan had secretly allowed US-led Nato forces to use its airspace for transporting lethal
supplies to Afghanistan. Earlier that year, Pakistan had confirmed that it allowed Nato planes carrying non-lethal supplies to use
its airspace.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2014.