Pakistan refuses to allow US military to use its bases

Baku, June 8, AZERTAC

Pakistan’s foreign minister confirmed that his country refused to give any military base to the US for monitoring Afghanistan after foreign forces’ withdrawal from Kabul, local media said on Tuesday, according to Anadolu Agency.

Speaking to Geo News, a local broadcaster, Shah Mahmood Qureshi said his government, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, has no intention to give its military bases to Washington.

“Search for bases could be their wish. There's no question of giving them [US] bases, we have to see our interest,” Qureshi told the local broadcaster.

Qureshi was responding to a recent report by The New York Times, citing American officials as saying that “Pakistan wants to allow US access to a base as long as it can control how it is used”, adding that “public opinion in the country has been strongly against any renewed presence by the United States.”

Some American officials said that negotiations with Pakistan had reached an impasse for now. Others have said the option remains on the table and a deal is possible, the US daily said in its report published on Sunday.