The Foreign Office on Thursday dismissed speculations that Pakistan was providing military bases to the United States or any other country. There have also been unconfirmed reports of China seeking bases and operational access in Balochistan to protect its citizens working in Pakistan on various projects.
“This speculation is completely unfounded, and we reject it. There is absolutely no basis for these social media speculations,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told reporters at her weekly briefing.
“Pakistan has no plans to offer bases to a foreign government or military directed against anyone,” she added.
When her attention was drawn towards the reported statement by Opposition Leader Omar Ayub, claiming that they had some information about Pakistan providing bases to the US, the spokesperson said the question should be posed to the lawmaker.
“This question may be posed to the leader of the opposition because I have given you the reality and the facts in response to an earlier question today,” the spokesperson added.
Speculations about the bases were first triggered by PTI lawmaker Sher Afzal Marwat, who claimed that Pakistan had provided bases to the US. Some government officials had already rebutted his claims, insisting that the bases Marwat was referring to were vacated a long time ago by the US.
May 3, 2024
Source: Express Tribune