THE Foreign Office of Pakistan has categorically denied any proposal ofproviding military bases to the United States, after pull-out of its forcesfrom Afghanistan in September 2021.
The spokesperson of Pakistan’s Foreign Office Mr Zahid Hafeez Chaudri saidin a statement, “There is no US military or air base in Pakistan nor wasany such proposal envisaged. Any speculation on this account is baselessand irresponsible and should be avoided.”
This clarification from FO is enough to believe that there is no suchproposal with the Government of Pakistan and the Military Establishment.
Later on Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also clarified in astatement in the Senate that “reports regarding [US] bases are baseless.
Pakistan will neither allow any drone [strike] nor will an American base beestablished here.”
The question arises why such a controversy generated which caused alarm andconfusion at national level in Pakistan.
The Dawn newspaper in its May 24, 2021 opinion article referred aconversation of Mr David F. Helvey, US Assistant Secretary of Defence forIndo-Pacific Affairs at United Sates Senate Armed Services Committee.
On the question of a Senator about outlining the support from Pakistan tothe US, Mr Helvey said, “Pakistan has played an important role inAfghanistan. They supported the Afghan peace process.
Pakistan also has allowed us to have over flight and access to be able tosupport our military presence in Afghanistan.”
There is no doubt that Pakistan has supported the US and NATO forces inAfghanistan from 2001 to-date. Rather Pakistan acted as the front linestate against global war on terror.
It was indeed Pakistan which won this war, otherwise US and NATO had facedstiff resistance in Afghanistan and in a way badly failed to achieve theirobjectives, finally bowed to have an agreement with Taliban.
US Assistant Defence Secretary further informed the committee members thatPentagon will continue talking to Pakistan for the support and contributionfor bringing peace to Afghanistan. Why should US needs Pakistani air spacefor its counter terrorism attacks in Afghanistan.
The logical question is, should the defeated US and NATO forces be allowedto undertake counter terrorism operation in Afghanistan, after theirpull-out in September 2011. Such an act would aim to target Pakistan indeed.
There is no doubt the Pakistani effort enabled US to have an agreement withTaliban in February 2020 and the on-going US and NATO withdrawal fromAfghanistan is a result of the same agreement, if materialized as per planby September 2021.
Nowhere from the statements of US Assistant Secretary of Defence there ismentioned that Pakistan has provided military bases to US forces nor didthere has been any request from White House or Pentagon for the provisionmilitary bases to US.
Indeed, Pakistan cannot afford to give its military bases to United Statesor any other country.
Providing military bases to any external power will be amounting tocompromise on the national security of Pakistan.
Any such act will be against the national interests of Pakistan. Therefore,Pakistani military establishment and Government of Pakistan will never optfor such a dangerous option.
In its history, Pakistan has suffered repeatedly on account of itsalliances with great powers. The cold war era alliance with US badlyimpaired Pakistani national interests.
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While the leadership of that time continued protecting the US interestsagainst the former Soviet Union, Pakistan lost both at internal andexternal fronts.
Despite being a close ally of Pakistan, United States did not protect orrescue Pakistan in its former eastern wing against Indian conspiracy andmilitary aggression at those critical moments.
Such an alliance system and bad governance ultimately led towardsdisintegration of Pakistan in 1971 where US Administration was instrumentalto all what happened against Pakistani interests.
Later in the decade of 1980s, Pakistani geopolitics was used todisintegrate former Soviet Union.
Whereas US got the status of sole superpower, Pakistan got all ills andevils as the aftermath of the Afghan war.
The weapon culture, the drug culture, ethnicity, factionalism and internalinstability were some of outcomes of the 1980s; once Pakistan unequivocallysupported Washington against Moscow.
Indeed, the dynamics of international power politics are different fromwhat morality warrants.
There is no morality in international power politics; major powers use thesmaller states for their own strategic interests and abandon them at willonce no longer required.
After Salala Attack by the US military, killing 24 Pakistani Army soldierson 26 November 2011, Pakistan blocked logistic support to US and NATOforces in Afghanistan for seven months.
This attack was a clear violation of Pak-US partnership during global waron terror where Pakistan was acting as a “Major non-NATO ally”. Thereafter,Pakistani Parliament unanimously adopted a resolution on April 12, 2012.
This resolution clearly defined terms of engagement with US or any foreignpower on the issues of national security of Pakistan hence cannot beviolated under any circumstances.
In the light of past lessons, Pakistan learnt from its internationalalliance system and global partnerships, it is essential that Pakistan mustpursue an independent foreign policy.
The determinants and objectives of Pakistan’s foreign policy must be basedon its own national interests, rather those of great powers.
The nuclear Pakistan with a very professional military cannot affordpresence of foreign military elements anywhere on its soil.
It is to be noted that nuclear assets of Pakistan and its highlyprofessional defence forces have been the primary targets of internationalforces right from the beginning of 21st century.
— Professor Dr Khan: The writer is Professor of Politics and IR atInternational Islamic University, Islamabad.