*Pakistan ruled out Tuesday the possibility of again providing its militarybases to the United States for future counterterrorism operations inAfghanistan, as US troops prepare to completely leave the country bySeptember 11, VOA reported. *
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi made the remarks toreporters in Islamabad, explaining that his government has adopted a policythat allows it to be “only partners in peace,” and not involved in anyfuture US war.
“No sir, we do not intend to allow boots on the ground and no [US] basesare being transferred to Pakistan,” Qureshi said when asked whether hisgovernment is under pressure to give military bases to the US.
The report said that US President Joe Biden’s administration hasacknowledged it is in talks with several Central Asian neighbors ofAfghanistan to examine where it can reposition troops to prevent thelandlocked country from once again becoming a terrorist base for groupslike al-Qaida.
But US officials have not named Pakistan, nor have they commented on mediaspeculation that the subject of bases might be under bilateraldiscussions.
Qureshi said “we feel” the Taliban’s engagement in the Afghan peace processwould bring and enhance the “international respectability and recognition”that the group required.
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“If they want to be acceptable, if they want delisting to take place, ifthey want recognition then engagement, giving up violence and looking for apolitical solution is in their political interest,” he said.
In the meantime, the US forces in Afghanistan have handed over one facilityto the Afghan National Army and transferred more than 1,800 pieces ofequipment to be destroyed since the American drawdown from the countrybegan May 1, US Central Command said Tuesday, according to a reportpublished by Stars and Stripes.
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