Fawad rules out possibility of any US airbase in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of any airbase of the United States in Pakistan as all such facilities were in its (Pakistan’s) own use.

“It is the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), which after coming into the power, ended drone surveillance facility given to the US in the past,” Chaudhry said, while briefing the media about decisions taken in a meeting of the federal cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“All the airbases are in the use of Pakistan. Right now, no negotiations in this regard are under way as Pakistan cannot give any airbase [to any country],” he said, while pointing out the policy statement given by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in the Senate.

As regards the truck attack on a Muslim family in Canada, the minister condemned the terrorist act. “The West, which always blames the Muslims for extremism, should do some soul-searching as a Muslim family was ‘ruthlessly’ martyred there.”

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan, time and again, had drawn the world’s attention towards Islamophobia by raising the issue vociferously at global fora. Unfortunately, Islamophobia had “completely penetrated” Western society, which needed to be rectified through remedial measures on a war-footing, he added.

The minister said the cabinet members offered Fateha for the martyrs of Ghotki’s train accident. The details of the preliminary inquiry being conducted into the incident will be made public. Unfortunately, he said, national institutions like Pakistan Railways were in a shambles due to “illegal appointments, mismanagement and zero-investment” by previous regimes.

It was the PTI government, which launched the mega project of ML-I (Main Line-1) to improve the railway infrastructure, he added.

He held the previous regimes responsible for the tragedy as they had left an “inefficient” railways department behind. Accidents like Ghotki’s were occurring due to their “decade-long sheer negligence”.

Chaudhry said the PML-N government had spent Rs300 billion on the Orange Line Train in Lahore. The Railways would not have faced such a gruesome situation had the PML-N spent that amount on its betterment, he said.

He said both the PML-N and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), during their rule, went on a “corruption spree and plundered the national wealth with impunity”. “They did not let any institution flourish, and ruined them with illegal and political appointments.”

Likewise, he added, both parties “ruined” the Pakistan Steel Mills, Pakistan International Airlines, and other institutions “without any remorse”.

On the contrary, he said the PTI government had so far appointed heads of some 60 organisations “on merit and apolitical basis”, and not a single one had been challenged. All the appointments were made in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan, who fully believes in meritocracy and transparency, he added.

The minister said the cabinet rejected the Pakistan Television Corporation’s (PTV) request for signing an agreement with Indian channels to air cricket matches. However, the government was working on an alternative plan for the purpose.

“Ties with India cannot be improved unless it reverses its August 5, 2019 action,” he maintained while citing the reason behind rejection of the PTV’s request.