Senate body demands retaking of Shamsi airbase

The United States has held back $500 million, out of $800 million counter-insurgency aid to Pakistan, as reaction to reduction in number of US trainers in the country, said Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar, and expressed hope that the US would soon release the remaining $300 million under Coalition Support Fund (CSF) to Pakistan.
She stated this while briefing an in-camera session of Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs regarding Pakistan's political and diplomatic engagements with the other countries, which met here at the Parliament House with its chairman Salim Saifullah Khan. The panel was briefed by the Minister, Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and other officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Later, briefing reporters, the chairman of the panel said that Minister for Foreign Affairs told the committee that US had held back $500 million, out of $800 million in aid to Pakistan in reaction to sending its military trainers back home. However, she expressed hope that the US would soon release $300 million under CSF to Pakistan.
Earlier, in the week it appeared in the foreign media that the suspended aid includes about $300 million to be reimbursed to Pakistan for some of the costs of deploying more than 100,000 soldiers along the Afghan border. Hina said that the panel directed the government to immediately retake control of Shamsi Airbase from the US. Shamsi Airbase is said to be used by the US for drone operations inside Pakistan tribal areas which was initially given to it for logistic purposes in the war on terror. "The US is not supposed to do everything it wants by using Shamsi Airbase", said the chairman of the Senate panel. Sources said that the committee asked the government to ensure immediate suspension of all operations from Shamsi airbase.
Referring to the issuance of visas to US military trainers, Khan said that the committee had questioned why a large number of American military trainers had been issued Pakistani visas, and also directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to hold an inquiry into the matter and name the person responsible for approving such a large number of visas.
The committee also suggested that the mandate of issuance of visas should be taken from Defence Ministry and be given to Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure a transparent mechanism protecting Pakistan's national interests. Sources said that the committee members expressed serious apprehensions over issuance of visas to US military trainers in large number.
Sources further said that the panel demanded of the government to resist US policies that violate Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity particularly unilateral actions on Pakistan's territory as well as the drone strikes. However, it emphasised on the importance of maintaining good relations with the US which should be on mutual respect and mutual interest.
The panel was also briefed by officials of the Foreign Affairs Ministry over resumption of Pak-India talks and said that the dialogue was heading in the right direction. About the upcoming Pak-India Foreign Ministerial level talks, Hina told the committee that the dialogue would be held as per schedule in New Delhi in last week of this month despite the recent Mumbai blasts. She further said that Pakistan wants constructive dialogue with India on all outstanding issues.
Earlier, the panel adopted a resolution affirming the importance that Pakistan attaches to an independent foreign policy in accordance with its national priorities and interests in conformity with the aspirations of the people of Pakistan as expressed in the relevant resolutions passed by the parliament. The committee members stated that it should be ensured that no compromise has been made on the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the country.
The committee also asked the government to implement recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and the resolution unanimously adopted by the joint sitting of the parliament held on May 13 this year.
The Senate panel expressed satisfaction over the ongoing efforts of Pakistan to improve relations with Afghanistan and suggested that efforts should continue to promote strategic co-operative partnership with China and underscored the importance of building mutually beneficial and enduring bonds of partnership with all other members of the international community especially with close neighbours like Iran, the Gulf Co-operation Council member states, Russia and Central Asian Republics.