Army takes partial control of Shamsi base

[Geek]

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Army has taken partial control of Shamsi airbase which was used by the CIA to operate drones, highly placed sources told TheNation on Saturday.
Sources said matter remains between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates which has taken Shamsi facility for hunting of Houbara Bustard in 1992.
Issue of Shamsi remains between Pakistan and the UAE. A dialogue at civil and military level will shortly take place between the two countries, said the sources.
They informed the CIA has shifted drone operations to Nangarhar province of Afghanistan. At this time no US national is present at the Shamsi base located in Kharan near Chaghai where Pakistan had tested its nuclear capability way back in May 1998. Defence Minister Ch Ahmad Mukhtar had said on June 30 that Army would shortly take control of Shamsi airbase.
He stated: Pakistan had leased Shamsi airbase to United Arab Emirates in 1992. In global war against terrorism, the UAE handed over operational control of the base to the US. On May 19, the Parliament was told by a top air force commander that the US was making drone flights from Shamsi which according to an agreement was under UAE control. The comment stunned lawmakers and ordinary citizens - who in the wake of May 2 US raid that killed Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad had been questioning whether their nation was surrendering its sovereignty.
The UAE government had officially denied that its forces were using Shamsi sand strip. Oil rich Arab Shaikhs have occasionally used this facility for hunting between months of January to April.
The Shamsi airfield - mainly a sand strip with no control tower, in a sparsely populated rugged province of Balochistan about 1,000 km southwest of Islamabad - has been used in the past by US troops. Under the original agreement, Musharraf regime had allowed the US forces to use Shamsi as a rescue facility for the American troops mostly lifted from US naval ship to Afghanistan by Chinook helicopters after US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
On record the government of Pakistan at no level allowed the US to use Shamsi for CIA operations.
Later on, years proved the US was not using Shamsi as a mere rescue and relief facility but it had stationed its unmanned predators here.

http://nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-...011/Army-takes-partial-control-of-Shamsi-base

 

[hamza100]

900 chohay kha ker billi hajj ko challi

 

[zeshaan]

Is UAE has the right to lease or rent this shamsi air base to anyone or amreekans.
And who is responsible for this leasing to UAE,and what we/he got in return for PAKISTAN,or the leaser authority(person or Govt official) got any thing in UAE for ownself?

 

[Lodhi]

Jis din Journalists wahan ka visit kar kay aayen ge tab Sarkari Statment per yaqeen aye ga.... Warna inki baton per ab yaqeen karna mushkil he hai.

 

[change]

Issue is not that whether army have taken it back or not? The question is why army handed over this base to americans in the first place? For all army lovers let me tell you some other facts:

- Pakistan not only gave Shamsi air base to US but also provided two Air corridors for US aircrafts. US use to launch air strikes in Afghanistan from pakistani airbases.

- A full time PAF Serving Officer of Flying Lt. rank use to work in US Embassy Islamabad as Liason Officer, whose job was to coordinate between US Air force and PAF. This was an extra ordinary facility being provided to US by PAF.

- It was very much in the knowledge of Pakistan army that drones are being operated from Shamsi air base but Pak-army use to lie to Pakistani Nation and make false statements to condemn drone attacks.

- Its all a drama being staged by Pak-army that Pak-US relations are strained. Fact of the matter is that behind the curtain Pak Army is fully on board with US and still lying to Pakistani nation.

Army thinks that Pakistani nation is fool but army should realise now that we're no more fools nor they can fool us any more. Sooner or later these Ghadar generals will pay the price of their misdeeds.

Pakistan Zindabad

 

[only_truths]

So, can we assume that if there is next drone attack, then it is by Pak Army?

 

[shaheedchoudry]

Toilets and washrooms are in Army's control. If we don't allow americans in toilets. Drones tou aik taraf aur bahut kuch band ho jaye ga.