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Pakistan Hands Over Karachi Airport To U.S. Forces
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| Pakistani soldiers guarding Karachi airport, now handed over to the US |
By IOL correspondent, Aamir Latif
KARACHI, Jan. 25 (IslamOnline)- Pakistan, under extreme pressure, has agreed to provide Karachi International Airport- the biggest airport in Pakistan - to the U.S. forces to use it as a hub for “army and relief” operation in neighboring Afghanistan, top military sources told IslamOnline Friday.
The U.S. forces, however, are likely to evacuate the southern Jaccobabad and Pasni airports due to what they described as security reasons and inadequate landing and taking off facilities for the huge transport aircraft, the sources added.
Deputy Director General of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Arshad Sethi, confirmed to IslamOnline the handing over of Karachi airport to "allied forces", but termed it as a “commercial activity”.
“No army operation will be carried out from here [Karachi airport],” he said. “We have just allowed the allied forces to use the airport for transportation and other related relief operations in Afghanistan."
"This is a purely commercial agreement and the allied forces will pay us for using our services," Sethi added.
A coalition team comprising some 30 members from different countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany, called on CAA officials in Karachi on Friday to check the facilities available at Karachi airport, Sethi confirmed.
Military sources claim that Pakistani Interior Minister, Moinuddin Haider, has personally informed visiting FBI Director, Robert Mueller, about Pakistan's consent to hand over another airport to U.S. forces.
U.S. forces are currently using Jaccobabad, Pasni, Dalbadin and Gawadar airports for carrying out air strikes on Afghanistan.
The Pakistan International Airline's (PIA) Hotel at Karachi airport has also been closed for common passengers as all the rooms are already booked for U.S. troops, who are expected to arrive here within a few days, PIA sources said.
PIA's General Manager of Services, Captain Haroon, refused to talk to IslamOnline on the subject, saying: “I can't tell you anything in this regard”.
Meanwhile, Haider reiterated there was no chance of Taliban's Supreme Leader Mullah Omar or Osama's bin Laden’s entry into Pakistan.
Talking to the visiting FBI Director, Robert Mueller, he said that round the clock vigilance is being kept on the Pak-Afghan border while automatic border system was also being adopted at all airports, an official handout issued in Karachi said.
“All those foreigners who had tried to enter Pakistan illegally have been arrested and they are being questioned,” Haider told the FBI director. He added that additional check posts have also been established at the Pak-Afghan border, leaving no chance of Osama or Omar's entry into Pakistan.
“Pakistani army troops are also monitoring the border along the other law enforcement agencies,” said the interior minister. He added that the Pakistani government has banned extremist religious outfits in the best interest of the nation. The move, he observed, would help in cleansing the society from extremism.
Haider further handed the Mueller some documents about terrorist activities carried by the Indian intelligence agency (RAW). He also informed the FBI director of the police reforms taken by the government to maintain law and order in the society.
Matters relating to the Pak-U.S. relations and training of the Pakistani Police were also discussed.
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