- ISLAMABAD - Pakistan has
allowed very limited corridors of its airspace to US air force for their
military operations, to avoid the flying of the American fighters and other
aircraft over its sensitive locations.
An informed diplomatic source told The News that Washington had lately
sought an extension of these 'limited corridors' offered by Islamabad itself
but the later did not agree to it to avoid giving any chance to the foreign
air force to fly over or near to its unspecified sensitive locations.
Meanwhile, it is also learnt that the US fighters operating from different
directions are also over-flying Iran without formally seeking permission
from Tehran. The details of the airspace corridors are not made public
because of the secrecy maintained for any military operation plan, however,
the government sources assure that the country's airspace that has been
allowed to the US air force is the minimum possible and non-sensitive.
Opening the whole of country's airspace, it is said, is out of question
because of the national interest. It is said that the same is also not
required by the military operation plan prepared by Pentagon to target
Afghanistan. The US fighters and its other aircraft are supposed to fly
within those corridors.
Military spokesman Major General Rashid Qureshi when contacted confirmed
to The News that limited corridors of Pakistani airspace were offered to
the US but he said that the specific of these corridors could not be shared
or made public.
When asked about the US request for an extension in the airspace corridors
offered to the US air force, he said he had no knowledge about it. But
he believed there should not be any such problem and added that the two
sides had very close interaction. He said it was Pakistan which had offered
them the area that they could use.
Without referring to Pasni and Jacobabad airbases that have reportedly
been offered to the US, he said, Pakistan had also allowed them the use
of certain areas for logistic support. He, however, categorically said,
"Even as of today no offensive operation has been launched from Pakistan
by the US air force."
About the US helicopter that had crashed recently on Pakistani soil, he
said the chopper was landing in Pakistani soil. He volunteered to reiterate
the government's position that Pakistan would not deploy its troops for
any offensive operation against Afghanistan. The Foreign Office when contacted
told The News that it did not go into the specifics of the of the US military
operation plan.
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- http://jang.com.pk/thenews/oct2001-daily/31-10-2001/main/main8.htm
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