Status of Shahbaz Air Base

[waraich66]

Airbase near Jacobabad under US control, Senate panel told
By Imran Ali Teepu
Thursday, 19 Aug, 2010
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Helicopters are seen on the deck of USS Peleliu of Expeditionary Strike Group Five in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Karachi. – AFP Photo
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ISLAMABAD: Health relief operations in Jacobabad are not possible because the airbase in the area is controlled by the US.

The stunning statement was made by Health Secretary Khushnood Lashari during an appearance at the Senate Standing Committee on Health on Wednesday.

“Health relief operations are not possible in the flood-affected areas of Jacobabad because the airbase is with the United States,” Mr Lashari said while answering a question asked by Senator Semeen Yusuf Siddiqui of PML-Q.

Dr Jahanzeb Aurakzai, coordinator of the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Centre, said: “Foreign health teams could not start relief operations in remote areas because there are no airstrips close to several areas, including Jacobabad.”

The town has been evacuated and 500,000 to 700,000 people have been affected. People displaced from Jacobabad, Thul, Kandhkot, Kashmore, Ghouspur and Karumpur are camping in Dera Allahyar.

“It is very unfortunate that Americans can launch a drone attack from Shahbaz airbase but the government is helpless even in using the country’s base for relief operations,” Senator Semeen said while talking to this correspondent.

She said the health ministry should have requested the army to ask the US to allow relief operation from the base.

“I don’t know why the health minister failed to report the matter to the quarters concerned, specifically the Pakistan Army.

“The airbase, which I think the government has given on lease to the Americans, should be used to provide immediate health relief to the flood-affected people.”

The committee, headed by Senator Kulsoom Parveen, was briefed by officials on health-related operations in the affected areas.

APP adds: Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman has ordered PAF to form an air bridge of relief supply for Jacobabad which has been cut off from the rest of the country and make operational an airfield near Sibi for immediate supply of relief goods to flood-hit areas in the vicinity.

Presiding over a meeting, he asked the air staff to use all available human and material resources to provide timely relief to the affected people.
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[Patriot]

Why do they need to use airbase near Jacobabad when the Shahbaz Air base, Jacobabad itself is with PAF?Or that air base has gone under water too?.I think senator is making big deal out of it.I am sure Army can easily get control of the base if required and why the Health Ministry has not contacted Pakistan Army or Air Force or Ministry of Defense for assistance.Hopefully Pakistanis won't come up with theories that US is hiding a nuke there.

 

[Solomon2]

.I am sure Army can easily get control of the base if required and why the Health Ministry has not contacted Pakistan Army or Air Force or Ministry of Defense for assistance.

Perhaps you under-rate the good minister. The implication is that the U.S. is using Jacobabad as a secret airbase. The accusation, true or not, strikes me as a clever one. Since these things happen on the basis of quiet cooperation and mutual secrecy, if the minister's accusation is true, the U.S. can't talk about it; if false, the U.S. won't talk about it. The U.S. gets the blame for Pakistani suffering so the failings of the Health Ministry are considered explained because the U.S. won't defend itself. And so the minister gets to keep his job. And all the goodwill effort of the U.S. can be re-conceived as something Pakistan is owed, not a gesture of generosity by the U.S. Pakistanis can once more feel good about hating America, and they have this minister to thank for that. Why should the minister have passed up an obvious opportunity for personal political advantage by contacting the P.A. in a timely manner for assistance at getting the Americans (if any) to depart?

 

[sparklingway]

I'm not certain but aren't the new Block 52's based on Shahbaz? It was no secret that the US used PAF Shahbaz and USAF personnel will be on ground to help with the induction and maintenance of the planes besides training the ground personnel.

Perhaps they meant to say that relief operations are being limited but certainly not hampered in entirety due to US presence.

This is the stuff that right wing trolls feed themselves on.

 

[Patriot]

Shahbaz Air Base itself is in danger of flooding (Read in news yesterday - Water is touching it's boundaries).I think they might have moved F16's to some other air base.

 

[sparklingway]

Perhaps you under-rate the good minister. The implication is that the U.S. is using Jacobabad as a secret airbase. The accusation, true or not, strikes me as a clever one. Since these things happen on the basis of quiet cooperation and mutual secrecy, if the minister's accusation is true, the U.S. can't talk about it; if false, the U.S. won't talk about it. The U.S. gets the blame for Pakistani suffering so the failings of the Health Ministry are considered explained because the U.S. won't defend itself. And so the minister gets to keep his job. And all the goodwill effort of the U.S. can be re-conceived as something Pakistan is owed, not a gesture of generosity by the U.S. Pakistanis can once more feel good about hating America, and they have this minister to thank for that. Why should the minister have passed up an obvious opportunity for personal political advantage by contacting the P.A. in a timely manner for assistance at getting the Americans (if any) to depart?

There was no minister mentioned in the report. The person appearing before the committee was the Secretary Health, a bureaucrat belonging to the CSP.

 

[Donatello]

Shahbaz Air Base itself is in danger of flooding (Read in news yesterday - Water is touching it's boundaries).I think they might have moved F16's to some other air base.

Probably Sargodha as they cannot stop the training of Pilots and Mechanics

 

[Donatello]

Perhaps you under-rate the good minister. The implication is that the U.S. is using Jacobabad as a secret airbase. The accusation, true or not, strikes me as a clever one. Since these things happen on the basis of quiet cooperation and mutual secrecy, if the minister's accusation is true, the U.S. can't talk about it; if false, the U.S. won't talk about it. The U.S. gets the blame for Pakistani suffering so the failings of the Health Ministry are considered explained because the U.S. won't defend itself. And so the minister gets to keep his job. And all the goodwill effort of the U.S. can be re-conceived as something Pakistan is owed, not a gesture of generosity by the U.S. Pakistanis can once more feel good about hating America, and they have this minister to thank for that. Why should the minister have passed up an obvious opportunity for personal political advantage by contacting the P.A. in a timely manner for assistance at getting the Americans (if any) to depart?

It's just a political thing. I am sure PAF would kick out Americans if they wanted it to be. Since 9/11 and war in Afghanistan Americans have been using this airbase. Because it was already build they decided to place the new F-16s there. It cost around 500 million USD...meaning there is a possibility that US financed that.

In any case if the PAF has BLK 52+ positioned there, and those jets belong to PAF then how can the minister say that air base is under USA control?


Screw em, it's all politics.



Believe me, as much as i hate politics in America, try putting America in Hands of Zardari or Nawaz Sharif, and you will be part of the 3rd world in no time.

 

[Abu Basit]

the whole Pakistan is under US control and we talking abt one base

 

[GentlemanObserver]

Bloody halfwit politicians.

 

[your fear]

the whole Pakistan is under US control and we talking abt one base

what are you saying you mean no pak rule there

 

[missiledefence]

dear defence.pk enthusiasts,

apologies for posting a link that starts with non sense, but the video is much informative.

 

[missiledefence]

pakistan is definitely a green zone for CIA and jsoc.there is no doubt about it. well, the problem doesnt lie in being wrong or rite to let americans in. its about why do we hide it anyway.

1.if americans are upto good only then, we should acknowledge it at national level
2. if there are conspiracies, then why a serving LT GEN (shahid) was deprived for entry when he was himself corp commander quetta. (reported geo news and the news paper)

i think its time we clear the ambiguities. if americans have always helped us then we should give their bases legal status like KSA, jordan and turkey.

perhaps there is a string attached to the situation in pakistan. and it is this , that all bases in afghanistan are used for attacking afghanistan. so , we have to justify first if an assault on afghanistan was ever justified. our media, and even ISPR has remained "ask nothing , say nothing" over it.

 

[waraich66]

pakistan is definitely a green zone for CIA and jsoc.there is no doubt about it. well, the problem doesnt lie in being wrong or rite to let americans in. its about why do we hide it anyway.

1.if americans are upto good only then, we should acknowledge it at national level
2. if there are conspiracies, then why a serving LT GEN (shahid) was deprived for entry when he was himself corp commander quetta. (reported geo news and the news paper)

i think its time we clear the ambiguities. if americans have always helped us then we should give their bases legal status like KSA, jordan and turkey.

perhaps there is a string attached to the situation in pakistan. and it is this , that all bases in afghanistan are used for attacking afghanistan. so , we have to justify first if an assault on afghanistan was ever justified. our media, and even ISPR has remained "ask nothing , say nothing" over it.

Satuation is more complex than our assumptions

 

[Patriot]

1..2..3...Another Conspiracy Theory Busted.