Zardari Rejects UAE Request For Change In US Airbase Vacation Call

Islamabad, Nov. 29 – Pakistan Monday rejected a United Arab Emirate (UAE) request to withdraw its call to the United States to vacate a key airbase following NATO attack, which killed 24 soldiers, local media reported. The NATO fighter planes and helicopters had struck two Pakistani border posts in the country’s tribal region Friday night, the action promoted call by the country’s top civilian and military leadership to the U.S. to vacate Shamsi air base in Balochistan province in 15 days. The UAE Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zeyed Al-Nahyan, arrived in Islamabad on an unannounced visit and met President Asif Ali Zardari and requested him to take back its deadline set for the U.S. to leave the air base. The U.S. has been using the air base for years for operation in Afghanistan and drone strikes in tribal regions of Pakistan. “The UAE Foreign Minister requested President Asif Zardari to withdraw call for air base vacation,” TV channels reported. An emergency meeting of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet ( DCC) on Saturday under Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani had taken the decision to ask the U.S. to leave the air field. The DCC had also decided to close with immediate effect the NATO's and the ISAF's logistics supply lines, an official statement said. President Zardari told the UAE foreign Minister that the decision was taken by the DCC and cannot be withdrawn. The UAE Foreign Minister reportedly advised Pakistani President to defer the air base vacation call unless NATO completes investigation into the incident. “Pakistan must show patience,” Pakistani TV channels quoted the UAE Foreign Minister as saying. President Zardari said anger runs across the country over the NATO strikes and his government would prefer national interests. Pakistan Air Chief Air Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman had disclosed in the parliament in May that Shamsi air base is under the use of the UAE. Pakistani media had later reported that the UAE had allowed the U.S. to use the airbase. Meanwhile Pakistan continued its diplomatic efforts to brief Foreign Ministers about the NATO strikes and Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar spoke to Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov and briefed her Russian counterpart on the unprovoked NATO/ISAF attack on Pakistani territory. She also informed the Russian FM about the DCC decisions. She underscored that besides being a gross violation of established international norms, such attacks pose a threat to regional peace and stability as well, the Foreign Ministry said. The Russian Foreign Minister expressed sympathy for the loss of lives and injury, as well as complete understanding of Pakistan’s position, a Foreign Ministry statement said. He underscored that Pakistan and Russia were partners in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and also partners in promoting regional cooperation. He stressed the need of NATO thoroughly investigating the incident./end