The Biden administration has said that it is close to a formal agreement with Pakistan over using its airspace to conduct military and intelligence operations in Afghanistan.
Quoting various sources CNN said in a report that “Pakistan has expressed a desire to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in exchange for assistance with its own counterterrorism efforts and help in managing the relationship with India,” CNN reported, quoting one source. “But the negotiations are ongoing, another source said, and the terms of the agreement, which has not been finalized, could still change.”
The report says that the Biden administration has told lawmakers in a classified briefing about the agreement. Islamabad, in exchange, wants assistance with its own counterterrorism efforts and help in managing the relationship with India, said a source.
The development comes as the Biden administration is still trying to ensure that it can carry out counterterrorism operations against ISIS-K and other opponents in Afghanistan now that there is no longer a US presence on the ground for the first time in two decades after the NATO withdrawal from the country.
Currently, the US has been using Pakistan's airspace to reach Afghanistan for ongoing intelligence-gathering efforts. But so far there's no formal agreement in place that can ensure continued access to a critical piece of airspace necessary for the US to reach Afghanistan.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has repeatedly said he would not allow the US to use its airspace to access for future counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan and also would not allow drone attacks inside Pakistan. The US, without any formal agreement in place, runs the risk of Pakistan refusing entry to its military aircraft and drones en route to Afghanistan.
Citing another source the CNN report says that this agreement was discussed when the US officials visited Pakistan, but “it was not yet clear what Pakistan wanted or how much the US would be willing to give in return”.
The sticking points from the US side, however, remain, a wariness about trusting Pakistan, and a desire for Islamabad to put pressure on the Taliban. Pakistan argues the requests to “do more” from the US side are never-ending. President Joe Biden still hasn’t called Prime Minister Khan. But US -Pakistan engagement continues, mainly in Afghanistan.
Since the withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan, Central Intelligence Agency Director William Burns and the US deputy undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman had visited Pakistan. On September 23, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken spoke with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and thanked him for Pakistan’s help in Afghanistan.
Given Pakistan’s support for the Taliban, Blinken’s comments on Afghanistan were surprising.
There have been no reactions from the Pakistani government and the Taliban regime. Though the Taliban have warned the US to stop operating drones in Afghan airspace.
“All countries are the sole owners of the territorial and air sovereignty of their states under international law. Therefore, the Islamic Emirate, as the sole legal entity of Afghanistan, is the guardian of Afghanistan’s land and airspace,” said the Taliban statement.
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