US airbase in Pakistan 'out of question': govt.

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Tuesday ruled out the possibility of any airbase of the US in Pakistan as all such facilities were under country's own use.

"It is the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) which after coming into the power, ended drone surveillance facility (given to the US in the past)," Fawad said while briefing reporters about the decisions taken in the federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan. "All the airbases are under the use of Pakistan. Right now, no negotiations in this regard are underway as Pakistan cannot give any airbase [to any country]," he said. As regards the truck attack on a Muslim family of Pakistani origin in Canada, the minister condemned the terrorist act. "The West, which always blames the Muslims for extremism, should do some soul-searching as a Muslim family was 'ruthlessly' martyred there." The minister said the details of initial inquiry being conducted into Ghotki train accident would be made public. Unfortunately, he said, the national institutions like Pakistan Railways are in a shambles due to illegal appointments, mismanagement and zero-investment by the previous regimes. He held the previous regimes responsible for the tragedy as they had left an 'inefficient' Railways department behind. The minister urged the opposition to cooperate with the government for carrying out electoral reforms, advising them to refrain from using the Parliament for seeking relief in the corruption cases of their leaders. He said the PTI had emerged as the single federal party of the country while the PPP and...