Did Pak Govt. save US ‘held’ Jacobabad air base at cost of flooding Balochistan?

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan Senate’s Deputy Chairman Mir Jan Mohammed Khan Jamali has claimed that water from the swollen Indus River was directed towards Balochistan’s Jaffarabad, inundating almost 85 percent of the region, in order to keep the Shahbaz Airbase in Jacobabad safe.

The Jacobabad air base is said to be under the US’ command, however the Pakistan Airforce (PAF) has denied such claims.

Though, Jamali did not elaborate his statement, he denounced the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led government for mishandling the disaster.

“The people should compare how Z A Bhutto’s PPP had handled the flood situation in 1976 and how the present PPP rulers are managing it, this would unfold many things,” The Nation quoted Jamali, as saying.

It is worth mentioning here that a couple of days ago Secretary Health Khushnood Lashari had shockingly revealed that the Jacobabad air strip was under US control, so no relief and rescue work could be carried out from it.

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF), however, shot down Lashari’s claims, saying such reports were untrue.

“Certain sections of the print and electronic media have wrongly reported that the PAF Base Shahbaz (Jacobabad) is under the control of the US. This has been spread by uninformed people,” a statement issued by the PAF stated.

The PAF also organised a media tour of the airbase to prove its point.

Interacting with media persons during the hurriedly organised tour, Air Vice Marshal Arshad Quddus of the Southern Air Command asked reporters to see for themselves whether the airbase houses any American drones or aircrafts.

“The Shahbaz Airbase is under complete operational control of the PAF. If you see any American let me know…. seeing is believing… there are no drones and no Americans,” Quddus had said. (ANI)