US must be asked to vacate Shamsi airbase immediately: Hamid Gul

Former Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and defence analyst Lt General (Retd) Hamid Gul said that raid by U.S. Special Forces to kill Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan has left no justification for Pakistan to engage in dialogue with the United States. US must be asked to vacate Shamsi airbase immediately, he demanded, IRNA reported Saturday. Shamsi airbase in Balochistan has been used by the Americans for supplies to ISAF forces in Afghanistan and for launching drone attacks in tribal areas. United States has already rejected Pakistan's demand of vacating the Shamsi Airbase. Hamid Gul demanded the government to adopt an independent policy based on Pakistans national interest. US is interfering with our internal affairs which is strongly condemnable act', he said. Hamid Gul said those Pakistani leaders that had granted permission to U.S. to launch drone operations from Pakistani airbase must be held accountable. He said that the people, instead of confronting each others, need to close their ranks to save Pakistan. Lt Gen (retired) Hameed Gul said Islam as an ideology was the basis of Pakistan which could not be compromised for the sake of western democracy and called for shunning sectarian divisions. He stressed for unity among Muslim Ummah to counter anti-Islam conspiracies.

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