Pakistan refutes report of talks with US on use of its airspace

Pakistan has refuted a report which claimed that it is in talks with the Biden administration for use of Pakistan's airspace by the US to carry out military operations in Afghanistan, reported local media.

Responding to media queries regarding the latest news report "alluding to the formalisation of an agreement for the use of Pakistan's airspace by the US to coduct military and intelligence operations in Afghanistan", spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said, "no such understanding was in place", according to ARY News.

Rejecting the news report, Ahmad also emphasised Washington and Islamabad have longstanding cooperation on regional security and counter-terrorism and the two sides remain engaged in regular consultations.

Earlier, on Friday CNN reported citing three sources that the US administration informed lawmakers that the country is nearing a formalise agreement with Pakistan for use of its airspace to conduct military and intelligence operations in Afghanistan.

Islamabad expressed a desire to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in exchange for assistance with its own counterterrorism efforts, CNN quoted one of the sources as saying.

(ANI)