Recent claims by Shandana Gulzar Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have alleged that Pakistan has offered military bases to the United States in Tirah Valley, and that Washington would shift there if it failed to regain access to Bagram Air Base.
These assertions were attributed vaguely to the “diplomatic corps” without a single named source, document or confirmation. The claims are misleading, factually incorrect and risk inflaming an already sensitive security situation.
The Bagram reality the claim ignores
The United States did not lose Bagram, it vacated it by choice. After nearly two decades of occupation, Washington withdrew from Bagram in July 2021 as part of its exit from Afghanistan.
The base which purpose-built with runways, hardened shelters and intelligence infrastructure was handed over and later came under Taliban control. If the US wanted a physical military foothold in the region, Bagram already exists and remains strategically superior to any alternative.
Suggesting that Washington would abandon the most advanced base it ever built in Afghanistan only to seek a new one across the border defies basic military logic.
US influence after withdrawal and why Tirah makes no sense
Withdrawal did not end US involvement in Afghanistan. Billions of dollars have continued to flow through humanitarian and international mechanisms, a reality documented by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).
Afghan leaders, including Amrullah Saleh have publicly cited reports highlighting regular cash inflows that sustain the post-withdrawal system. This undercuts the idea that Washington needs a base in Pakistan to maintain regional access.
By contrast, Tirah Valley is mountainous, landlocked and close to civilian settlements with no aviation infrastructure or logistical depth. Replacing Bagram with Tirah is not a plan, it is a talking point.
Politicizing Tirah’s migration and deflecting governance failures
Linking Tirah’s temporary migration to an imaginary US base is not just false; it is harmful. Turning a local security and humanitarian issue into a geopolitical conspiracy distracts from relief, rehabilitation and governance.
KP has been governed by PTI for much of the past decade, during which security gaps and administrative weaknesses persisted.
Instead of addressing these realities or mobilizing support for affected residents, parts of the political discourse have focused on fear narratives and national conspiracies. Pakistan’s position remains unchanged and on record: no foreign military bases, no boots on the ground.
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