ISLAMABAD – Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari has said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government led by former president Asif Ali Zardari shut down NATO supply routes in 2011 and ensured that no American military bases operate in Pakistan today.
In a post on X, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari stated that her father “shut down NATO supply routes in 2011” and was the reason — alongside Parliament — that “there are no American bases in Pakistan today.” She added that decisions at the time were taken democratically through parliamentary processes.
Her remarks came in response to an online discussion about Pakistan’s foreign policy and past security arrangements with the United States.
Background: NATO supply routes closure in 2011
Pakistan blocked NATO supply routes in November 2011 following a cross-border incident in Salala that resulted in the deaths of Pakistani soldiers. The routes, used to transport supplies to NATO forces in Afghanistan, remained closed for several months before being reopened in 2012 after diplomatic negotiations between Islamabad and Washington.
At the time, the PPP-led government maintained that the closure reflected national sentiment and parliamentary recommendations on revising terms of engagement with the United States.
Pakistan has repeatedly stated in recent years that no US military bases are currently operating on its soil. Successive governments have publicly denied reports suggesting the presence of foreign bases after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Criticism of PTI
In her X post, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari also criticised the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), alleging that the party does not prioritise national interests in matters related to conflicts involving India, Afghanistan or the Taliban.
The PTI has not immediately issued a formal response to her remarks.
The exchange reflects continuing political debate in Pakistan over foreign policy decisions taken during key periods, including the war in Afghanistan and the country’s relations with the United States.
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