Pakistan's security agencies and the Foreign
Ministry have opposed opening of American consulate to be set up in
southwestern Balochistan province over security concerns, reported
local Urdu TV channel Dawn on Friday.
According to the report, U.S. ambassador in Islamabad Cameron Munter
is making efforts for the opening of the consulate in Balochistan.
Munter visited Quetta, the provincial capital on Thursday, and said Balochistan is very important to the United States.
The U.S. has long been anxious to open consulate in Balochistan,
which borders Afghanistan and Iran, but the move has been opposed by
Pakistani security agencies and the Foreign Ministry.
The Foreign Ministry has sent its report to the Interior Ministry
over reservations and concerns about the U.S. consulate, said Dawn,
adding that the security agencies are also not giving the required
clearance despite fresh moves by the incumbent U.S. ambassador.
The U.S. had made a request to the Pakistani government to open
consulate in Balochistan, arguing that it would oversee development
projects in the province.
American media has reported on several occasions that the proposed
consulate was likely to have a sizable CIA presence. Apart from
espionage worries, the security agencies had also expressed security
concerns about the presence of an American diplomatic facility in
Balochistan.
Last year, the Pakistani law enforcement agencies had arrested two
Pakistani employees of the U.S. consulate general in Karachi while
traveling in the port city of Gwader in Balochistan.
The fresh move came just few days after Pakistan imposed travel
restrictions over the movement of American diplomats and they are
required special permissions to go to other cities.
Two groups of U.S. diplomats were recently sent back from the
outside of northwestern city of Peshawar, who had no permission to
enter the area.
The U.S. State Department said that negotiations are taking place with Pakistan to resolve the issue.
Pakistan insists that there are no special curbs on the U.S.
diplomats, but all diplomats have been given guidelines because of
their security. Xinhua
