sted on 05 August 2011.
The US wants to open a consulate in Quetta. This doesn’t make any
sense. The US Congress is deliberating US to Pakistan and cuts are
imminent. Why would America open a Consulate in the middle of no where?
The answer is quite simple–to keep an aye on Iran and to try to
instigate trouble in the province. According to press reports the
consulate in Quetta was likely to have a sizable CIA presence. In 2010 a
US spy was arrest by Pakistani law enforcement agencies while traveling
in the port city of Gwader in Balochistan.
Apart from espionage worries, the security agencies had also expressed security concerns about the presence of an American diplomatic facility in Balochistan. Pakistan’s security agencies (ISI, CID, etc) and the Pakistani Foreign Ministry have opposed opening of American consulate in Quetta. 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.
It has taken this long for the security agencies to wake up from their slumber and recognize this as a national security threat. What were they doing in the past decade with Washington was trying to buy land to set up a huge consulate there. The American Ambassador in Islamabad Cameron Munter is pushing for the additional Consulate in Balochistan. Munter visited Quetta, and made the ominous statement “Balochistan is very important to the United States”. What does that mean and why would he say it?
Puerto Rico is very important for Pakistan! Why doesn’t Haqqani say that?
America been anxious to open consulate in Balochistan for a while. The province borders Afghanistan and Iran, but the move has been opposed by Pakistani security agencies and the Foreign Ministry. 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. Since aid is being reduced why would Islamabad allow a consulate in Balochistan.
'No' to US Consultate in Quetta. Image via Wikipedia
Apart from espionage worries, the security agencies had also expressed security concerns about the presence of an American diplomatic facility in Balochistan. Pakistan’s security agencies (ISI, CID, etc) and the Pakistani Foreign Ministry have opposed opening of American consulate in Quetta. 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.
It has taken this long for the security agencies to wake up from their slumber and recognize this as a national security threat. What were they doing in the past decade with Washington was trying to buy land to set up a huge consulate there. The American Ambassador in Islamabad Cameron Munter is pushing for the additional Consulate in Balochistan. Munter visited Quetta, and made the ominous statement “Balochistan is very important to the United States”. What does that mean and why would he say it?
Puerto Rico is very important for Pakistan! Why doesn’t Haqqani say that?
America been anxious to open consulate in Balochistan for a while. The province borders Afghanistan and Iran, but the move has been opposed by Pakistani security agencies and the Foreign Ministry. 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. Since aid is being reduced why would Islamabad allow a consulate in Balochistan.
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