ISLAMABAD - The United States administration's decision to construct a huge embassy building in Islamabad, which has been described by Pakistani media as a "super embassy" rivaling only the US mission in Baghdad, has hit a serious snag with the filing of a constitutional petition in the Supreme Court challenging the construction of the compound in the federal capital.
The US State Department's plans to build a massive new embassy in Islamabad by adding several adjacent properties to the already sprawling compound with a view to expanding office space and accommodation for 400 to 500 apartments, had already created ripples in establishment circles, amid apprehension that the expansion project is a part of imperial US designs on the region.
The current US mission in Islamabad houses a large military and intelligence contingent as well as diplomats. This site would expand by 18.5 hectares under US$1 billion plans for its buildings to be knocked down and reconstructed. The scale of the project means the site would rival the 42-hectare American Embassy in Baghdad, which when completed in 2009 at a cost of $736 million became the biggest US mission overseas to date.
The Islamabad embassy expansion project would be mirrored by an ambitious upgrade and expansion of the Kabul mission, putting a $2 billion-plus price tag on a revamped diplomatic presence for the US in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
However, a constitutional petition filed this week by Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Inamul Rahim under Article 184(3) and challenging the US plans, has urged the Supreme Court to pass a restraining order to prevent the Americans from proceeding further on their "expansionist imperial agenda".
The petitioner has made the Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman, the federation of Pakistan through the secretaries of Interior, Foreign Affairs and Defense ministries, and the US Embassy Management Consular through the Foreign Affairs Ministry respondents in the case.
A retired officer of the army, Rahim maintains in his plea that the construction of a huge embassy building as well as underground bunkers posed a grave threat to the security and sovereignty of the state.
"The US has already raised the level of its manpower to such an extent as if a mini state is being constructed within the state of Pakistan which should be taken as a serious threat to the security and sovereignty of Pakistan," Describing the US move violates the right of life and liberty of citizens guaranteed the constitution the petitioner has further requested the court to set up a high-level inquiry commission to uncover motives behind the US embassy expansion.
The attempt to block the embassy expansion comes amid seriously strained Pakistan-United States relations.
Islamabad this week defied expectations it would reopen a key North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) supply route to Afghanistan closed last year in the wake of a US helicopter gunship strike that killed 24 Pakistani troops.
A court also sentenced Pakistani doctor Shakil Afridi to 33 years in prison on Wednesday for a "treasonous" role in helping the US Central Intelligence Agency locate and kill al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden last May, angering influential Washington diplomats - including Defense Secretary Leon Panetta - who had called for his release.
Petitioner Rahim has informed the court that the CDA conveyed on January 10, 2012 its approval to the US Embassy for the construction of 16 new buildings with covered area of 1,734,212.23 square feet (161, 113 square meters). These buildings include huge structures and many multi-storey buildings.
Building plans approved by the CDA include basement plus seven-storey new office building; seven-storey new office annex; single-storey guard house; three-storey support annex office; basement plus two-storey residence building; basement plus ground utility building; two basement plus four-storey consular annex building; eight-storey plus Pont house; eight-storey residence building; another eight-storey residence building; four-storey recreation building; two basement plus ground parking building; single-storey guard house; single-storey another guard house; and several other facilities.
A US Embassy spokesman in Islamabad denied that they were constructing a super embassy. He said the embassy was constructing a new building as the existing facility was 30 years old. "And let me make it clear, there are no secret bunkers being constructed in the new embassy building as being reported by the Pakistani media." The spokesman further denied that anything sinister was going on. "We have nothing to hide," he said, adding that it had all been done with the approval of the CDA.
Well-placed officials in the Pakistani security establishment say they have already conveyed their apprehensions over the embassy expansion project to the concerned authorities, seeking a revision of the height of the embassy complex to four storeys instead of seven.
In a letter written to the CDA's chairman, a senior official of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) termed the planned building a "security hazard". Expressing fears that movement and activities in important buildings - including the presidency, the prime minister's house and parliament- could be easily monitored from the rooftop of a seven-storey complex, the ISI officials agency has asked the CDA chairman to explain how it could approve a seven-storey structure in the diplomatic enclave.
After receiving the letter, the CDA was reportedly left in a fix: on one hand, it could not afford to defy the instructions of the ISI, while on the other it had no courage to unilaterally revoke and revise the approved plan of an embassy of a superpower.
However, with the filing of a constitutional petition with the apex court, seeking a restraining order against the US Embassy project, CDA officials may be emboldened to ask US authorities in Islamabad to stop construction of the complex until a further decision has been taken by the court.
Asia Times Online :: Pakistan compounds US tensions
I think the expansion of the embassy is unjustifiable and they do not need it for diplomatic reasons - but for activities unhelpful to our country. Trying to "create a mini state " - incredible
The US State Department's plans to build a massive new embassy in Islamabad by adding several adjacent properties to the already sprawling compound with a view to expanding office space and accommodation for 400 to 500 apartments, had already created ripples in establishment circles, amid apprehension that the expansion project is a part of imperial US designs on the region.
The current US mission in Islamabad houses a large military and intelligence contingent as well as diplomats. This site would expand by 18.5 hectares under US$1 billion plans for its buildings to be knocked down and reconstructed. The scale of the project means the site would rival the 42-hectare American Embassy in Baghdad, which when completed in 2009 at a cost of $736 million became the biggest US mission overseas to date.
The Islamabad embassy expansion project would be mirrored by an ambitious upgrade and expansion of the Kabul mission, putting a $2 billion-plus price tag on a revamped diplomatic presence for the US in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
However, a constitutional petition filed this week by Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Inamul Rahim under Article 184(3) and challenging the US plans, has urged the Supreme Court to pass a restraining order to prevent the Americans from proceeding further on their "expansionist imperial agenda".
The petitioner has made the Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman, the federation of Pakistan through the secretaries of Interior, Foreign Affairs and Defense ministries, and the US Embassy Management Consular through the Foreign Affairs Ministry respondents in the case.
A retired officer of the army, Rahim maintains in his plea that the construction of a huge embassy building as well as underground bunkers posed a grave threat to the security and sovereignty of the state.
"The US has already raised the level of its manpower to such an extent as if a mini state is being constructed within the state of Pakistan which should be taken as a serious threat to the security and sovereignty of Pakistan," Describing the US move violates the right of life and liberty of citizens guaranteed the constitution the petitioner has further requested the court to set up a high-level inquiry commission to uncover motives behind the US embassy expansion.
The attempt to block the embassy expansion comes amid seriously strained Pakistan-United States relations.
Islamabad this week defied expectations it would reopen a key North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) supply route to Afghanistan closed last year in the wake of a US helicopter gunship strike that killed 24 Pakistani troops.
A court also sentenced Pakistani doctor Shakil Afridi to 33 years in prison on Wednesday for a "treasonous" role in helping the US Central Intelligence Agency locate and kill al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden last May, angering influential Washington diplomats - including Defense Secretary Leon Panetta - who had called for his release.
Petitioner Rahim has informed the court that the CDA conveyed on January 10, 2012 its approval to the US Embassy for the construction of 16 new buildings with covered area of 1,734,212.23 square feet (161, 113 square meters). These buildings include huge structures and many multi-storey buildings.
Building plans approved by the CDA include basement plus seven-storey new office building; seven-storey new office annex; single-storey guard house; three-storey support annex office; basement plus two-storey residence building; basement plus ground utility building; two basement plus four-storey consular annex building; eight-storey plus Pont house; eight-storey residence building; another eight-storey residence building; four-storey recreation building; two basement plus ground parking building; single-storey guard house; single-storey another guard house; and several other facilities.
A US Embassy spokesman in Islamabad denied that they were constructing a super embassy. He said the embassy was constructing a new building as the existing facility was 30 years old. "And let me make it clear, there are no secret bunkers being constructed in the new embassy building as being reported by the Pakistani media." The spokesman further denied that anything sinister was going on. "We have nothing to hide," he said, adding that it had all been done with the approval of the CDA.
Well-placed officials in the Pakistani security establishment say they have already conveyed their apprehensions over the embassy expansion project to the concerned authorities, seeking a revision of the height of the embassy complex to four storeys instead of seven.
In a letter written to the CDA's chairman, a senior official of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) termed the planned building a "security hazard". Expressing fears that movement and activities in important buildings - including the presidency, the prime minister's house and parliament- could be easily monitored from the rooftop of a seven-storey complex, the ISI officials agency has asked the CDA chairman to explain how it could approve a seven-storey structure in the diplomatic enclave.
After receiving the letter, the CDA was reportedly left in a fix: on one hand, it could not afford to defy the instructions of the ISI, while on the other it had no courage to unilaterally revoke and revise the approved plan of an embassy of a superpower.
However, with the filing of a constitutional petition with the apex court, seeking a restraining order against the US Embassy project, CDA officials may be emboldened to ask US authorities in Islamabad to stop construction of the complex until a further decision has been taken by the court.
Asia Times Online :: Pakistan compounds US tensions
I think the expansion of the embassy is unjustifiable and they do not need it for diplomatic reasons - but for activities unhelpful to our country. Trying to "create a mini state " - incredible
Not impressed
