US team approaches G-B police chief for security cover

[Dance]

GILGIT:
The United States embassy in Islamabad directly approached Gilgit-Baltistan’s (G-B) Inspector General Police Hussain Akhtar to provide security for an official US delegation visiting the region on May 30, official sources confirmed to The Express Tribune on Monday.

Surprisingly, the schedule of the three-member delegation including Second Secretary Lisa Arunee Buzenas, Second Secretary Kimberly Gayle Phelan and security assistant Javed Khalid was not communicated to the home department which is responsible for all the security arrangements in case of any visits by foreign delegates.

“We are not aware of a visit planned by any foreign delegation to G-B,” said senior district administration official Usman Ahmed, while talking to The Express Tribune.
Meanwhile, the embassy has also sent names of the individuals and organisations that the delegation intends to meet during its visit.

These include nationalist leaders, academics, government functionaries as well as journalists from the area.

The direct correspondence with the police chief and the notables that the delegation intends to meet has raised concerns in the region, since it comes in the backdrop of the recent Pak-US tensions over the reopening of Nato supplies.

Also, G-B is an important recipient of Chinese aid, which is currently investing billions in various development projects including the rebuilding of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) as well as the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha dam.

“We have communicated the names of individuals which we intend to meet but kept the purpose of the meeting undisclosed in the letter sent to the IGP,” said an embassy official.
The embassy has also sought police protection at the hotel where the three envoys will stay. The US visit comes at a time when the region has just started to heal from sectarian unrest.

US team approaches G-B police chief for security cover – The Express Tribune

 

[muse]

Incredible, absolutely incredible - Pakistanis are forever open to inviting foreigners in to their internal affairs - it's absolutely incredible that a hostile power such as the US is allowed such access.

 

[Dance]

Incredible, absolutely incredible - Pakistanis are forever open to inviting foreigners in to their internal affairs - it's absolutely incredible that a hostile power such as the US is allowed such access.

Yeah I was wondering the same thing.

Why is the government even allowing them to go to GB?

 

[Areesh]

These include nationalist leaders, academics, government functionaries as well as journalists from the area.

And why do they want to meet nationalist leaders?

This govt is totally pathetic.

 

[muse]

And why do they want to meet nationalist leaders?

This govt is totally pathetic.

Isn't it curious that in Pakistan, "nationalist" never means nationalism of Pakistan -

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

the Americans know the proper protocol and it should be expected that they will follow it....

especially during these critical times when they are talking about easing tensions with Islamabad (but doing little to show for it)

 

[AbhimanyuShrivastav]

The US really takes Pakistan just too much for granted.. Almost saying as if G&B is not a part of Pakistan at all...

 

[Abu Zolfiqar]

The US really takes Pakistan just too much for granted.. Almost saying as if G&B is not a part of Pakistan at all...

it may seem that way, but let them learn the hard way then.....people in that region are particularly nationalistic towards Pakistan

so if this is what the Americans have calculated, then i can see why they constantly are losing wars and influence in different parts of the world because whoever is advising them is misguided totally


as for the nature of the proposed meeting -- i'd imagine our increasing coopertion with China in the region would figure in the talks......and given that Chinese are investing in Karakorum highway links (an issue of contention for the Americans), US is desperate to maintain any relevance and/or ways to offset it.

incidentally, because of new protocol diplomats in Pakistan have to seek approval before visiting any cities outside of Lahore/Islamabad/Karachi. So unless they plan to send a few rank & files in the trunk of some Corolla, they will most certainly be going through Pakistan - since the Azad J & K government does report to the Federal Government as per the setup.