Here is news that contradicts reports of Black Water arrival in Islamabad and Pakistan and increase of US Marines in US consulates in Pakistan...
Blackwater not operating in Pakistan: Malik
* Political disputes should be resolved through negotiation
* Kazmi’s staff might have tipped off assailants
LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Blackwater is not operating in Pakistan, we have our own system, rules and regulations and will not allow any body to operate from here, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Thursday.
Talking to a private TV channel, he said the
government would not compromise on the country’s sovereignty and
reports regarding the increase in number of US marines were baseless.
He said the US, China and Turkey had applied for extra land for expanding their embassies in Islamabad, but the US embassy had neither applied for grant of additional visa to more Marines,
nor had Pakistan permitted them to increase the number of Marines in the embassy.
Disputes: Another private channel quoted the minister as saying that political disputes should be resolved within the country through negotiation and “we should not involve other countries in politics”.
Malik said he had not discussed any political matter, such as the trial of former president Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf with the Saudi leadership during his visit to Saudi Arabia. He said a strong democratic system could prevent any dictator from coming into power in the future.
The minister urged political parties to take initiatives for the welfare of the people instead of criticising each other. He said the country needed reconciliation to meet the challenges it faced.
Tip-off: Separately, talking to reporters after visiting Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi in hospital, Malik said he suspected that some members of Kazmi’s personal staff might be involved in Wednesday’s attempt on the minister’s life. He said support to the attackers from an “insider” could not be ruled out.
“In such targeted attacks, the assailants carry out the attack on the basis of information provided by someone close to the target. There is a possibility that an official in the ministry with links to terrorists is involved,” he said.
He said Kazmi’s security guards and several other ministry officials were being interrogated and authorities had rounded up several suspects in connection with the incident.
Malik said two pistols and a Kalashinkov rifle had been recovered from the crime scene.
The interior minister said Kazmi had requested a bullet-proof vehicle following threats to his life, but the government could not fulfill his demand as it only had a limited number of such vehicles. “Only seven or eight ministers have bullet-proof vehicles. I myself travel in a privately hired bullet-proof car,” he said.
However, Malik said, President Asif Ali Zardari had ordered the import of several new bullet-proof vehicles in order to ensure security for important personalities. He said all efforts would be made to apprehend the culprits. tahir niaz/daily times monitor/app
Source:
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
It is important to note that, officially and publicly the Pakistani Government denies cooperation and or allowance of US entities (including Black Water) to operate within Pakistan. However, recent observations and news reports confirm US-military and Black Water activity and presence within Pakistan. Reports note that Black Water personnel were discovered at the PC Hotel in Peshawar (that was recently attacked, June 9th), the PC Hotel in Peshawar is now being converted to a US consulate in Peshawar.
Below are revealing reports of Black Water activity in Peshawar and Pakistan reported by locals.
Excerpt #1
According to Nadeem Sarwar, a reporter of Deutsche Presse-Agentur [DPA] in Peshawar republished by Monster and Critics:
The residents are mainly concerned about Blackwater’s reputation as a ruthless, unbridled private army whose employees face multiple charges of murder, child prostitution and weapons smuggling in Iraq.
‘Sometimes, these guys stand in the streets and behave rudely with the passers-by, sometimes they point guns at people without provocation’ said Imtiaz Gul, an engineer, whose home is a few hundred meters from the US contractor’s base on Chanar Road in University Town.
‘Who rules our streets, the Pakistani government or the Americans? They have created a state within the state,’ he added. Repeated complaints to the authorities have been to no avail since, according to residents.
Blackwater provides security to the employees of Creative Associates International Inc. (CAII), an American company carrying out multi-million-dollar development projects in the country’s Islamic militancy-plagued Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
Excerpt #2
The local populations have sevoderal times lged their complaints against the behaviour of those notorious mercenaries of Blackwater (renamed as Xe). According to IslamOnline.net report:
But residents say that Blackwater agents spur fear and awe, with many of them openly standing guard on the streets and behaving rudely with the locals.
“If they are stuck in a traffic jam, they don’t allow any vehicle to come near them. And if someone mistakenly does that, they shout and point guns at them,” fumed Khan.
Some residents have even filed complaints with the authorities over mistreatment by Blackwater members, but officials turned deaf ears.
“Nothing has so far happened despite several complaints,” Khan lamented. “It seems as if these streets have been sold out to Blackwater.”
http://www.pro-pakistan.com/2009/08...-serving-in-peshawar-pakistan/comment-page-1/
