US cries foul over detention of Consulate vehicle in Pak

“The US mission to Pakistan is concerned about the continued provocative actions and false allegations against US personnel working to implement the new partnership between the leaders of Pakistan and the United States.

The US embassy on Thursday called for immediate action by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,which has responsibility to facilitate proper arrangements under which a foreign mission may operate with full security,” said a statement.

The embassy said the US Consulate General staff detained yesterday were preparing for the upcoming visit of American development assistance staff to one of Pakistan’s most impoverished regions.

“The US embassy emphasises that all US vehicles in Pakistan are appropriately registered with the Pakistani authorities and carry at all times full documentation attesting to their legal status,” the statement said.

The two Consulate employees and their police escort were carrying all the required documents and had met in Turbat with the Police Commissioner as part of their work,it said.

Speaking in Karachi today,US Ambassador Anne Patterson pointed out that the foreign ministry is obliged to provide proper arrangements to address security concerns of foreign diplomats.

She offered assurances that US diplomats and their staff will comply with all Pakistan government procedures but the foreign ministry has “not yet implemented the agreed upon procedures”.

The US mission called Pakistani officials to “implement immediately the mutually agreed upon procedures” for issuing license plates to US vehicles and to “cease these contrived incidents involving” the cars and personnel.

Over the past few months,there have been several instances of US personnel,including diplomats,being stopped by Pakistani security officials in Islamabad and Lahore.

Pakistani police officials have claimed that they were stopped because they were carrying weapons or did not allow their vehicles to be searched.