LAHORE/ISLAMABAD – The Americans have increased their contacts with local influential figures in South Punjab to establish a network of their secret service operatives there, informed sources have revealed.
The renewed efforts at extension of their clandestine operations through setting up bases of CIA’s cobra operatives in the region where demands for autonomy fuelled by rising sense of deprivation have increased in recent months – come after Pakistan refused permission to the US to establish its consulate in Multan. And now the Americans are using the diplomatic facade to secure niches for their spies and hitmen in and around Multan, following their agenda of weakening Pakistan.
Security sources informed TheNation that a couple of days back a special US delegation comprising Deputy Political Consular Constance Arvis, Branch Chief Critical Factory Analysis Joint IED Defeat Organisation Daniel Perron, Technical Analysis Chief Robert Best and Pakistan Desk In-charge at US Embassy Ms Amy Flohr flew to Multan from Islamabad on a special plane. The delegation went to Pak Arab Fertilisers and inspected the plant, where the plant owner who is also former Multan Nazim, Mr Faisal Mukhtar and his brother Mr Fawwad Mukthar gave them ‘briefings’. The US team did not shared details of their visit with the Foreign Office, as required under the law. They simply intimated that some US officials would visit Multan. Sources informed that as part of their earlier efforts the Americans had purchased one-acre piece of land in Dera Ghazi Khan at a price much higher than the local rates. But they had to wrap up their plan upon the timely intervention of Pakistan’s security agencies. The CIA then advised US diplomats to employ middlemen for the aforesaid purpose. Resultantly the land was purchased in the name of some locals and construction was started when again it came on the radar of security agencies which duly thwarted this new attempt of the CIA too.
“After the CIA’s failure at establishing a private cell in Dera Ghazi Khan, now they wish to run such a cell in Multan. They are also patronising various banned outfits in South Punjab in order to disintegrate Pakistan,” a security source said. To a query regarding the motive behind visit to a fertilisers factory, he said, “Though urea is also used in explosives, the chief reason of the visit is to pave way for the establishment of private cell in Multan.”
Top-level sources in foreign ministry said: “In fact, we have received a lot of secret correspondence by security agencies about the CIA operatives’ involvement in a number of nefarious plots against Pakistan. This is the reason we refused them establishment of new consulates.
The US government had requested the Pakistan to allow them open two new consulates in Quetta and Multan, but the request was refused by the Foreign Ministry. In this regard, a former US Consulate General Brian D Hunt had visited various shrines in Och Sharif and Mutlan and contacted different local influential.
The ministry sources also said that the replacement of foreign minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi with Hina Rabbani Khar was also part of this game. The former foreign minister had refused to forged record in his ministry whereby the CIA man could have been shown as a diplomat to secure immunity for him under the international law. Raymond Davis, the CIA Station Head in Pakistan, committed murder of two innocent Pakistanis in cold blood near Mozang Crossing in Lahore on January 27, 2011.
Presently, the US is running one embassy in Islamabad and three consulates in three provincial capitals, Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore; whereas Pakistan has one embassy and two consulates in America.
Informers said the US also wanted its own security at its diplomatic missions but was refused by the Pakistan. Nevertheless, the Americans have established three check posts near US embassy in Islamabad and all of the security arrangements are made by the US government. – Nation
