Legal spanner thrown in US plan: Nation

LAHORE - A petition has been submitted to the Supreme Court seeking to restrain the Americans from getting further 18 acres of land over and above the 38 acres already acquired by them, for expansion of the US Embassy in Islamabad.
The petitioners, Watan Party and Barrister Zafarullah Khan, have also urged the Apex Court to prevent the Americans from hiring as many as 250 offices in Islamabad and that no diplomatic mission may be allowed to get on lease or through sale land more than the requirement of the diplomatic mission. It has also been sought that the Pakistan government be asked to fulfil their responsibility towards providing security to the diplomatic missions as per international law. The petitioners have further urged the court for directing the government that surveillance of all communications and monitoring of all kind of telecommunication services may be stopped forthwith.
The petitioners argue that contrary to the trend, set by the age of communication, of cutting down the staff, America is extraordinarily enhancing the presence of its staff in Islamabad, which may also include 1000 marines with latest equipment, which may be a means to ‘bring us down on our knees’ and to ‘capture our nuclear facility’ so that Pakistan could get the same treatment America meted out to South Korea, Taiwan, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

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Expansion of US embassy challenged in SC : Dawn

LAHORE: The expansion of the US embassy in Islamabad has been challenged in Lahore Registry of the Supreme Court by Barrister Zaffar Ullah.

According to a private TV channel, the petition maintained that the United States acquiring 56 acres of land and converting its embassy into an army cantonment, is against the sovereignty of Pakistan.

The petition stated that the expansion of the embassy over 56 acres of land equals to the area of an airport. It was also maintained that Pakistan's nuclear assets would also be in danger in the presence of a US military base.

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Pakistan to address Chinese concerns over US Marines: Khabrein

ISLAMABAD, Sept 5 (KUNA) -- Pakistan Saturday said that it will address the Chinese concerns over the expansion of the US embassy in the heavily-guarded capital. Talking to reporters in eastern Multan city, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmoud Qureshi said that China is an old and trusted friend. "There is nothing to worry about and we will take steps to address concerns if any," he said while responding to a query about Chinese concerns.

The American embassy had invited Islamabad press and shared the whole plan with them, he said while rejecting that a large number of US Marines will be deployed in Pakistan.

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US 'biggest' threat, say Pakistanis: Al Jazeera

By Owen Fay

A survey commissioned by Al Jazeera in Pakistan has revealed a widespread disenchantment with the United States for interfering with what most people consider internal Pakistani affairs.

The polling was conducted by Gallup Pakistan - a separate organisation affiliated with the US-based Gallup Inc - and more than 2,600 people took part.

Interviews were conducted across the political spectrum, and represented men and women of every economic and ethnic background.

The resentment was made clear when residents were asked if they support or oppose Pakistan's own military offensive against Taliban targets.

Keeping with recent trends a growing number of people, now 41 per cent, support the campaign.

About 24 per cent of people remain opposed, but an additional 22 per cent of Pakistanis remain neutral on the question.

Taliban dialogue

That number changes quite significantly when people were asked if they would support government-sanctioned dialogue with Taliban fighters if it were a viable option.

The same 41 per cent said they would still support the military offensive. But the number of those supporting dialogue leaps up to 43 per cent.

So clearly, Pakistanis are, right now, fairly evenly split on how to deal with the Taliban threat.

However, when asked if they support or oppose the US military's drone attacks against what Washington claims are Taliban and al-Qaeda targets, only nine per cent of respondents reacted favourably.

A massive 67 per cent say they oppose US military operations on Pakistani soil.

"This is a fact that the hatred against the US is growing very quickly, mainly because of these drone attacks," Makhdoom Babar, the editor-in-chief of Pakistan's The Daily Mail newspaper, said.

"Maybe the intelligence channels, the military channels consider it productive, but for the general public it is controversial ... the drone attacks are causing collateral damage," he told Al Jazeera

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Billion Dollar US Embassy in Islamabad and the Threat to Pakistan's Sovereignty: Economistan

It has been reported that the United States has been involved in creating and supporting secessionist movement in Balochistan along with promoting unrest in northern Pakistan by supporting some Taliban elements in Swat. Many news sources have mentioned that the insurgency in Swat has been fermented by the Taliban who are using US and Indian made weapons. Many in Pakistan also doubt whether some of these so called Taliban in Swat are actually Muslims, based on the medical reports by the doctors.

Arab media has also reported in an article titled, “An Arab Country that Saved the Day for Pakistan”, that many of these Western countries were more inclined to give aid directly to Balochistan and NWFP rather than to Pakistan when the so-called “Friends of Pakistan” forum was taking place. The report further added that there was a conspiracy to split Pakistan into two geographic units. The so called “Trust Fund” was going to be initiated for the purpose. However, an Arab country saved Pakistan from such a heinous endeavor from the so called “Friends of Pakistan”. It is no surprise that while Pakistan was engaged in the riskiest of its campaigns to wipe out the Taliban from Swat, the US started its operation in the Helmand province that could have further created more trouble for the Pakistan Armed Forces who were already engaged in the Frontier Province. The US operation in Helmand meant that Pakistan would have to safeguard its border with Afghanistan in Balochistan as well, which would have rendered Pakistani forces thin. Even the American media leaves no stone unturned to create further problems for Pakistan. In the map published by the New York Times, Pakistan’s Balochistan province is shown with a dotted line just like Indian part of Kashmir as if Balochistan was not part of Pakistan as recognized by the international community.

Reports that the US has plans to build a $ 1 billion dollar military cantonment in its embassy in Islamabad comes as a saddening surprise to most in Pakistan. The media has reported that the US has purchased hectares of land for the said purpose and 1000 marines along with their armored vehicles are going to be stationed there. Not to mention all the high tech spy equipment and other gadgetry that goes with it. Such an act by the US would remind a student of history of the East India Company that came to the Subcontinent in the garb of trade and sought permission from the Mughals to create similar like forts and ended up invading India.....

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