LAHORE: The Pakistan government has blacklisted several US journalists and non-government organizations (NGO) and banned their entry in the country since most of them have been found involved by the ISI in activities which are detrimental to the interests of Pakistan.
The revelation has actually been made by none other than Pakistan’s ambassador to Washiongton Hussain Haqqani, who has written to the (ISI) Inter Services Intelligence chief, warning him that harassing American journalists and NGO workers or denying them Pakistani visas was hurting the country’s image and can have severe consequences. Haqqani’s letter, dated July 28, 2009, reveals that Pakistan has a blacklist of American journalists and NGOs that are critical of Islamabad. The Pakistani ambassador has warned that Pakistan risked hearings in the US Congress and potential restrictions on aid and military sales if US citizens were harassed or intimidated.
The letter, which has now been made public, lists instances where US institutions or journalists were denied Pakistani visas, harassed or put under surveillance. Haqqani has demanded explanations from the ISI chief for these actions and a copy of the blacklisted American groups and organizations. Haqqani’s plea to the intelligence agency comes at a time when there is a quiet occupation of Pakistan taking place by Americans arriving in one form or the other to the country in fulfillment of US strategic plans. There have been reports of over 200 houses being rented by US citizens and groups linked to the US government all over Islamabad. Many of them are easily identifiable because of the barricades surrounding them.
There are also 300 plus ‘military trainers’ setting up shop in Tarbela, whjich is a few kilometers away from Islamabad. There are also media reports that new facilities are being granted to the notorious ‘Blackwater’ – now with a new name, Xe Worldwide – in parts of Sindh, and the rather obvious CIA front, Creative Associates International Inc (CAII) operating not only in Peshawar but also in Islamabad. Ordinary officials at Pakistani airports have also been muttering their concerns over chartered flights flying in Americans whose entry is not recorded – even the flight crews are not checked for visas and so there is now no record-keeping of exactly how many Americans are coming into or going out of Pakistan.
Since these reports first surfaced last month, the chartered flights have stopped and a number of suspected CIA and Xe employees – posing as ‘journalists’, aid workers and employees of certain NGOs – have been denied visas and entry into Pakistan. Existing American consulate personnel and employees of CAII as well as a number of other US citizens have been put under surveillance for suspected involvement in anti-state activity.
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