Washington: A pro-independence Baloch group has condemned Pakistan for "obstructing" US development projects in Balochistan, following the detention of a US Consulate vehicle and employees in a port city.
Members of the American Friends of Balochistan said Islamabad has absolutely no right to violate international norms in the province.
"We take serious notice of Pakistani authorities obstructing the legitimate work of US embassy in Balochistan," two presiding council members of the American Friends of Balochistan, Rashid Baloch and Malik Baloch, said in a statement yesterday.
"The latest incidents should be an eyeopener for Washington that Pakistan is neither a friend nor an ally," they said.
The condemnation followed detention of US embassy officials in the Baloch port town of Gwadar last week.
"Gwadar is the jewel of Balochistan. The Baloch dream that one day their port city will compete with Hong Kong and Singapore, but the Pakistan Navy is eyeing to illegally occupy thousands of acres lands at the priceless port," it said.
The US embassy in Islamabad had said last week that it was concerned about the "continued provocative actions and false allegations" against its personnel working to implement the new partnership between the leaders of Pakistan and the
United States.
According to the US embassy in Islamabad, a US Consulate General vehicle with two Pakistani employees and their Sindh police constable escort were detained on January 6 when travelling in Gwadar.
"The staff was preparing for the upcoming visit of US development assistance staff to one of Pakistan's most impoverished regions," the embassy said.
The American Friends of Balochistan activists alleged that Pakistan was holding the entire world hostage and the recent targeting of seven US officials in Khost showed.
"The killings in Khost were a clear indicator Pakistan military objectives are at odds with the idea of peace and stability in Afghanistan," they said.
They pointed out that the mastermind of the December 30 attack was a former military commando from Kotli in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, named Ilyas Kashmiri, who later switched to the spy agency Inter Services Intelligence.
"US taxpayers have spent nearly a quarter trillion dollars to bring peace in Afghanistan, but the December 30 attack clearly shows Islamabad military generals keenly desire return of Taliban rule in Afghanistan," the two activists said.
PTI
First Published: Monday, January 11, 2010, 13:27