 |
| |
WEEKLY
SECTIONS |
|
 |
 |
|
| US seeks direct access to NCA |
|
|
|
|
|
Monday, April 14, 2008
By Mariana Baabar
ISLAMABAD: The US State Department has sent a proposal to Pakistan that it would like to place a permanent official at the US Embassy in Islamabad to deal with Pakistan's nuclear issues, and that this official would have direct access to the National Command Authority (NCA) Secretariat.
This request comes after a set of 11 demands earlier sent by the US to Islamabad were politely refused by the relevant ministries. All these requests wanted American citizens sent by the US government to be treated above Pakistan’s national law.
The latest US request was made public on April 9, but there was no reaction either from the home government or the US Embassy in Islamabad. In an opinion piece in The News, Dr Shireen M Mazari, DG Institute of Strategic Studies, has said that this latest move by the US was perhaps the most dangerous effort at intruding into Pakistan's sensitive areas in the ongoing effort to gain direct access to nuclear-strategic matters.
Interestingly, this US request comes at a time when senior US officials who recently visited Pakistan had expressed satisfaction over safety and security of Pakistan's nuclear assets. So why did the US make this request, verbally, this time just as Pakistan completed its general election exercise?
When contacted for comments, the spokesperson at the US Embassy, Elizabeth Carlton did not outright reject this US proposal but told The News: "We are in touch with all elements of the Pakistan government all the time. But we do not publish or discuss details of our diplomatic discussions and assignments."
According to Mazari, this proposal was put through verbal contact via an assistant secretary level official of the section concerned. "This proposal, again, was not routed through either Foreign or Defence Ministries but a direct approach was made to the NCA. Apparently, so far Pakistan has not given any response but it would be quite appropriate to be concerned about such a US move, especially since transparency is not available at our end on such issues," says Mazari.
Lt Gen (retd) Talat Masood, a defence analyst, told The News: "This is outright interference in Pakistan's affairs. On what basis does the US want direct access to the NCA? Does the US have any particular fears or apprehensions? The US laws do not allow any transfer of nuclear technology or assets to Pakistan, so why should there be any such officer in the US embassy in Islamabad? There would be very grave implications if such a proposal is given serious thought by our government."
Talat Masood says that at present the US and India are involved in a nuclear energy deal but the US would not dare to demand direct access to India's nuclear command authority as they are hoping in the case of the NCA.
|
|
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| Back
| Send
this story to Friend | Print
Version |
|
|
Destroy militant hideouts in Pakistan: Karzai
KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday urged his Western allies to destroy Islamist militant sanctuaries in neighbouring Pakistan after thousands of secret US files were leaked.
“The time has come more |
|
|
199 die in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa rains, floods
By Nisar Mahmood
PESHAWAR: The death toll from torrential rain and floods in various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the last two days reached 199 as dozens more casualties were reported on Thursday.
The heavy showers more |
|
|
Severe rains threaten three provinces, warnings issued
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Flood Commission and the Met office have warned the authorities that the next 24 hours are critical and if the ongoing spell of rains continues, innumerable villages in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa more |
|
|
Possible factors that brought Airblue plane down
By Shakil Shaikh
ISLAMABAD: A probe into the horrifying crash of Airblue’s Airbus into the Margalla hills, which killed all 152 persons on board, has been started to find out all possible factors that contributed to the disastr more |
|
|
Plane crash probe will be transparent: Malik
ISLAMABAD: Federal minister for Interior Rehman Malik on Thursday confirmed that 66 bodies had been handed over to their heirs after their identification through DNA.
Talking to media here he said the Bl more |
|
|
|
Parliamentary body has primacy over judicial commission: CJ
Wonders if Murree, Changa Manga would also be staged in judges appointment; advises against humiliating judiciary; says PM made powerless in judges appointment
By Sohail Khan
ISLAMABAD: Chief Just more |
|
|
|
HEC not satisfied with Sindh University verification process
By Usman Manzoor
ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission has formally conveyed to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Education that it was not satisfied with the verification process adopted by the University of S more |
|
|
|
Wants dictators punished
DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has reinstated a ban on Islamic political parties in the latest blow to religious hardliners in the impoverished South Asian country, a minister said Thursday.
In a deta more |
|
|
|
ECP, HEC in row over focal person
By Saadia Khalid
ISLAMABAD: The appointment of a focal person in the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has raised yet another controversy as the HEC officials say they have not received any notification as yet while the ECP cla more |
|
|
|
ECP finds itself in a limbo, no matter what the HEC does
By Tariq Butt
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is unable to proceed against the fake degree holders unless it is duly constituted with the induction of four retired high court judges as its members.
Ch more |
|
|
|
Indian PM says hopeful of restoring Pakistan talks
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Thursday he was hopeful of restoring talks “sooner or later” to improve ties with Pakistan after their last meeting ended in acrimony over the 2008 Mumbai more |
|
|
|
Crackdown forced Afghan militants to leave Pakistan: FM
By Tahir Hasan Khan
KARACHI: Rejecting the Afghan President Hamid Karzaiís comments, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that most of the Afghan war stalwarts had left Pakistan for other places due to crackdown more |
|
|
|
Zardari fares poorly, Kayani more popular: poll
WASHINGTON: Only one in five Pakistanis view their president, Asif Ali Zardari, favourably while the country’s army chief gets a more positive rating, according to a new opinion poll released Thursday.
more |
|
|
|
Miliband, others blast Cameron for anti-Pakistan remarks
By Murtaza Ali Shah
LONDON: Former British Foreign Secretary Labour leadership hopeful David Miliband became the highest profile British politician to condemn Prime Minister David Cameron, accusing him of being a “loudmouth” over more |
|
|
|
Pakistan terms British PM’s remarks shocking
By Mariana Baabar
ISLAMABAD: In a ‘muted’ reaction Pakistan Thursday said the remarks made by British Prime Minister David Cameron were ‘surprising’ and ‘saddening’.
Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the more |
|
|
|
Zardari, Gilani discuss air crash, other issues
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari directed the government to make the inquiry report of tragic incident of air crash at Margalla hills public so that the people know as to what really led to the tragic inci more |
|
|
|
Pakistan urged to tackle terrorists
NEW DELHI: Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister, and British Prime Minister David Cameron have called on Pakistan to tackle terrorist groups operating from its territory.
“No one is in any doubt, le more |
|
|
|
PML-Q senator seeks ruling against fake degree holders
By Muhammad Anis
ISLAMABAD: A PML-Q senator on Thursday sought a ruling from the Senate chairman against those holding bogus educational documents. Senator Jamal Leghari, raising a point of order, said a ruling should come from more |
|
|
|
briefs...
Attique sworn in as AJK PM
By Syed Abid Hussain Shah
MIRPUR (AJK): All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference chief Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan was Thursday sworn in as the Prime Minister of Azad Jamm more |
|
|
|
ISSN 1563-9479 
ShareThis