US embassy starts construction of new complex: CDA ignored

[Naveed Yaseen]

ISHFAQULLAH SHAWL
ISLAMABAD (August 28 2009): The United States Embassy is said to have started work on construction of its new embassy complex without any formal approval from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) or any other relevant government department or agency, it is learnt. The 18 acres of land where the US embassy has started construction was lying vacant after the demolition of police barracks, well informed sources in the CDA and Interior Ministry told Business Recorder on Thursday.

These barracks were constructed in 1981 when the diplomatic enclave was expanded. The US embassy had raised objections at that time, describing the police barracks as a "threat". In 2006, these barracks were demolished. Sources said the 18 acres of land, coveted by the Americans, and were in use by the police, the Interior Ministry as well as other law-enforcement agencies responsible for security of the diplomatic enclave.

The Americans intend to spend one billion dollars on expansion of their Islamabad embassy, inclusive of 405 million dollars for the reconstruction and refurbishment of the main embassy building located in the Diplomatic Enclave; 111 million dollars for a new complex to accommodate 330 personnel, and 197 million dollars for the construction of 250 housing units, the Interior Ministry sources said.

The sources further revealed that for this purpose, the American embassy wanted to acquire about 18 acres of land for rupees one billion from the CDA, while the CDA had recently, in another transaction near the same location, sold just six acres of land for rupees six billion.

The two most obvious indications of the US expansion programme are the upcoming large-scale staff surge at the Islamabad embassy, which includes hundreds of marines, and the massive expansion work at the embassy premises, sources in the Interior Ministry told this scribe.

The upcoming fortress-like embassy is meant to accommodate close to 1,000 additional personnel being sent to Islamabad as part of the US administration's decision to significantly increase its staff strength in Pakistan.

These numbers would augment the 750-strong American contingent already based in Pakistan against an official sanctioned strength of 350. An official in the Interior Ministry, on condition of anonymity, said that the expansion of the US embassy was under discussion for more than three years.

He said that the US administration was also pressurising Islamabad to allow the import of hundreds of Dyncorp Armoured Personnel Carriers. The CDA sources said that the US embassy applied for expansion aimed at constructing houses and playgrounds, but the matter was still pending approval. However, Interior Minister Rehman, Malik in a statement, said that the US embassy applied for possession of land in the diplomatic enclave and the CDA provided this land to US embassy as per rules.

The US embassy has forced the Federal government to stop construction of a skyscraper Grand Hyatt Hotel, a Rs 25 billion project that was to be located at the end of the Constitution Avenue near the Convention Centre in Islamabad on 13.5 acres of land on the grounds that it would compromise their security.

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