US seeks base in Pak province eyeing Iran

The US is reportedly pushing Pakistan for permission to establish bases in Balochistan for intelligence operations against Iran, despite recent reports that bilateral relations between both countries have worsened yet again over a resolution introduced in the US House of Representatives seeking sovereignty for the fragile province. “Like always, things are not what they look like, and how they unfold … lies at the heart of all (this). The outburst in America for Balochistan is part of an ambition to set up intelligence bases close to the Iranian border,” The Express Tribune quoted a Pakistani official, as saying. Indicating that the Congressional hearing and proposed resolution were playing their part as pressure tactics, an official said: “They (Americans) want to use our soil against Iran, which we can never allow.” Three officials, two from the security agencies and one from diplomatic circles, confirmed that American diplomats and military leaders have been requesting for permission to allow their agents to operate near the Iranian border in Balochistan. The revelation came days after a bill was moved in the House of Representatives, blaming Pakistani security agencies for forceful disappearances and extra-judicial killings in Balochistan and calling for the liberation of the country's largest province. It also follows the visit of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Pakistan for a trilateral summit. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rehman Malik has once again blamed foreign elements for inciting violence in Balochistan and trying to separate it from Pakistan. Malik said Washington needs to give further clarification on a resolution tabled in the US Congress on Balochistan. Talking to media representatives in the capital yesterday, Malik said that situation in the province was much better as compared to the past. A specific group was funding miscreants to kill people in the province, he said.