Pakistan resists capitulation by Abdus Sattar Ghazali

11 fresh US demands:

1-The US military and auxiliary personnels should be granted a status that is accorded to the technical and administrative staff of the US embassy in Islamabad. Meaning diplomatic immunity.

2-These personnel be allowed to enter and exit Pakistan on mere National Identification (for example a driving license) that is without any visas.

3-Pakistan should accept the legality of all US licenses, including the arms licenses.

4-All these personnel should be allowed to carry arms and wear uniforms as they wish, across the whole of Pakistan.

5-The US criminal jurisdiction be applicable in Pakistan to US nationals. In other words, these personnel would not be subject to Pakistani laws.

6-They should be exempted from all taxes, including indirect taxes like excise duty, etc.

7-They should be allowed inspection-free import and export of all goods and materials.

8-Allow free movement of vehicles, vessels including aircraft, without landing or parking fees.

9-Selected US contractors should also be exempted from tax payments.

10-Free of cost use of telecommunication systems and using all necessary radio spectrum.

11-A waiver of all claims to damage to loss or destruction of others' property, or death to personnel or armed forces or civilians.

The Seven Demands of September 2001 were nothing compared with the 11 new demands given to Pakistan's Defense Ministry this time. What do they mean? Two of the demands are especially galling. The first is that the personnel posted in Pakistan be exempt from Pakistan's laws and instead be covered by the US criminal system. Tied to this is a demand for waiver from any claim to damages for loss of property or death caused by US personnel. This implies that the US troops would not be asked to account for killing Pakistani citizens, whether military or civilian, or destroying their homes, villages or fields. It is not a license to kill in a way?

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As if the US intrusion was already not enough of it, a set of new demands, which according to a contemporary Washington has come up with, portends making of Pakistan virtually a sprawling Wild West and its citizens another Indian aborigines of America.

The only difference is that instead of settlers, cattlemen and ranchers, here it will be the American diplomats, soldiers and private security militias, having a free run of the country, setting shop wherever they liked and the way they liked and poaching on whoever they want and wherever they want, and with a free ride to kill whoever they wish and maim whoever they desire, without any questions being asked and without being held to account at all.

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