Pakistan limits movement of US diplomats in tit-for-tat move

Islamabad also withdraws number of facilities being enjoyed by mission officials

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Friday imposed tit-for-tat restrictions on the US diplomats in the country in the latest sign of fast deteriorating ties between the two ostensible allies.

The decision to impose new travel regime on US diplomats was taken in response to the move by Washington to restrict the movement of Pakistani diplomats in Washington.

Last month, the State Department announced that Pakistani diplomats would only be allowed to move around within the 40 kilometer radius in Washington. They need to seek prior permission if they intend to travel beyond the prescribed limit.

Those restrictions formally took effect on Friday, prompting Pakistan to slap a similar regime.

On April 27, the Foreign Office through a letter informed the US embassy in Islamabad that “in case the travel permission regime for Pakistani diplomats/officials is implemented, Pakistan would be obliged to take reciprocal actions wef from 11 May”.

The letter, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, shows that new protocols include “treating the US diplomatic cargo at Pakistani airports and ports strictly in accordance with the provisions of Article 27 of the Vienna Conventions on diplomatic relations (which does not provide for an exemption from scanning.)”



Pakistan would also strictly follow rules governing the interaction between Pakistani government officials and diplomats.

Islamabad also decided to withdraw a number of facilities being enjoyed by the US diplomats earlier. Those include use of tinted glasses on official vehicles and rented transport, use of diplomatic number plates on unspecified/rented vehicles, use of biometrically unverified/unregistered cell phone SIMs, hiring or shifting of rented properties without prior NOC, installing radio communication at residences and safe houses without prior NOC and overshooting visa validity periods and having multiple passports.

US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Shannon said in April that “reciprocal’ travel restrictions will be imposed on Pakistani diplomats in the US”.

Shannon said: “Our diplomats are under travel restrictions. They can travel further [than 40 kilometres], but they have to notify the government of Pakistan. It’s very common in diplomacy”.

When contacted, the US embassy declined to comment on the nature of restrictions saying, “We are not prepared to announce anything on this matter”.



“What’s important here is that we’ve had some very fruitful conversations with Pakistan about events inside of Afghanistan. It’s my hope that we’re going to be able to build off those in a way that helps this broader reconciliation process,” said the US diplomat when probed further.

The development came when tension between Pakistan and the US have already been high. Despite efforts to break the deadlock through talks, the two countries have yet to find a common ground on some of the contentious issues -- including the Afghan endgame.

Relationship between the two countries have deteriorated to the extent that recently US blocked a Pakistani move to place Umar Khalid Khorasani, a known terrorist, on the UN Security Council sanction committee watchlist.

The move invited strong reaction from Pakistan, which said the failure of the UN to sanction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar chief showed double standards in fighting the terrorism.