US embassy rubbishes claims of firing range being built in its compound

Says the firing range is being made by govt’s approval in the Diplomatic Enclave

The US Embassy in Islamabad on Thursday rubbished several media reports of a firing range being built inside its compound as ‘baseless and untrue’.

In a statement issued the embassy clarified that “responding to multiple requests from the Government of Pakistan and, with the approval of the Ministry of the Interior and other relevant Pakistani government agencies, agreed to fund the complete refurbishment of an existing firing range for the Islamabad Capital Territory Police”.

"The upgrades to the firing range are intended to make the range safer for the police, as well as the citizens and diplomats who live and work near the range," US mission added.

The statement further added that the firing range is not in the US Embassy compound. It is a Pakistani police facility on the Diplomatic Enclave.

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According to the statement released, the government of Pakistan requested the upgrades, then vetted and approved the project in July of 2018. The US embassy has placed a pre-solicitation notice for the project on its website in order to encourage Pakistani-owned companies to bid on the project.

"The embassy’s spokesperson is available to answer any questions regarding this or other matters involving the US Mission in Pakistan," the statement concluded.

The Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal in his press briefing had also mentioned that the firing range was being made after approval from the government for Islamabad Capital Territory Police.