ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s army said yesterday it scrapped talks with US military officials after a military delegation sent to Washington had to go through “unwarranted” airport security checks.
Mistrust exists between Pakistan and the US even though they have been allies for decades.
Security at US airports has been especially stringent since the September 11th, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, with scores of passengers complaining they have been singled out for checks due to their “Middle Eastern” or “Muslim” appearance.
The Pakistani delegation was visiting the US at the invitation of the US military’s central command (Centcom), which oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“The delegation...was subjected to unwarranted security checks at Washington airport by the US Transport Security Agency,” the Pakistani army said in a statement.
The delegation was later cleared and US defence officials expressed regret over the incident. The statement did not give the date of the visit.
“However, as a result of these checks, military authorities in Pakistan decided to cancel the visit and called the delegation back,” the army said.
A US embassy spokesman said talks were under way to possibly reschedule a visit.
Pakistan's Dawnnewspaper said US security officials detained an army brigadier who was part of the eight-member delegation at Dulles International Airport after a passenger complained that he did not feel safe around the delegation.
The newspaper said the brigadier was removed from the flight and detained, along with other members of the delegation after they disembarked, and were later released.
In March a Pakistani parliamentary delegation called off a two-week US trip, sponsored by the State Department, after the lawmakers were tagged for further screening at Washington’s airport as they were en route to New Orleans.
Washington sees Pakistan as a vital ally in the fight against militancy and wants it to crack down on Afghan Taliban militants who cross the border to attack US-led Nato troops fighting in Afghanistan. – (Reuters)