Pakistan rejects charge of treating US diplomats badly

The Pakistan Foreign Office has dismissed US Secretary of State Mike Pompeos allegation about American diplomats being "treated badly" in Pakistan and noted that no specific complaints had been made by Washington, a media report said on Saturday.

"The Foreign Office has not received any specific complaints from the US side after the establishment of the mechanism to resolve the issue, on the treatment of the US diplomats in Pakistan," Dawn reported quoting FO spokesman on Friday.

Pompeo had on Thursday said, "My officers, our State Department officers, are being treated badly as well, folks working in the embassies and consulates (and) in other places are not being treated well by the Pakistani government either."

Responding to these allegations, the spokesman said that all Pakistan-based foreign diplomats were being extended diplomatic privileges without any discrimination and were being facilitated as per international laws and norms as well as reciprocity.

Pakistan-US relations have been bad since the US President Donald Trump administration in August 2017 announced the new South Asia and Afghanistan strategy, reported Dawn.

The ties further turned sour after the US moved to impose movement restrictions on Pakistani diplomats--a move which was immediately reciprocated by Islamabad.

Pakistan further withdrew several of the special facilities that were being enjoyed by US diplomats and missions under some secret understanding.

--IANS

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