US Consul General, Stephen G. Fakan purchases dates from a roadside vendor during his visit to Quetta. Fakan said the main objective of his visit was to strengthen relations and acquaint himself with problems of the province. –Photo by APP QUETTA: The Karachi-based US Consul General, Stephen G. Fakan, said here on Wednesday that it would be unrealistic to say that there were no Taliban in Balochistan.
By Saleem Shahid‘Even some government ministers have said that Taliban leaders travel to Karachi and Islamabad from Quetta,’ he said at a news conference.
Mr Fakan said the United States did not want the Taliban and other extremists to gain a foothold in Balochistan like they did in tribal areas.
He praised Pakistan army’s efforts to flush out militants from the troubled region. ‘Taliban’s is the biggest problem for Pakistan. We are concerned that if they are ousted from the tribal belt they may come to Balochistan.’
The diplomat said his country believed that the Taliban were trying to establish a strong base in Balochistan after having been defeated by the army in Swat and other areas.
He said that extremists were operating from their stronghold in Fata and this was a serious concern for the US. ‘Extremism is a threat and it should not be allowed in any part of the world.’
Answering a question about attacks on Nato tankers in Balochistan, Mr Fakan said the government of Pakistan was making all possible efforts to stop attacks and Frontier Corps and other forces were guarding Nato supplies.
‘The attack on Nato tankers is an attack on socio-economic fabric of society because many people’s jobs are linked to them,’ he said.
He said it was difficult to pinpoint the exact location of the ‘Quetta Shura’ because it took a long time to trace an individual. ‘Most of the Taliban came here when they were forced out of Afghanistan.’
About the Kerry-Lugar bill, he said the US and Pakistan had committed to a long-term partnership through the bill which would make Pakistan a developed and prosperous country.
Mr Fakan said the funding envisaged in the bill would play an important role in development and prosperity of Pakistan and its people.
In reply to a question about the US security agency Blackwater, he said that both the US and Pakistani governments had ‘outrightly’ rejected claims about its presence in the country.
He also said that no US consulate was being set up in Quetta.
Mr Fakan said the main objective of his visit to Balochistan was to strengthen relations and acquaint himself with problems of the province.
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