Pakistan govt. urged to explain Blackwater presence

Sat, 23 Jan 2010

Pakistani lawmakers say the government must come clean about the presence of the notorious American security firm Blackwater (now known as Xe Services LLC) in the country.

The lawmakers, both pro-government and opposition parties, during a heated debate on Friday, urged Islamabad to break its silence and own up as there are strong evidences of the presence of Xe Services LLC in Pakistan.

The call came after US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates admitted that Xe Services and DynCorp have been operating in Pakistan.

The lawmakers demanded that the issue should be brought to the parliament and solved as soon as possible, so that the facts could be shared with the Pakistani people, a Press TV correspondent reported late Friday.

Responding to the questions, State Minister for Interior Tasneem Qureshi as well as federal Minister for Information Qamar Zaman Kiara said they were unaware that Gates had confirmed that Xe Services LLC and DynCorp have been operating in Pakistan.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Sharif Senator Zafar Ali Shah, citing Gates' confirmation on Thursday, demanded Interior Minister Rehman Malik step down over the issue.

Malik had earlier stated that he would tender his resignation if anyone proved Blackwater's presence in the country.

Source: PressTV.
Link: http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=116819§ionid=351020401.