Pakistani political party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam condemns the presence of American mercenaries in Pakistan, after US Defense Secretary Robert Gates confirmed last month that private security firms were operating in the country.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Chief Maulana Fazal-Ur-Rehman said Monday that approximately 9,000 agents working for the US-based security firm Xe Services LLC (formerly known as Blackwater) are operating in Pakistan.
He said that the number of Blackwater mercenaries exceeds that of Islamabad's police force, which stands at 7,000.
Fazl-Ur-Rehman condemned what he described as foreign aggression in Pakistan, holding Blackwater responsible for Taliban-like terrorist activities in country.
Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik had repeatedly denied the presence of Blackwater in Pakistan. "No such agency named Blackwater is working in Pakistan," the minister said in January.
However, former Pakistani intelligence chief Asad Durani told Press TV in a recent interview that he was able to confirm the involvement of the infamous US security contractor in US drone attacks on northwestern Pakistan.
Imprecise US drone attacks have killed hundreds of civilians in Pakistan's northwestern tribal areas, resulting in a surge in anti-American sentiments.
Following Islamabad's denials, Pakistani lawmakers, from both sides of the political spectrum, urged the government to break its silence and acknowledge the strong evidences pointing to the presence of Xe Services LLC in the country.
The calls came after the US secretary of defense admitted that Xe Services LLC and DynCorp — both American private contractors — have been operating in Pakistan.
By: Brant
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