 Is the US expansion plan in Pakistan aimed at deepening its presence in the country? How does Pakistan seek to protect its sovereignty? No other country is a source of so many conspiracy theories in Pakistan as the United States. There is a long history of perceiving America as pursuing an imperial agenda not only in Pakistan but also in many other developing countries. Analysts are cognizant of the perceived US ‘imperial designs’ and think that this is a step for deepening the American foothold by not only seeking a massive expansion of their diplomatic presence in Pakistan but also by buying hundreds of houses to accommodate what the ‘alarmists’ allege as the US marines. How far such notions are true or otherwise would require some in depth analysis of the entire gamut of the American policy in Pakistan and the possible measures taken by Washington to deal with the ‘threatening’ situation in Afghanistan.
The US ambassador in Islamabad, Anne Patterson while talking to the media, categorically rebuffed assumptions and fears expressed by different sectors about the expansion of US diplomatic mission in Islamabad. She made it clear that “from $112.5 million allocated, $5 million was for Marine quarters, $53.5 million for housing infrastructure, $18 million for improvement of general services office area and $36 million for temporary duty quarters and community support facilities.” She added “the duties of Marines would be to guard the embassy building and classified material inside and there were not any sinister designs about which fears were being expressed by certain quarters.” Yet, the explanations given by the US Ambassador about the proposed expansion of the American embassy and consulates in other cities of Pakistan couldn’t satisfy those who continue their allegations on two other ‘grave’ issues which, according to them, are a proof to the ‘sinister’ designs of Washington for the Muslim world’s only nuclear state.
First, they allege presence of the notorious Blackwater personnel in Islamabad to help US embassy officials tighten their espionage and control Pakistan’s sensitive security matters and, second, the proposed purchase of Pearl Continental Peshawar so as to shift the American consulate in the new huge setup. As is known, Blackwater is a private US security agency which got publicity from its activities in Iraq, including abductions and killings. It is perceived useful for the US overseas military engagements and is also known as ‘merchants of death’. Predictably, American embassy officials have denied the existence of Blackwater in Pakistan and termed it as mere propaganda. As far as the purchase of PC Peshawar by the American embassy in Islamabad is concerned, there exists some sort of ambiguity on the part of the US as its embassy sources in Islamabad have neither denied nor confirmed such a purchase. Peshawar is considered to be strategically important not only for Pakistan’s security establishment but also for the United States because of its proximity to Afghanistan and Pakistan’s tribal areas where Washington believes ‘safe havens’ of Al Qaeda and Taliban exist.
 What is the actual reason and justification for a massive expansion of American diplomatic and administrative set up in Pakistan and what is Islamabad’s position in this regard? To what extent, the enormous US presence in Pakistan will have domestic implications with reference to the much wailed concern of the media and political circles? One needs to be aware of the fact that it is not only in Pakistan where the United States has a huge diplomatic and administrative presence, other countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, Beijing, Moscow, New Delhi and Mexico City also house hundreds of Americans in diplomatic missions and other offices. In fact, the new US embassy in Baghdad was constructed at a cost of US $ 740 million with a large diplomatic set up which employs 700 civilian and 250 military personnel. In Afghanistan, according to the latest, Washington intends to expand its diplomatic presence through a $1 billion programme. Congress has been approached by the Obama administration to approve $736 million to build a new US embassy in Islamabad along with housing settlements for its civilian staff. Moreover, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in Islamabad has allotted 18.5 acres of land to the US embassy at a cost of Rs 1.3 billion! Already, the US embassy is spread over 34 acres of land in the diplomatic enclave and has a staff of 750.
As far as Pakistan is concerned, three reasons are being attributed to the massive expansion of American embassy and consulates. First, the justification of expanding the staff and premises of US embassies and consulates in Pakistan is based on the handling of billions of dollars of American aid which is expected to pour into this country in the coming five years. Pakistan is now among the three largest recipients of American aid after Israel and Egypt. One would recall that when the United States had suspended its economic and military aid to Pakistan in the late 1970s and early 1990s, the US aid and other offices responsible for the disbursement of that aid were either closed or had slashed their presence. Second, the US/NATO military debacles in Afghanistan is another reason that is causing the augmentation of American diplomatic, administrative and security presence in Pakistan. It is believed that hundreds of American marines shall be deployed in Islamabad and in Peshawar along with the US military high-ups in order to strategise and supervise military engagements in Afghanistan.
The surge of Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan tends to make the presence of US military high-ups in that volatile country very risky. Therefore, Pakistan provides the United States- a strategic foothold from where it can monitor and supervise its war in Afghanistan and also military operations in the tribal areas of Pakistan. Third, a sound and massive foothold in Pakistan, barring direct military bases, will also help Washington keep an eye on those elements which according to America have designs to get hold of nuclear assets of Pakistan. Although, such an assumption may lack any hardcore evidence, but given the alarm and fear shared not only by the United States but also by India and the Western world concerning the designs of various jehadi groups to seek control over Pakistan’s nuclear assets, one can expect a swift American response to deal with such a probability by making use of the presence of its marines in Islamabad and Peshawar.
It is in view of the widespread alarm about the growing US presence in Pakistan, both in the shape of expansion of its diplomatic missions and also its security personnel, that two important reactions took place. First, on September 13, the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Luo Zhahhui met President Asif Ali Zardari and expressed his country’s reservations and apprehensions regarding the reported expansion. The Chinese Ambassador said, “China has concerns over expansion of US embassy in Islamabad and the United States should expand its embassy by materialising rules and regulations of Pakistan.” Why China subtly intervened in the affairs of US diplomatic expansion in Pakistan is not difficult to gauge. Beijing must have gotten alarmed over the American presence in Pakistan or it must have been approached by some Pakistani high-ups, both governmental or non-governmental, to do something in order to put some pressure on Washington that it is not only in Pakistan where there are concerns but also a major foreign power is not in consonance with what the United States is up to in Islamabad. A petition was also filed by Zafarullah Khan, advocate of the Supreme Court, challenging the massive expansion of US embassy in Islamabad, terming it as a “serious threat to the country’s sovereignty and security.” He stated in his petition that the “extension of the United States embassy is a veiled bid to destabilise Pakistan.
It is yet to be seen how the two reactions to the expansion of US diplomatic set up in Pakistan will have an impact on Washington’s policy to deepen its presence in this country but one thing is certain: American diplomatic and other types of expansion in Pakistan have become highly controversial. In its essence, there is no way Islamabad can resist American or, for that matter, any Western non-military and, to some extent, military presence in Pakistan because of its obvious dependence on them for aid and trade. Historically speaking, critics have termed Pakistan as a ‘rental’ and a ‘client’ state ready to serve the interests of Washington and other Western powers for material gains and interests. If this perception is true, there is little likelihood of any qualitative change in terms of asserting sovereignty by the Pakistani state because neither has it the capability nor the political will and determination to restore its image and credibility.
Regardless of what President Barack Obama said in his recent address to the UN General Assembly, there is no ethics or morality when it comes to securing US interests. The American President has made it clear that his country would not apologise for protecting US interests globally. It should not be a matter of surprise then if the United States is pursuing expansion of its diplomatic missions in Pakistan and also augmenting its primarily non-combatant presence in this country. After all, how can Islamabad follow a non-conformist path when its bureaucratic and military establishment along with other segments of ruling elites possess neither the capability nor the will to pursue an approach which aims to protect its sovereignty, honour and dignity? Thus by default, the theory of ‘grand US imperial designs’ in Pakistan has some true. 
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