Pak issues 67 visas to CIA officials

Islamabad, Jun 23 (PTI) After months of tensions in
US-Pak relations, Pakistan has issued 67 visas to CIA
officials for deployment in the country as part of
confidence-building measures following the US raid that killed
al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
The Pakistan Embassy in Washington has issued 67 visas
to CIA officials for deployment in Pakistan, sources in the
embassy were quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.
The decision to issue the visas followed an
understanding between the two governments on CIA deployments
and postings in Pakistan, the report said.
"Under the new arrangement, the CIA has accepted
Islamabad's demand that all intelligence postings in the
country should be fully disclosed and shared with the
Pakistani government," a source was quoted as saying.
"Pakistan agreed to issue the visas only after an
understanding on full disclosures," the source said.
The agreement was reached after talks in Islamabad
earlier this month between ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha
and top CIA officials, including Director Leon Panetta.
"Now the ISI will be fully aware of who is doing what
and where he is posted at. There will be no room for
misunderstanding and suspicions," a diplomatic source was
quoted as saying.
The relations between ISI and CIA first took its blow
in January this year when US intelligence contractor Raymond
Davis was arrested for shooting dead two Pakistanis. He was
eventually let off under a blood money deal.
But the biggest blow came after the May 2 operation by
US special force's personnel that led to the death of bin
Laden in Pakistan's garrison city of Abbottabad. PTI RHL
KAP