Finally asserts Pakistan's authority

ISLAMABAD: Pakistans Foreign Office Wednesday summoned The Netherlands Ambassador and US Embassys Deputy Head of Mission, separately, and asked them to explain about the arms and ammunition recovered from Dutch diplomats and the unwarranted involvement of US Embassy staff.
The US Embassy official, however, denied their involvement in this case. Foreign Office officials requesting not to be named confirmed that it summoned Dutch Ambassador to Pakistan Joost Reintjes and Deputy Head of Mission at American Embassy in Pakistan, Gerald Feierstein, separately.
The sources said Pakistan asked the Dutch Ambassador about the recovery of arms and ammunition from two Dutch nationals working at Netherlands Embassy on Tuesday last and warned him in diplomatic manner that such practice should not be continued.
It was also learnt that the Foreign Office asked the Netherlands Ambassador to give in writing about the whereabouts of the arms recovered from their officials.
The sources said Foreign Office asked the American Deputy Head of Mission about the alleged involvement of their employee, namely Sunny Christopher, with two Dutch embassy personnel who were held and later released by Islamabad police.
On this, the American Deputy Head of Mission in Pakistan categorically denied having any connection with Dutch officials who were carrying unlicensed weapons. He made it clear that Christopher had no link with Dutch officials and termed his involvement as baseless and unfounded.
It may be recalled here that police apprehended two Dutch nationals working at Netherlands Embassy some two days back, when they were carrying unlicensed weapons. Later police released them on the, reported intervention of Netherlands top diplomats.
Meanwhile, Police has been instructed to have effective check on all the foreigners and no foreigner will be allowed to display or carry arms without valid license, says a statement issued by Interior Ministry.
The statement further said that there was no pressure on Police and arrested Dutch were allowed to go back to the Embassy under the diplomatic immunity.
Statement revealed that the Ministry of Interior has advised all the foreigners and diplomats not to carry unlicensed arms or display them in the public as the police have been authorized to confiscate the same in case of violation.
Meanwhile, Federal Minster on Interior, Rehman Malik while talking to media men at Parliament lobby said, Under the diplomatic ethics we cant held any diplomats except those who involved in murder case, he added.
Malik said that Interior Ministry while using diplomatic channels have informed all foreign missions working in Pakistan not to carry unlicensed arms. He said, if it is required than diplomats should contact with Ministry of Interior and get licenses, he added.
Sources further informed that intelligence officials in a debriefing session with the police who had arrested the two Dutch nationals repreimanded the polcie for releasing them before they could be questioned by intelligence personnel. It is also beign feared in some intelligence circles that the two Dutch employees of The Netherlands embassy were not usual diplomats but were using that as a cover. This could not however by confirmed.