The federal government has allowed the US embassy to expand its lay out despite stiff resistance by intelligence agencies. The eight-storey building would expand over an area of several kilometers accommodating more than 6,000 personnel, the informed sources in Capital Development Authority told INP on Tuesday. The sources said that it would be like a cantonment. While the US embassy spokesman said in his statement that they were granted NoC from the CDA and no other institution in Islamabad had expressed reservation with the expansion work.
The expansion plan by majority in Pakistan are seen as a threat to national interests at a time when anti-US sentiments are at the highest level after the May 2 episode and Salala checkpost aerial attack killing 24 Pakistan army soldiers. While the most extreme views of strategic experts are that the US may use its embassy as a base camp for its covert operations in South Asia and Middle East.