The city district government claimed on Friday to have given the United States consulate general 48 hours to demolish three pillars erected on Empress Road built to install a gate and walls for security purposes.
Consulate general officials said they had not received such a notice so far. All correspondence on the matter would have to go through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
A CDGL official said former district coordination officer Noorul Amin Mengal had allowed the consulate general in January to build a gate and boundary walls to boost security.
The CDGL revoked the permission in February, when it learnt that the consulate general had exceeded the parameters set by it in erecting the pillars.
It was directed to seek permission from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). The consulate wrote to the MFA asking for permission but it was denied on Friday, the official said.
According to an official statement issued by the DCO’s office, District Coordination Officer Rizwan Mehboob had sent a notice to the consulate general to remove the pillars.
Police officials speaking on condition of anonymity claimed that the DCO had been requested by security agencies to review the permission extended to the consulate.
Staff officer to the DCO, Tariq Zaman, said the consulate general had been granted permission considering the volatile security situation. He said it had been allowed to build a wall and a gate on Empress Road.
The district coordination officer said that a letter to the Deputy Chief of Protocol in the foreign affairs ministry had been dispatched.
The gate, the consulate general was trying to build, he said, was some metres from a security post.
There are at least seven posts on the road.
Consulate General Press Attaché Lydia Barraza told The Express Tribune that all its correspondence was through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
She said the consulate general had only adopted necessary security measures.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 1st, 2013.