GENEVA: Violence has intensified in Pakistan since the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden, and suspicions against foreigners have grown, the ICRC's outgoing head of delegation in the country said Monday.
“The situation in Pakistan, throughout Pakistan since Osama bin Laden's death, has seen an intensification of fighting and an intensification of violence,” said Pascal Cuttat, the International Committee of the Red Cross's head in Pakistan.
“Not the least also because violence is increasingly reaching the big towns -- Peshawar and Karachi both have seen sharp increase of violence,” he said.
“For the immediate future, we expect more of what we see now,” added Cuttat.
The killing of bin Laden has also generated greater suspicions against foreigners, who are now finding it harder to work in the country.
“It has made the work considerably more difficult,” said Cuttat, pointing to increased bureaucracy for permits to work in Pakistan.
“There is throughout Pakistan today considerably higher suspicion with regards to any foreigner working in the country,” he added.
Bin Laden was killed on May during an US commando raid in Pakistan's northern garrison town of Abbottabad.
Pakistan's lawmakers have criticised the unilateral US action, and demanded that the operation not be repeated.
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