WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department's internal watchdog says government-initiated harassment and obstruction of U.S. diplomats in Pakistan is increasing dramatically and has reached the point where it is "significantly impairing" the work of the U.S. Embassy there.

In a report released Thursday, the department's inspector general said the harassment "has reached new levels of intensity" since November when NATO airstrikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers, prompting Islamabad to suspend most military cooperation. The report describes the harassment as "deliberate, willful and systematic" and says that ending it should be a top priority in high-level discussions with Pakistani authorities.

The report said the harassment includes delayed issuances of visas, blocked shipments for aid programs and construction projects, denials of in-country travel requests, and surveillance of and interference with mission employees and contractors.