US embassy cable - 90ISLAMABAD22570

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 22570 
 
 
S/CT FOR BREELAND; 
 
E.O. 12536: N/A 
TAGS: PTER PREL, PK 
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN: 1990 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT 
 
REF:  STATE 355397 
 
1.  REFTEL REQUESTED INPUT FOR DEPARTMENT'S 
PREPARATION OF THE ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT.  THE 
FOLLOWING COMMENTS ARE KEYED TO QUESTIONS IN PARA 
FIVE OF REFTEL. 
 
2.  HOST GOVERNMENT PROSECUTIONS:  THERE HAVE BEEN NO 
SIGNIFICANT COURT PROSECUTIONS OF TERRORIST CASES 
THIS YEAR.  TEN OF THE ELEVEN SOVIETS ARRESTED AS A 
RESULT OF THE AUGUST 19, 1990, HIJACKING OF AN 
AEROFLOT PASSENGER AIRLINER ARE INCARCERATED IN 
KARACHI AWAITING TRIAL.  (THE ELEVENTH RECENTLY 
COMMITTED SUICIDE IN PRISON.)  THREE ANO TERRORISTS 
CONVICTED OF THE 1986 PAN AM HIJACKING IN KARACHI 
REMAIN IN PRISON.  DURING THE RECENT ELECTION 
CAMPAIGN, THE GOVERNMENT CLAIMED TO HAVE UNCOVERED A 
"PLOT TO DESTABILIZE" THE COUNTRY, CENTERED IN THE 
SOUTHERN PROVINCE OF SINDH, ENCOURAGED BY THE INDIAN 
EXTERNAL INTELLIGENCE SERVICE AND IMPLEMENTED BY 
INDIVIDUALS ASSOCIATED WITH PAKISTAN'S AL ZULFIKAR 
ORGANIZATION ( A TERRORIST GROUP ACTIVE IN THE EARLY 
1980S).  A NUMBER OF PAKISTANI SUSPECTS ARE IN JAIL; 
THE AUTHORITIES CLAIM TO HAVE OBTAINED INFORMATION 
THROUGH CONFESSIONS OF INTENDED TERRORIST ACTIVITY. 
 
3.  EXTRADITIONS:  THERE WERE NONE; THE GOVERNMENT OF 
PAKISTAN NEITHER EXTRADITED NOR REQUESTED EXTRADITION 
OF ANY SUSPECTED TERRORISTS. 
 
4.  SIGNIFICANT IMPEDIMENTS TO PROSECUTION OR 
EXTRADITION OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS:  WE ARE NOT 
AWARE OF ANY SIGNIFICANT SYSTEMIC (I.E., LEGAL, 
POLITICAL, OR PROCEDURAL) IMPEDIMENTS TO GOVERNMENT 
OF PAKISTAN EFFORTS IN THIS REGARD. 
 
5.  HOST GOVERNMENT RESPONSES OTHER THAN 
PROSECUTION:  THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN IS 
POLITICALLY OPPOSED TO TERRORISM AND, PUBLICLY AND 
PRIVATELY, HAS CONSISTENTLY CONDEMNED TERRORIST 
VIOLENCE.  PAKISTAN HAS BEEN THE SCENE OF NUMEROUS 
TERRORIST INCIDENTS DURING 1990, PRIMARILY BOMBINGS 
ATTRIBUTED TO THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT'S INTELLIGENCE 
SERVICE AND AFGHAN RESISTANCE GROUPS.  WHILE THE 
GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN APPEARS TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT 
TO INVQGATE EACH INCIDENT FULLY, RESULTS ARE 
HAMPERED BY THE POLICE'S RELATIVELY LOW LEVEL OF 
SOPHISTICATION IN FORENSIC SCIENCE AND INVESTIGATIVE 
TECHNIQUES. 
 
6.  MAJOR COUNTER-TERRORISM EFFORTS UNDERTAKEN BY THE 
HOST GOVERNMENT:  PAKISTAN HAS NOT UNDERTAKEN ANY 
MAJOR STEPS OR DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVES IN 1990. 
PAKISTAN PARTICIPATES IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S 
ANTI-TERRORISM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND ONE TRAINING 
COURSE IN CRISIS MANAGEMENT WAS PROVIDED THIS YEAR TO 
EIGHTEEN PARTICIPANTS.  THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN 
HAS ATTEMPTED ON A CONTINUING BASIS TO ENHANCE ITS 
ANTI-TERRORIST AND LAW ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITIES. 
HOWEVER, THE ABSENCE OF EFFECTIVE CENTRALIZED 
NATIONAL POLICE AGENCIES, AND THE HIGHLY POLITICIZED 
NATURE OF SENIOR LEVELS OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT 
BUREAUCRACY, HAVE MADE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION 
DIFFICULT.  SINCE THE 1986 PAN AM HIJACKING, THE 
AUTHORITIES HAVE IMPLEMENTED AND MAINTAINED GOOD 
AIRPORT SECURITY PROCEDURES. 
 
7.  DESCRIBE ANY SIGNIFICANT HOST GOVERNMENT SUPPORT 
FOR INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM:  THE GOVERNMENT OF 
PAKISTAN DOES NOT SUPPORT TERRORIST GROUPS.  INDIA 
HAS PERIODICALLY CHARGED PAKISTAN WITH SUPPORTING 
LOCAL INSURGENTS IN THE INDIAN PUNJAB AND KASHMIR, 
INCLUDING PROVIDING OR TOLERATING SANCTUARIES AND 
TRAINING CAMPS ON THIS SIDE OF THE BORDER.  THE 
GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN SAYS IT GIVES MORAL SUPPORT TO 
THE KASHMIRI INSURGENTS BUT DENIES THE INDIAN 
ACCUSATIONS OF TANGIBLE AID. 
 
8.  HAS THE HOST GOVERNMENT MADE ANY PUBLIC 
STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF A TERRORIST-SUPPORTING 
COUNTRY ON A TERRORISM ISSUE?  THE GOVERNMENT OF 
PAKISTAN HAS NOT GIVEN ANY PUBLIC SUPPORT TO A 
TERRORISM-SUPPORTING COUNTRY ON A TERRORISM ISSUE. 
AS FAR AS WE ARE AWARE, IT HAS NOT OFFERED ANY SUCH 
SUPPORT PRIVATELY EITHER. 
 
9.  DESCRIBE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE SINCE 1989: 
THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE INQ 
ATTITUDE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN TOWARD 
INTERNATIONAL OR DOMESTIC TERRORISM. 
 
 
OAKLEY