CHIEF MINISTER ON PESHAWAR RIOTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PESHAWAR 000091

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/23/2016
TAGS: KISL ASEC PREL PGOV PK
SUBJECT: CHIEF MINISTER ON PESHAWAR RIOTS

REF: A) PESHAWAR 79 B) PESHAWAR 86

CLASSIFIED BY: Gautam Rana, Political Officer, U.S. Consulate ,
Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)




1. (C) Summary. Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) Chief
Minister Akram Khan Durrani recently discussed the 2/15 Peshawar
protests (Ref A) with us. He said police are currently
reviewing television and video footage of the riots and will
arrest protestors who broke the law. He outlined a two-pronged
security plan for future marches: 1) protest leaders will
guarantee and be held accountable for the safety of processions;
and 2) the NWFP government will install video cameras in
important pubic areas to record and monitor future
demonstrations. Durrani disavowed the need to "crackdown" on
Afghans or to implement martial law, arguing the latter would
suppress the voice of the people. The JUI-F leader avoided
criticizing the fatwa announced by a JUI-F cleric against the
Danish cartoonists (Ref B). End summary.

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Responding to the February 15 Protests
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2. (C) Durrani denounced the Danish cartoons for further
enflaming a divided world, and maintained protests in Pakistan
were a natural reaction by Muslims to vent their anger.
However, the destruction was not acceptable, and the police had
been ordered to review television and video footage to identify
and punish lawbreakers. The Chief Minister claimed thirty
percent of the rioters were Afghans, while the others were
largely criminals or business rivals settling scores. Durrani
downplayed the role of madrassah students, alleging that video
footage "proved" the protestors were wearing secular clothes and
not the apparel favored by religious students. He also drew a
distinction between previous protests organized by the religious
parties that were peaceful and the violent demonstrations of
2/15 that were ostensibly sponsored by the business community -
citing this as additional evidence that the MMA was not culpable
for the violence.


3. (C) The Chief Minister laughed when asked about Governor
Khalilur Rehman's public comments that para-military units
(Section 144) needed to be deployed in Peshawar in the aftermath
of the riots. According to Durrani, the Governor never spoke to
him about the subject, and it was merely an "irresponsible"
press ploy. Imposing Section 144 would mean curbing the voice
of the people, which would be antithetical to democracy. He
emphasized that if Pakistan's national leaders served as "true
spokesmen" for the people, there would be no need for protests.


4. (C) The Chief Minister outlined a two-pronged plan to ensure
public safety during future demonstrations. First, organizers
will be held responsible for guaranteeing peaceful
demonstrations. Second, the NWFP government will install video
cameras in important public areas to record and monitor marches.



5. (C) Durrani asserted upcoming protests on February 24 would
be peaceful because the organizers will join the marchers and
control the crowds. He noted he has no personal plans to march
here or on Islamabad, stressing his job is to run the NWFP
government, unlike MMA party workers who carry out overall party
strategy.

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Fatwa
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6. C) When asked about the fatwa announced by Maulana Yusuf
Qureshi, a cleric associated with the Chief Minister's political
party, Durrani responded by noting an Indian state minister had
also issued a fatwa against the Danish cartoonists. He later
added that Qureshi was speaking only for himself, and not the
JUI-F, but avoided any criticism of the Maulana's fatwa. (Note:
According to press reports, Uttar Pradesh Haj Minister Yaqub
Qureshi offered 500 million Indian rupees to anyone beheading
the Danish cartoonist who caricatured the Prophet Muhammad. The
UP government has filed a criminal case against the minister for
inflammatory and criminal speech. End note.)


PESHAWAR 00000091 002 OF 002


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The Role of Afghans in the Riots
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7. (C) The NWFP government would not take any steps to "crack
down" on Afghans living in Peshawar, maintained Durrani. He
explained the situation in Afghanistan remained troubled, and if
the refugees were forced to return, they would soon come back to
Pakistan given the porous border. Nonetheless, Afghans had
participated in the riots, and those who were criminals would be
punished. Although press reports mentioned the provincial
government would "monitor" Afghans, the Chief Minister outlined
no specific measures to do so.

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Comment
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8. (C) Chief Minister Durrani was one of the more responsible
MMA leaders during and after the 2/15 demonstrations: he called
for peaceful protests and emphasized lawbreakers would be
punished. However, he has unconvincingly disavowed MMA
influence over the protests and the ensuing violence. If the
Chief Minister implements his security plan, it is a hopeful
sign he is
willing to do more to deter violence in the future. End comment.
SPANGLER