RED MOSQUE CALLS OFF NEGOTIATIONS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 001698 SIPDIS ///////COLLECTIVE ADDED/////////// SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/17/2017 TAGS: PK PREL PTER SUBJECT: RED MOSQUE CALLS OFF NEGOTIATIONS REF: A. ISLAMABAD 1688 ¶B. ISLAMABAD 1647 ¶C. AND PREVIOUS Classified By: DCM Peter W. Bodde, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) On April 16, the administration of the Red Mosque (Lal Masjid) announced that it would suspend talks with the government, after mosque leaders accused the government of aerial surveillance and spraying unknown gases on the mosque. Red Mosque leader Maulana Ghazi told a news conference that, "spraying of gas and taking snaps of girl students with very low flight chopper on civil population is violation of the dialogue process as well as international laws." The mosque administration claims that several students fainted as a result of the gas and many others suffered from eye and skin irritations. There have been no confirmations of these injuries and area hospitals have not treated any gas victims. Maulana Ghazi said that Pakistan Muslim League President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain expressed ignorance of any helicopter actions. Police sources corroborate that, on April 15 and 16, helicopters flew over the mosque to assess the situation and to gauge the presence of weapons. On April 16, students and sympathizers of the Red Mosque staged a small demonstration and blocked the road outside the mosque to protest the surveillance and alleged gas usage. ¶2. (C) Comment: Leaders of the Red Mosque have seized this incident as an excuse to stall talks and try to gain leverage in the face of growing public sentiment against the mosque, as evidenced by the recent MQM rally in Karachi (numbering 70,000- 100,000 people) and increasing media criticism. While the police have been using helicopters to monitor the situation inside the mosque and remain on standby in the vicinity, there is no repeat no evidence of any gas being released. Maulana Ghazi's statements are unlikely to gain him any ground in negotiations with Shujaat, and the government continues to anticipate a peaceful resolution to this conflict. End Comment. BODDE