Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07ISLAMABAD4876
2007-11-16 09:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Islamabad
Cable title:  

MGPK01: SITREP 22, AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD: BHUTTO

Tags:  AEMR AMGT CASC KFLO PGOV PINR PK PREL 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO8106
OO RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHIL #4876/01 3200910
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 160910Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3226
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 7775
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 2242
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 8054
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 4069
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 2598
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 004876 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2017
TAGS: AEMR AMGT CASC KFLO PGOV PINR PK PREL
SUBJECT: MGPK01: SITREP 22, AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD: BHUTTO
RELEASED AGAIN

REF: A. ISLAMABAD 4830

B. ISLAMABAD 4842

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission, Peter W. Bodde, Reasons 1.4 (b)
, (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 004876

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/16/2017
TAGS: AEMR AMGT CASC KFLO PGOV PINR PK PREL
SUBJECT: MGPK01: SITREP 22, AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD: BHUTTO
RELEASED AGAIN

REF: A. ISLAMABAD 4830

B. ISLAMABAD 4842

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission, Peter W. Bodde, Reasons 1.4 (b)
, (d)


1. (C) Summary: The government this morning released PPP
leader Benazir Bhutto and human rights activist Asma
Jahangir. Senate Chairman Soomro today was sworn-in as
Pakistan's caretaker prime minister. Musharraf amended the
Provisional Constitutional Order to give the president and
not the Chief of Army Staff authority to lift the state of
emergency. The Karachi Stock Exchange continues to experience
volatility. Heavy fighting continues in Swat. The government
allowed all news channels, except GEO and ARY, back on the
air. Isolated protests and demonstrations continue.
Political and criminal violence is growing in Karachi's Lyari
neighborhood where three people were yesterday shot and
killed. Mission offices continue to operate normally. End
summary.


2. (C) The government of Pakistan (GOP) released Pakistan
People's Party (PPP) leader Benazir Bhutto from house arrest
early this morning. Bhutto has not yet decided whether she
will leave Lahore today, according to a mission contact;
Pakistan broadcast media reported she will travel to
Islamabad. Lahore CG also confirmed the GOP this morning
released Human Rights Commission of Pakistan chairperson Asma
Jahangir from house arrest, but we have no news on Aitzaz
Ahsan's detention.


3. (U) Senate Chairman Soomro today was sworn-in as
Pakistan's caretaker prime minister (refA),as was a
caretaker cabinet. This cabinet will sit until elections are
held and a new government is formed. This is the first time
in Pakistan's history that the assemblies have completed
their full five year tenure.


4. (U) Musharraf amended the Provisional Constitutional Order
(PCO) on Wednesday night, shifting the authority to lift the
state of emergency from the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) to the
president. This will allow Musharraf--and not his successor
to the post of COAS--to lift the state of emergency as
president after he steps down from his post in the Army.


5. (C) The Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) is down 0.26% on the
day's opening at 13,145. The KSE is down 2.1% from its close
of 13,423 on November 9 for the week and is down 1.0% from
the November 5 low of 13,279 after the government enacted the
state of emergency. Observers believe the volatility will
continue until elections. The continuation of Salman Shah as
Finance Minister in the caretaker government should provide
an important signal to the market and international financial
community that current market-based economic policies will
continue under the caretaker government.


6. (C) Heavy fighting continues in Swat after the Army
launched a counter-offensive against militants there. It is
unclear if the government intends to use these operations as
justification to lift the state of emergency once the
operations are well under way (refB).


7. (U) The government is now allowing all news channels,
except for GEO and ARY, to be broadcast on cable. The
government has allowed some media groups back on the air
without signing PEMRA's code of conduct.


8. (U) Peshawar: Demonstrations by opposition parties
including Jamaat-i Islami (JI),Jamiat-i Ulema-i Islam
(JUI-F),Awami National Party (ANP),and PPP are expected
today in Peshawar's downtown area and throughout the NWFP.
Lawyers, journalists, and students yesterday continued their
protests in Peshawar and several Frontier Province (NWFP)
cities. In Peshawar, police yesterday reportedly used tear
gas and baton-charges to break-up a PPP rally. In Battagram,
police yesterday used similar tactics to disperse an ANP and
JI sit-in that was blocking a highway.


9. (U) Karachi: Political and criminal violence is growing in
Karachi's Lyari neighborhood where three people were
yesterday shot and killed. Those killed include two boys
(aged 9 and 12) and one PPP activist. The police have been
given shoot-to-kill orders if attacked in Lyari, which is the

ISLAMABAD 00004876 002 OF 002


center of PPP support in Karachi and the site of a long-term
gang war between two large drug groups. Government arrest of
PPP activists, opposition parties, and lawyers continued in
Karachi, Hyderabad, Khaipur, and Larkana.


10. (U) Lahore: Approximately 3000 students at Punjab
University yesterday protested against the student faction of
the conservative Islamist JI party for beating up and
detaining opposition leader Imran Khan.



PATTERSON