ANOTHER QUIET KASHMIR SOLIDARITY DAY

C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 000591 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2018 TAGS: PGOV PK PREL IN SUBJECT: ANOTHER QUIET KASHMIR SOLIDARITY DAY Classified By: Anne W. Patterson, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5 sparked small and mostly peaceful rallies in Islamabad. Although Pakistani politicians, as expected, called for international intervention and concessions from India, most of the demonstrations were a front for political statements pertaining to the coming elections. End summary. ¶2. (U) Kashmir Solidarity Day, a Pakistani public holiday, yielded lackluster and peaceful rallies across Pakistan on February 5. Pakistani police in Rawalpindi beefed up security to deter terrorist attacks. In Islamabad, three hundred Kashmiris under police escort protested in front of the Indian High Comission within the diplomatic enclave. Participants in another Islamabad rally demanded implementation of the UN resolutions on Kashmir. All of Pakistan observed a one-minute moment of silence at 10:00 AM, during which all rail and road traffic was halted. Musharraf and Caretaker Prime Minister Soomro gave public statements asking the world community to fulfill pledges made regarding Kashmiri self-determination. Soomro urged India move beyond confidence measures, arguing that the peace process should achieve more than reaffirmations of good intent. Rallies in the northern areas were peaceful and small. ¶3. (U) Many groups used the holiday as an excuse to promulgate non-Kashmir political platforms. Approximately two hundred ex-servicemen, reportedly including a few retired Army generals, protested near the Army General Headquarters in Rawalpindi. They chanted anti-Musharraf statements, accused the President of damaging Kashmir's cause, and demanded his resignation. Jamaat-I-Islami (JI) chief Qazi Hussein led a procession toward the Islamabad residence of deposed chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, where he lobbied for a free and restored judiciary (along with a free Kashmir). PML-Q Secretary General Mushahid Hussain promised that if the PML-Q came to power after the elections, they would devise a new national Kashmir strategy to solve the dispute, incorporating views from all political parties. ¶4. (C) Comment: Most of the pro-Kashmir rallies this year can be attributed to continued electioneering. However, the holiday actitives also provided a half-hearted media show intended to re-energize the Kashmir issue in front of the international and diplomatic community. End Comment. PATTERSON