Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08KARACHI484
2008-08-20 06:46:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Karachi
Cable title:  

SINDH - GUNFIRE HITS MOTORCADE OF NATIONAL

Tags:  PGOV PREL PTER PK 
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P 200646Z AUG 08 ZDS CITING RUEHSD SVC 0178W
FM AMCONSUL KARACHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0595
INFO RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 0063
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0178
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0244
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1758
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 2561
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 4444
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUCJACC/USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L KARACHI 000484 

C O R R E C T E D COPY - ADDRESSEES ADDED

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/20/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PK
SUBJECT: SINDH - GUNFIRE HITS MOTORCADE OF NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY MEMBER

REF: A. KARACHI 426

B. KARACHI 477

Classified By: Classified by Consul General Kay Anske for reasons 1.4 b
and d.

C O N F I D E N T I A L KARACHI 000484

C O R R E C T E D COPY - ADDRESSEES ADDED

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/20/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PK
SUBJECT: SINDH - GUNFIRE HITS MOTORCADE OF NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY MEMBER

REF: A. KARACHI 426

B. KARACHI 477

Classified By: Classified by Consul General Kay Anske for reasons 1.4 b
and d.


1. (C) Summary: A motorcade carrying National Assembly
Member (MNA) Haider Abbas Rizvi, a member of the Muttahida
Quami Movement (MQM) political party, and his family was
struck by gunfire on August 17. Neither Rizvi nor any of his
family members were hurt, but a police officer escorting the
motorcade was wounded. Sindh Home Department officials
claimed the gunfire originated from a skirmish between police
and protestors, but MQM officials disputed the official
version. Instead, one party leader alleged a conspiracy and
pointed to members of the Pashtun community as possible
culprits behind the incident. Rizvi claimed privately that a
Pakistan People's Party (PPP) warlord was behind the attack.
MQM has repeatedly accused Pashtuns of harboring Taliban
sympathies and has had strained relations with the PPP in the
past. The party may be playing up the incident to gain
public support. End summary.


2. (SBU) On August 17, gunfire struck a motorcade carrying
National Assembly Member (MNA) Haider Abbas Rizvi, a member
of the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) political party, and
his family as they were returning from a religious ritual at
the Mewa Shah graveyard in Karachi. A uniformed policeman
escorting Rizvi's vehicle was shot, but the MNA and his
family were not injured.


3. (SBU) Media reports quoted Sindh Home Department
officials as stating that Rizvi's caravan was hit by stray
bullets from a gunfight between police and protestors, who
were upset over a land allocation plan. MQM leader Altaf
Hussain, in self-imposed exile in London, insisted that the
attack was part of a conspiracy to create civil disorder in
Karachi.


4. (C) RSO sources told Post on August 18 that they
concurred with the version reported in the media. However,
Nasreen Jalil, the Naib Nazim (Deputy Mayor) of Karachi and a
member of the MQM inner circle, told the Consul General (CG)
on August 17 that Rizvi was the target of the attack. She
informed the CG that this marks the second attempt on Rizvi's
life in recent weeks. RSO sources confirmed that about two
weeks ago, two men on a motorcycle fired a bullet at the door
to Rizvi's house. He was not at home at the time and no
injuries resulted.


5. (C) Exasperated with the Sindh Home Secretary for
characterizing the gunfire as random, Jalil speculated that,
as Rizvi's district is home to a large number of Pashtuns,
long-time MQM rivals, ethnic hatred could be the motive
behind the assault. Rizvi told PolCons on August 18,
however, that he believed a local Pakistan People's Party
(PPP) warlord was behind the shooting.


6. (C) Comment: Post doubts that MQM leaders will accept
the theory that the attack was anything other than a direct
attempt on Rizvi. The party has repeatedly accused the
Pastun community of Taliban sympathies and called on the
local business community to help it resist a takeover by
Islamic extremists (reftels). MQM strains with coalition
partner PPP surfaced in Rizvi's accusation. By trumpeting
the attack as an example of Pashtun or PPP action against
MQM, the party may be hoping to sway public sentiment. On
the other hand, the official story does have some
questionable elements. Police security details, such as that
accompanying Rizvi, usually receive advance information from
police units and plot alternate routes away from trouble
spots. In addition, this was the second time that shots have
been fired at him.
Anske