NWFP: SUICIDE ATTACK AT PESHAWAR'S SPORTS STADIUM

C O N F I D E N T I A L PESHAWAR 000509 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2018 TAGS: PTER MOPS PGOV PINR PK SUBJECT: NWFP: SUICIDE ATTACK AT PESHAWAR'S SPORTS STADIUM REF: A) PESHAWAR 505, B) PESHAWAR 489, C) PESHAWAR 84 CLASSIFIED BY: Lynne Tracy, Principal Officer, Peshawar, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (a),(b),(d) Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) A suicide bomber killed at least four including a police officer and injured at least a dozen others near the main entrance of Qayyum Stadium in Peshawar as Awami National Party (ANP) Senior Minister Bashir Bilour's motorcade was leaving the stadium. Bilour left earlier in a separate vehicle. Northwest Frontier Province Governor Owais Ghani left only minutes before. The attack is not likely to alter the ANP's support for operations in Swat or elsewhere despite threats by militants and is one more example of the heightened threat conditions in Peshawar. End summary. Attack Misses ANP Senior Minister Bashir Bilour -------------- -- ¶2. (C) The suicide attack occurred at approximately 1730 (local) as Bilour's motorcade was leaving Qayyum stadium and only minutes after NWFP Governor Owais Ghani left the closing ceremony of the Inter-provincial games at Qayyum stadium in Peshawar. Bilour left earlier in a separate vehicle avoiding his motorcade. Witnesses said a lone suicide bomber was stopped by security personnel and detonated as he tried to approach Bilour's motorcade. Malik Naveed Inspector General of Police said at least one policeman was among the dead. Many of the injured were taken to Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar. Why Attack Bilour? -------------- ¶3. (C) Bilour has been outspoken in calling for actions against militants and stating that Pakistan is in a war for its survival. He recently said that Pakistan is not fighting America's war but it is Pakistan's own. (Comment: Bilour's statement echoes that of other senior ANP officials, including Chief Minister Hoti.) Militants have warned that additional attacks would occur if the GOP did not call off its operations in Swat and Bajaur. Pakistan military officials claim the Bajaur operation has inflicted at least 1000 casualties on militants in the last three months. While some senior local security officials have largely tried to characterize the situation in Swat as showing improvement, political leaders and even police officials have been much more downbeat on the fight against militants in the district. ¶4. (C) On November 6, an attack killed a number of tribal elders including a leader of the local lashkar (tribal militia) that had fought militants in Bajaur Agency (ref A). Suicide attacks on tribal elders also occurred on October 10 in Orakzai Agency killing at least 61 Elders and March 2 when at least 40 people were killed at a jirga in Darra Adam Khel where tribal elders had agreed to take up arms against militants (refs B and C). Comment -------------- 5 (C) Although Bilour may have been the intended target, it is not likely to alter the ANP's support for operations in Swat or elsewhere. The attack does not come as a surprise based on recent attacks and public threats by the militants, but it is one more example of the heightened threat conditions in Peshawar. TRACY