KARACHI MAYOR PROMOTES AND PLEADS FOR HIS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 001166 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/28/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR EAID PK SUBJECT: KARACHI MAYOR PROMOTES AND PLEADS FOR HIS MEGA-CITY TO CODEL CARPER Classified By: Anne W. Patterson for reasons 1.4 (b),(d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Karachi Mayor Mustafa Kamal met May 26 with the Ambassador and Codel Carper in Islamabad. The energetic 37-year old mayor of one of the world's largest cities jumped at the chance to showcase Karachi, Pakistan's "revenue engine," he said. The five senators were particularly interested when Kamal informed them that U.S./NATO supplies transiting Pakistan for Afghanistan flowed through Karachi ports. But Kamal warned of an increasing threat environment from the taliban, who also used those same ports to export illicit opium. Without direct control of the police, which falls under the province rather than the municipality, he feared the lack of micro-managed governance would lead to investor flight, leading to more problems. He argued security should be put in his hands instead of the provincial government's, which, he charged, had actually rebuffed his attempts at coordination and ignored evidence of official bribery. End summary. Background - - - - - - ¶2. (SBU) Karachi Mayor Mustafa Kamal flew up to Islamabad to meet May 26 with the Ambassador and Codel Carper -- Senator Thomas Carper (D-DE),Senator Mark Udall (D-CO),Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH),Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC),and Senator Mark Begich (D-AK). Kamal grabbed the opportunity to introduce himself and his mega-city to the delegation. Just 37 years old, Kamal has been mayor for the last four years. He worked his way up the ranks of his party, the Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM),answering phones at a district office while working on a masters degree. ¶3. (C) With 18 million people, Karachi is Pakistan's largest city and the world's most populous Muslim city, according to Kamal. Though only representing about 10 percent of Pakistan's population, its contribution to the country's GDP was considerably more, he bragged, due in large part to having two of Pakistan's three deep-water ports. All U.S./NATO supplies transiting Pakistan for Afghanistan flowed through Karachi, he added. (Note: Approximately 80 percent of dry goods and 20 percent of fuel for U.S. troops in Afghanistan transit Pakistan.) ¶4. (C) But Karachi was a revenue engine for the terrorists too, Kamal explained. An estimated 90 percent of the illicit opium trade was exported to the rest of the world via Karachi. His city was the "backbone" of the taliban, he lamented, but his party was ultra-secular, Kamal wanted to assure the senators. Only the MQM among Pakistan's political parties voiced opposition to the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation, approved by the parliament for Malakand division in the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP),he highlighted. "We prefer to die before the taliban takes over our city," Kamal concluded. Old Complaint, New Audience - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (C) The visiting senators were surprised when Kamal informed them that he had no control over police in his city. Security was the jurisdiction of the province, and "the Sindh provincial minister does not listen to me," he complained. His real fear, however, was that, without micro-management of his mega-city, basic governance would suffer, driving away foreign investors and causing local businessmen to shutter their stores. ¶6. (C) Though he felt his leadership had slowed the pace of violence in the multi-ethnic metropolis, he feared the threat had increased unchecked, noting the Daniel Pearl kidnapping, the U.S. Consulate bombing/assassination, and Sheraton bombing since 2001. He lamented the Sindh High Courts decision to release the alleged planners of the latter terrorist attack, blaming the provincial government for not properly prioritizing the case. He also warned of the 3,000 madrassahs throughout his city, though only a minority were of concern, Kamal admitted. ¶7. (C) Kamal has set up a command center with a closed-circuit feed from cameras throughout the city. He said he invited the provincial police, the Inspector ISLAMABAD 00001166 002 OF 002 General's office, and other law enforcement to join and use the center; instead, they have tried repeatedly to shut it down, Kamal reported. He further claimed to have handed over tapes to the police showing officers soliciting bribes; higher authorities did nothing, he charged. ¶8. (U) Codel Carper did not clear this cable. PATTERSON