BALOCHISTAN - TERRORIST GROUP CLAIMS CREDIT FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KARACHI 000026 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2019 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PTER PK SUBJECT: BALOCHISTAN - TERRORIST GROUP CLAIMS CREDIT FOR KILLING SHI'A POLICE OFFICERS REF: 08 KARACHI 463 Classified By: CLASSIFIED BY CONSUL GENERAL STEVE FAKAN, REASONS 1.4 (b ) and (d) Summary: -------------- ¶1. (SBU).Sunnai extremists from the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi terrorist organization claimed credit for the January 14 killing of four Shi'a police officers and the wounding of three others in Quetta. Six of the officers were members of the minority Shi'a Hazara community, whose leaders claim that violence against them is increasing. Major political parties decried the killings and some political leaders blamed the GOP for its support of Sunni extremist groups in the province. Ethnic Related Attack on Police Officers -------------- ¶2. (C) Four police, including a deputy police superintendent, were killed and three others wounded in a targeted attack in Quetta on January 14. Six of the seven police officers were members of Balochistan's minority Hazara community, a Shi'a sect with Afghani origins, according to Quetta Press Club President Shazada Zulfiqar. He confirmed media reports that a banned extremist organization, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, had claimed responsibility for the attack. (Note: Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has been linked to a number of terrorist attacks in Pakistan, including the 1997 killing of four American oil workers in Karachi, the 2002 murder of Daniel Pearl, the 2002 killing of 11 French workers, and the 2002 International Church bombing in Islamabad. Both the USG and GOP have branded it a terrorist organization. End comment.) Local reaction -------------- ¶3. (C) All major Balochistan political parties quickly moved to condemn the murder. The Hazara Democratic Party (HDP) staged a protest rally on January 14 and announced a January 15 strike in the city that closed businesses in the Hazara section of Quetta. Members of the Hazara business community also protested the killings outside of the GOP military headquarters in the city. Increase in Sectarian Killings -------------- ¶4. (C) Raza Wakeel, General Secretary of the Hazara business organization Anjuman-e-Tajiran, said that members of his Shi'a community have been the target of sectarian violence for the last five years. He claimed that the situation is worsening - eight Hazaras have been killed in the last ten days, including a leading Shi'a religious cleric. Root Cause of Violence -------------- ¶5. (C) A number of political leaders accused the GOP of supporting Sunni religious extremists. Abdul Khaliq, General Secretary of the HDP told Post that he believed the killings were the work of GOP-backed Sunni fundamentalists and perpetrated to sow conflict among the different religious sects in Balochistan. He added that Sunni and Shi'a based religious parties have been encouraging sectarian divisions in order to gain community support from co-religionists. Noted Baloch political analyst Rahat Malik also blamed growing violence on a lack of strong governance in the province, and an overall deteriorating law and order situation. ¶6. (C) Dr. Jahanzaib Baloch, Acting President of the Baloch National Party (Mengle) accused the GOP of fomenting sectarian violence in Balochistan to divert public attention from army atrocities GOP in Dera Bugti and Mari districts as it battles Baloch nationalists (reftel). Comment -------------- ¶8. (C) The Hazaras have roots in Afghanistan and make up around 170,000 of Balochistan's estimated 6.7 million KARACHI 00000026 002 OF 002 inhabitants. They have established a reputation as a relatively educated and affluent minority in Quetta. Their distinctive features differentiate them from the local population making them easy targets. ¶9. (C) Pakistan has experienced a number of violent clashes between Shi'as and Sunnis in the past. This incident could indicate increasing Sunni fundamentalist influence in Balochistan or it could be have some other, unrelated, cause. As the Baloch tend to blame GOP intelligence services for most of their problems, it would be difficult to lay blame with the GOP. If the attack was, indeed, perpetrated by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, then this could signal an increase in sectarian violence in Balochistan. FAKAN