NOVEMBER 10 VISIT TO MUKHTAR MAI AND SECURITY ASSESSMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAHORE 000215

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2019
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PK
SUBJECT: NOVEMBER 10 VISIT TO MUKHTAR MAI AND SECURITY ASSESSMENT

REF: LAHORE 190

CLASSIFIED BY: Carmela Conroy, Consul General, U.S. Consulate
General Lahore, Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
SUMMARY




1. (C) ACTION REQUEST IN PARAGRAPH 8. After the leadership of a
local non-governmental organization (NGO) contacted Department
of State personnel regarding terrorist threats, ConGen Lahore
spoke with NGO staff and relevant security organizations.
Police told us they recently contacted staff of Mukhtar Mai
Women's Welfare Organization (MMWWO) and all other prominent
personalities in Muzaffargarh District, to apprise them of the
current security situation in southern Punjab. Police have no
information regarding specific terrorist threats against MMWWO
or persons associated with it. A new police post with 20
officers has been installed next to MMWWO's compound and ConGen
Lahore RSO has conducted a security assessment and provided
recommendations. END SUMMARY.



BACKGROUND: MMWWO CLAIMS OF SPECIFIC TERRORIST THREATS




2. (SBU) In a November 4 email to Department of State personnel
and calls to ConGen Lahore PolOff, MMWWO staff claimed that
police had provided them on November 3 a report specifically
listing them as a target by terrorists (ref A). According to
MMWWO staff, the report indicated a "lady suicide bomber in red
dress" had been sent from Dera Ghazi Khan District to attack
them. With this in mind, ConGen Lahore RSO team went to
Muzzarfargarh District on November 10 to assess their needs and
offer advice to protect the organization.



POLICE EXPLANATION AND ACTION




3. (SBU) On November 10, Muzaffargarh District Police Officer
(DPO) Mehboob Rasheed told ConGen Lahore RSO there was currently
no specific threat to Mukhtar Mai or MMWWO. DPO Rasheed assumed
his position in late October and had asked his Deputy
Superintendents of Police (DSPs) and Station House Officers
(SHOs) to meet with all prominent personalities in Muzaffargarh
District to reiterate and sensitize them to the current security
situation. Note: Mukhtar Mai and MMWWO reside in Meerwala,
Jatoi Tehsil, Muzzarfargarh District, where the DSP and SHO
report to DPO Rasheed and were present at the meeting. They had
no specific threat information that Mai or MMWWO were
specifically being targeted. DPO also said that he had asked
all, and not specific, prominent personalities in the District
to limit their movements in southern Punjab because of the
current security situation, and that any movements should be
coordinated with police in advance.




4. (SBU) According to DPO Rasheed, he ordered a new police post
with 20 police officers and an escort vehicle to be set up
adjacent to MMWO's building. The police post opened October 22
and provides security to all Meerwala residents; it is situated
right next to the only driveway that leads into the MMWWO
compound. He added that without "specific threats," he could
not allocate more resources to their facility.



RSO ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATION




5. (C) RSO also separately met with Mukhtar Mai, MMWWO Manager
Samson Salamat, and MMWWO Chief-of-Staff Naseem Akhtar on their
compound in Meerwala. In a security assessment of the MMWWO
compound, RSO recommended to Mai, Salamat, and Akhtar an
additional checkpoint, increasing the height and strengthening
of the perimeter wall, installing perimeter lighting and solid
core doors, and adding at least five additional guard positions.
Salamat agreed with the assessment and said he would start

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working on the upgrades to the wall and anti-climb wire. Akhtar
noted a "budget crunch" but did not elaborate further or request
financial assistance. Note: An additional five guard positions
would cost 840,000 Pakistani rupees (USD 10,120) per year.



CONTINUED TENSIONS OVER "HONOR KILLINGS"




6. (SBU) MMWWO staff complained that the police post was rarely
fully staffed, and that a full police station should be
established. Salamat said that a "criminal gangster" from Jatoi
Tehsil named Tariq Khan Ghazlani had threatened to bomb and kill
Mai and Akhtar because of their work. He further believes that
the police, especially Jatoi Tehsil police station sub-inspector
Talib Shah, have ties to Ghazlani and are therefore reluctant to
do anything more to protect MMWWO. According to DPO Rasheed,
however, Ghazlani is a close relative of the aggrieved
petitioner in the case against Akhtar's male relatives and their
involvement in a feudal honor killing (ref B). DPO Rasheed
believes there is rising tension between family and friends of
Mai and Ghazlani because of this case. The police have
conducted an investigation on Ghazlani but have not to-date
arrested him and said that Mukhtar Mai has not provided
additional information about her complaint against Ghazlani.



COMMENT: A WAY FORWARD ON INCREASING SECURITY FOR MUKHTAR MAI




7. (C) MMWWO will begin working on RSO recommendations to
improve the perimeter wall, but outside financial assistance
will be needed to provide them at least five additional local
guard positions to protect their compound. Their claims of
specific criminal-related threats seem to be a result of rising
tensions between Ghazlani and Akhtar over recent honor killings.
The police have made a good faith effort in setting up a police
post next to MMWWO's compound, but do not consider MMWWO's
complaints against Ghazlani to be terrorism-related. Post will
continue to appropriately support MMWWO by working with local
authorities and MMWWO to improve their security. We are,
however, reluctant to intervene in the ongoing investigations
and complaints related to recent honor killings.




8. (SBU) Action Request: Post requests DRL consider revising
plans for funding MMWWO's security improvements to conform with
RSO's recommendations, based on RSO's on-site observations.
CONROY