PAKISTAN: 1990 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 22570 S/CT FOR BREELAND; E.O. 12536: N/A TAGS: PTER PREL PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN: 1990 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT REF: STATE 355397 ¶1. REFTEL REQUESTED INPUT FOR DEPARTMENT'S PREPARATION OF THE ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT. THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ARE KEYED TO QUESTIONS IN PARA FIVE OF REFTEL. ¶2. HOST GOVERNMENT PROSECUTIONS: THERE HAVE BEEN NO SIGNIFICANT COURT PROSECUTIONS OF TERRORIST CASES THIS YEAR. TEN OF THE ELEVEN SOVIETS ARRESTED AS A RESULT OF THE AUGUST 19, 1990, HIJACKING OF AN AEROFLOT PASSENGER AIRLINER ARE INCARCERATED IN KARACHI AWAITING TRIAL. (THE ELEVENTH RECENTLY COMMITTED SUICIDE IN PRISON.) THREE ANO TERRORISTS CONVICTED OF THE 1986 PAN AM HIJACKING IN KARACHI REMAIN IN PRISON. DURING THE RECENT ELECTION CAMPAIGN, THE GOVERNMENT CLAIMED TO HAVE UNCOVERED A "PLOT TO DESTABILIZE" THE COUNTRY, CENTERED IN THE SOUTHERN PROVINCE OF SINDH, ENCOURAGED BY THE INDIAN EXTERNAL INTELLIGENCE SERVICE AND IMPLEMENTED BY INDIVIDUALS ASSOCIATED WITH PAKISTAN'S AL ZULFIKAR ORGANIZATION ( A TERRORIST GROUP ACTIVE IN THE EARLY 1980S). A NUMBER OF PAKISTANI SUSPECTS ARE IN JAIL; THE AUTHORITIES CLAIM TO HAVE OBTAINED INFORMATION THROUGH CONFESSIONS OF INTENDED TERRORIST ACTIVITY. ¶3. EXTRADITIONS: THERE WERE NONE; THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN NEITHER EXTRADITED NOR REQUESTED EXTRADITION OF ANY SUSPECTED TERRORISTS. ¶4. SIGNIFICANT IMPEDIMENTS TO PROSECUTION OR EXTRADITION OF SUSPECTED TERRORISTS: WE ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY SIGNIFICANT SYSTEMIC (I.E., LEGAL, POLITICAL, OR PROCEDURAL) IMPEDIMENTS TO GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN EFFORTS IN THIS REGARD. ¶5. HOST GOVERNMENT RESPONSES OTHER THAN PROSECUTION: THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN IS POLITICALLY OPPOSED TO TERRORISM AND, PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY, HAS CONSISTENTLY CONDEMNED TERRORIST VIOLENCE. PAKISTAN HAS BEEN THE SCENE OF NUMEROUS TERRORIST INCIDENTS DURING 1990, PRIMARILY BOMBINGS ATTRIBUTED TO THE AFGHAN GOVERNMENT'S INTELLIGENCE SERVICE AND AFGHAN RESISTANCE GROUPS. WHILE THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN APPEARS TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO INVQGATE EACH INCIDENT FULLY, RESULTS ARE HAMPERED BY THE POLICE'S RELATIVELY LOW LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION IN FORENSIC SCIENCE AND INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUES. ¶6. MAJOR COUNTER-TERRORISM EFFORTS UNDERTAKEN BY THE HOST GOVERNMENT: PAKISTAN HAS NOT UNDERTAKEN ANY MAJOR STEPS OR DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVES IN 1990. PAKISTAN PARTICIPATES IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT'S ANTI-TERRORISM ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, AND ONE TRAINING COURSE IN CRISIS MANAGEMENT WAS PROVIDED THIS YEAR TO EIGHTEEN PARTICIPANTS. THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN HAS ATTEMPTED ON A CONTINUING BASIS TO ENHANCE ITS ANTI-TERRORIST AND LAW ENFORCEMENT CAPABILITIES. HOWEVER, THE ABSENCE OF EFFECTIVE CENTRALIZED NATIONAL POLICE AGENCIES, AND THE HIGHLY POLITICIZED NATURE OF SENIOR LEVELS OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT BUREAUCRACY, HAVE MADE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION DIFFICULT. SINCE THE 1986 PAN AM HIJACKING, THE AUTHORITIES HAVE IMPLEMENTED AND MAINTAINED GOOD AIRPORT SECURITY PROCEDURES. ¶7. DESCRIBE ANY SIGNIFICANT HOST GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM: THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN DOES NOT SUPPORT TERRORIST GROUPS. INDIA HAS PERIODICALLY CHARGED PAKISTAN WITH SUPPORTING LOCAL INSURGENTS IN THE INDIAN PUNJAB AND KASHMIR, INCLUDING PROVIDING OR TOLERATING SANCTUARIES AND TRAINING CAMPS ON THIS SIDE OF THE BORDER. THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN SAYS IT GIVES MORAL SUPPORT TO THE KASHMIRI INSURGENTS BUT DENIES THE INDIAN ACCUSATIONS OF TANGIBLE AID. ¶8. HAS THE HOST GOVERNMENT MADE ANY PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF A TERRORIST-SUPPORTING COUNTRY ON A TERRORISM ISSUE? THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN HAS NOT GIVEN ANY PUBLIC SUPPORT TO A TERRORISM-SUPPORTING COUNTRY ON A TERRORISM ISSUE. AS FAR AS WE ARE AWARE, IT HAS NOT OFFERED ANY SUCH SUPPORT PRIVATELY EITHER. ¶9. DESCRIBE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE SINCE 1989: THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE INQ ATTITUDE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN TOWARD INTERNATIONAL OR DOMESTIC TERRORISM. OAKLEY