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