PAKISTAN: 1994 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 010894 DEPARTMENT ALSO FOR S/CT FOR REAP, AND SA/PAB E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: PTER PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN: 1994 ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT REF: STATE 286744 ¶1. REFTEL REQUESTED INFORMATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT'S PREPARATION OF THE ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS ON INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. THE FOLLOWING RESPONSES ARE KEYED TO THE QUESTIONS IN PARA 3 OF REFTEL. ¶2. A. HOST GOVERNMENT PROSECUTIONS OF TERRORISTS. THE GOP IN 1994 ARRESTED SEVERAL DEFENDANTS ACCUSED OF BOMBINGS OR OTHER INTERNAL ACTS OF VIOLENCE. WHILE THE GOP OFTEN CLAIMED THAT THE INDIAN EXTERNAL INTELLIGENCE SERVICE WAS BEHIND THE ATTACKS AND SOMETIMES LABELS THEM AS INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, THE GOP HAS NOT YET PROVIDED COMPELLING EVIDENCE OF INTERNATIONAL LINKS. WE BELIEVE THAT MOST OF THESE INCIDENTS WERE CARRIED OUT BY PAKISTANI SECTARIAN ORGANIZATIONS OR CRIMINAL ELEMENTS. WE ARE UNAWARE OF ANY PROSECUTIONS ON CHARGES OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. ¶3. B. HOST GOVERNMENT EXTRADITIONS OF TERRORISTS. THE GOP SIGNED AN EXTRADITION TREATY WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF EGYPT IN 1994. THE TREATY WAS DIRECTED AT EGYPTIAN ISLAMIC MILITANTS LIVING IN THE TRIBAL AREAS OF PAKISTAN AND IN AFGHANISTAN WHO ARE WANTED ON CRIMINAL CHARGES IN EGYPT. THE TREATY HAS NOT YET ENTERED INTO FORCE, AND THEREFORE THE GOP HAS NOT YET CARRIED OUT ANY EXTRADITIONS. ¶4. C. IMPEDIMENTS TO HOST GOVERNMENT PROSECUTION/EXTRADITION. THE "TRIBAL AREAS" OF PAKISTAN BORDERING ON AFGHANISTAN ARE NOT UNDER THE COMPLETE LEGAL OR PRACTICAL AUTHORITY OF THE GOP. IT IS DIFFICULT FOR GOP AUTHORITIES TO APPREHEND SUSPECTED TERRORISTS WHO TAKE REFUGE IN THESE AREAS. ALTHOUGH FEDERAL AUTHORITIES HAVE BEEN COOPERATIVE ON COUNTERTERRORISM ISSUES, PROVINCIAL POLICE HAVE THE PRIMARY AUTHORITY FOR INVESTIGATING TERRORIST CASES AND APPREHENDING SUSPECTED TERRORISTS. MANY OF THESE PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS ARE NEITHER WELL-TRAINED NOR WELL-MOTIVATED TO CONDUCT VIGOROUS ANTI-TERRORISM INVESTIGATIONS AND OPERATIONS. PAKISTANI COUNTERTERRORISM INVESTIGATIONS AND OPERATIONS ARE ALSO LIMITED DUE TO BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS. ¶5. D. OTHER HOST GOVERNMENT RESPONSES TO TERRORISM THE GOP HAS COOPERATED FULLY IN THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION OF THE WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBING AND IN TRYING TO APPREHEND ONE OF THE SUSPECTED PARTICIPANTS IN THE BOMBING, RAMZI AHMED YOUSEF, WHO IS THOUGHT TO BE IN PAKISTAN. ¶6. E. MAJOR COUNTERTERRORISM EFFORTS IN 1994 THE GOP, ACTING ON THE REQUEST OF SEVERAL ARAB GOVERNMENTS, DURING 1994 REFUSED TO EXTEND THE VISAS OF MANY ARABS WHO HAD FOUGHT IN THE AFGHAN WAR AND WHO HAD TAKEN REFUGE IN THE TRIBAL AREAS AND PAKISTAN'S NORTHWEST FRONTIER PROVINCE. MANY OF THESE ARABS ARE SUSPECTED OF LINKS TO TERRORIST OR OTHER QUESTIONABLE ORGANIZATIONS IN THEIR HOME COUNTRIES. THE GOP ALSO CLOSED DOWN SEVERAL ARAB NGO'S IT BELIEVED MAY HAVE BEEN USED AS COVER ORGANIZATIONS FOR ISLAMIC MILITANT GROUPS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. ¶7. F. SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM. THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT ACCUSES THE GOP OF PROVIDING TRAINING AND MATERIAL SUPPORT TO MILITANTS OPERATING IN INDIAN-HELD JAMMU AND KASHMIR AND ELSEWHERE IN INDIA. GOP OFFICIALS HAVE STATED PUBLICLY THAT, WHILE THE GOP PROVIDES DIPLOMATIC, POLITICAL, AND MORAL SUPPORT FOR KASHMIR, IT IS FIRMLY AGAINST TERRORISM IN ALL ITS FORMS AND PROVIDES NO TRAINING OR MATERIAL SUPPORT FOR KASHMIRI MILITANTS. THE GOP ALSO ACCUSES THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA OF SUPPORTING TERRORIST ACTS ON PAKISTANI TERRITORY. ¶8. G. PUBLIC STATEMENTS IN SUPPORT OF TERRORISM. WE ARE UNAWARE OF ANY GOP STATEMENTS DURING 1994 IN SUPPORT OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, TERRORIST ACTS, OR COUNTRIES SPONSORING TERRORISM. SEVERAL HIGH GOP OFFICIALS, INCLUDING PM BHUTTO, DURING THE YEAR CONDEMNED SPECIFIC ACTS OF TERRORISM AND TERRORISM IN GENERAL. THE GOP CONDEMNED THE KIDNAPPINGS IN JUNE AND OCTOBER 1994 OF FOREIGN TOURISTS BY REPUTED KASHMIRI MILITANTS IN INDIAN-HELD KASHMIR AND IN NEW DELHI. ¶9. H. SIGNIFICANT CHANGES SINCE 1993. WE HAVE NOTED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE GOP'S COOPERATION AGAINST INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM DURING 1994. END OF ANNUAL TERRORISM REPORT. MONJO