RELIGIOUS DELEGATION TO IRAN, SHIA POLITICAL LEADER IS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 003977 E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/26/08 TAGS: PTER PREL MNUC PK IR SUBJECT: RELIGIOUS DELEGATION TO IRAN, SHIA POLITICAL LEADER IS SURE OF IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAM REF: ISLAMABAD 3198 (LAHORE 244) CLASSIFIED BY LAHORE PRINCIPAL OFFICER GEOFFREY R. PYATT. REASON: 1.5(D) THIS IS LAHORE 320 ¶1. (C) QAISER BOKHARI, THE LAHORE CHIEF OF THE SHIA TEHRIK-E- JAFARIA-E-PAKISTAN (TJP) TOLD POLOFF MAY 26 THAT HE WAS HEADING A RELIGIOUS DELEGATION TO IRAN ON MAY 27 FOR ONE WEEK. THE TRIP OF THE MILLI YAKJETI COUNCIL (NATIONAL SOLIDARITY COUNCIL) COMES AT THE INVITATION OF THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT. LIAQAT BALOCH, THE DEPUTY CHIEF OF THE JAMAAT-ISLAMI, PAKISTAN'S LARGEST ISLAMIST PARTY, WILL ATTEND. MOHAMMAD KHAN LEGHARI, PUNJAB SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE BRELVI JAMIAT-E-ULEMA-E-PAKISTAN (NOORANI FACTION) (JUP) AND PIR EJAZ HASHMI, HUMAN RIGHTS ADVISOR TO THE PRIME MINISTER, ALSO OF THAT PARTY, WILL JOIN THE DELEGATION. MUHAMMAD NAQSHBANDI AND MAULANA NAEEM ULLAH FAROOQI WILL RESPECTIVELY REPRESENT THE FAZL-UR-REHMAN AND SAMI FACTIONS OF THE DEOBANDI (AND TRADITIONALLY ANTI-SHIA) JAMIAT-E-ULEMA-E-ISLAM (JUI). AN UNNAMED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WAHABBI-STYLE JAMAAT AHLE HADITH WILL ALSO ATTEND, BUT THE SIPAH-E-SAHABA-E-PAKISTAN, TO WHOM SHIISM IS ANATHEMA, ARE NOT GOING. THE GROUP WILL MEET WITH IRANIAN RELIGIOUS AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND WILL COMMEMORATE THE DEATH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AYATOLLAH KHOMENI ON JUNE 3. THE TRIP SUGGESTS THAT THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT IS SEEKING TO PROMOTE SHIA-SUNNI HARMONY HERE, RATHER THAN DISCORD, AS THE GOVERNMENT HAS SUSPECTED PREVIOUSLY. ¶2. (C) BOKHARI DOWNPLAYED POLITICAL CONFLICT IN IRAN, CHARACTERIZING THE KHAMENI-KHATAMI SPLIT AS "MINOR." HOWEVER, HE FRANKLY ADDRESSED THE ISSUE OF IRAN'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM. HE BELIEVES THE PROGRAM IS PROCEEDING QUICKLY, THANKS TO FORMER SOVIET SCIENTISTS "PURCHASED" FROM RUSSIA, UKRAINE, AZERBAIJAN AND UZBEKISTAN. WHILE HE SAID HE HAD NEVER MET SUCH SCIENTISTS, WHO ARE KEPT HIDDEN AWAY IN RESEARCH FACILITIES, HE SAID LEADING IRANIAN POLITICIANS HAD TOLD HIM THEY WERE PERFORMING WELL. ¶3. (C) FOUR TJP ACTIVISTS HAD BEEN KILLED (TWO IN MUZZAFFARGARH DISTRICT AND TWO IN MULTAN) SINCE OUR LAST MEETING WITH BOKHARI ON APRIL 21. HOWEVER, BOKHARI BELIEVES THAT ONLY ABOUT 20 DANGEROUS SUNNI LASHKAR-E-JHANGVI TERRORISTS REMAIN AT LARGE. BASED ON HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH LEADING LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES, HE IS OPTIMISTIC THAT THE KILLERS CAN SOON BE CAPTURED OR GUNNED DOWN. BOKHARI DID NOT REPEAT ASSERTIONS (REFTEL) THAT THE USG SUPPORTED OR SUPPORTS THE LASHKAR-E-JHANGVI. SIMONS