LETTER FROM CONGRESSMAN BONKER ON HUMAN RIGHTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00148R000200480021-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 6, 2008
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: April 19, 1982
• Content Type: CABLE

Approved For Release 2008/08/06: CIA-RDP84BOO148R000200480021-0
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 001
TOR: 190421Z APR 82
00 RUEAIIB
ZNY CCCCC ZOC STATE ZZH
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FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3102
ST
C 0 N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 05824
E.O. 12065: GDS 4/8/88 (HIRSCH, JOHN) OR-P -
TAGS: SHUM PK
SUBJECT: LETTER FROM'. CONGRESSMAN BONKER,,ON HUMAN RIGHTS
REFS: A) STATE 100012; B) ISLAMABAD 2591;
C) ISLAMABAD 5373
1. (C) ENTIRE TEXT.
2. BELOW ARE OUR COMMENTS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
IN REPLYING TO CONGRESSMAN DON BONKER'S APRIL 2 LETTER
TO THE SECRETARY IN WHICH HE EXPRESSED HIS CONCERN ABOUT
THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN PAKISTAN (REFTEL A).
3. WE DO NOT AGREE WITH THE CONGRESSMAN'S BLANKET STATE-
MENT THAT SINCE THE CONCLUSION OF THE ECONOMIC AND
MILITARY ASSISTANCE PACKAGE THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN
PAKISTAN HAS GONE FROM BAD TO WORSE. AS YOU KNOW, IN OUR
EVALUATION OF THE JANUARY, 1982 AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN PAKISTAN (REFTEL B). WE TOOK
EXCEPTION WITH THE AMNESTY FINDING THAT THE HUMAN RIGHTS
SITUATION DETERIORATED THROUGHOUT 1981. WE CONCLUDED
INSTEAD THAT THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN 1981 VARIED
IN RESPONSE TO DOMESTIC POLITICAL AND SECURITY DEVELOPMENTS
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES PEAKED IN MARCH, 1981 IN THE WAKE OF
THE FORMATION OF THE MRD AND THE PIA HIJACKING. BUT THE
SITUATION GRADUALLY IMPROVED THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF
THE YEAR AND INTO JANUARY, 1982 WITH THE FORMATION OF
THE FEDERAL ADVISORY COUNCIL.(FAC) AND THE LIFTING OF
PRECENSORSHIP.
4. IN OUR VIEW, THE 1982 ANTI-CRIME CRACKDOWN REPRESENTS
ANOTHER DOWNTURN IN RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN RESPONSE
TO POLITICAL AN SECURITY DEVELOPMENTS, BUT AGAIN NOT
IN THE STARK TERMS ASSERTED BY CONGRESSMAN BONKER.
IN OUR WRAPUP ON THE CRACKDOWN, (REFTEL C) WE CONCLUDED
THAT IT REPRESENTS AN ATTEMPT BY THE GOP TO EE RESPONSIVE
TO LAW AND ORDER CONCERNS EXPRESSED BY DELEGATES AT THE
FIRST SESSION OF THE FAC. THE MURDER OF FORMER NWFP
GOVERNOR ARBAB SIKANDER FURTHER ADDED TO PUBLIC CONCERN
ABOUT THE LAW AND ORDER SITUATION. WE ALSO NOTEDTHAT
THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A POLITICAL MOTIVE FOR ASPECTS OF
THE CRACKDOWN. WE POINTED TO THE FACT THAT AS MANY AS ONE
QUARTER OF THE 4,500 DETAINEES IN SIND PROVINCE WERE
AFFILIATED WITH POLITICAL PARTIES. HOWEVER, WE DO NOT
State Dept. review completed
N I ENT A.L
OPP/LLB
INCOMING
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AGREE WITH MAULANA NOORANI'S CONTENTION' THAT 99 PERCENT
OF?.THOSE ARRESTED NATIONWIDE WEREPOLITICAL TYPES.
POLITICAL ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN BANNED SINCE OCTOBER, 1979
UNDER MARTIAL LAW REGULATION 33. THE MAXIMUM SENTENCE FOR
VIOLATORS OF MLR 33 IS SEVEN YEARS AND 20 LASHES, NOT
INDEFINITE IMPRISONMENT.
5. YOU MAY WANT TO CALL TO CONGRESSMAN BONKER'S ATTENTION
THAT THE AMBASSADOR HAS MADE A POINT TO HIGHLIGHT OUR
CONCERN ABOUT THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN PAKISTAN
BOTH IN DISCUSSIONS WITH GOP OFFICIALS AND IN SEVERAL
PUBLIC ADDRESSES.
6. YOU MAY ALSO WANT TO CLARIFY THE FACTS REGARDING THE
FIVE INDIVIDUALS MENTIONED IN THE THIRD PARAGRAPH OF
THE CONGRESSMAN'S LETTER. THEY WERE NOT ARRESTED AS PART
OF THE CRACKDOWN. GHULAM AHMAD BILORE, SYG OF THE NDP
WAS ARRESTED ALONG WITH WALI AND BEGUM KHAN IN A MARCH 14
DEMONSTRATION IN PESHAWAR PROTESTING THE MURDER OF FORMER
NWFP GOVERNOR ARBAB SIKANDER. ALL THREE WERE RELEASED.
WITHIN 72 HOURS. FATEHYAB ALI KHAN AND MAIRAJ MOHAMMAD
KHAN WERE PICKED UP ON A PREVENTIVE DETENTION ORDER
ON MARCH 22 BECAUSE THEY WERE ORGANIZING A RALLY TO BE
HELD AT THE QUAID-I-AZAM'S TOMB IN KARACHI ON PAK
NATIONAL DAY (MARCH 23).. THEY TOO W.fRE RELEASED AFTER
72 HOURS. -EDITOR OF THE PRO-PPP WEEKLY "AL FATAH" IRSHAD
RAO AND HIS ASSISTANT WAHID BASHIR WERE ARRESTED IN
JANUARY, 1981 AND SENTENCED IN MARCH 1982 BY A SPECIAL
MILITARY COURT TO ONE YEAR IMPRISONMENT AND TEN LASHES
FOR PRINTING OBJECTIONABLE LITERATURE.
SPIERS
END OF MESSAGE CONFIDENTIAL
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Approved For Release 2008/08/06: CIA-RDP84BOO148R000200480021-0