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FM AMCONSUL KARACHI
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KARACHI 000471 
 
USCINCCENT MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY 
 
CIA WASHDC PRIORITY 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/11/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: SINDH - DISRICT NAZIMS CONCERNED OVER FUTURE OF 
LOCAL GOVERNMENT SYSTEM 
 
Classified By: Classified by Consul General Kay Anske for reasons 1.4 b 
 and d. 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary:  During a July 21-23 visit by the Consul 
General (CG) to upper Sindh province, four district nazims 
told her that they were concerned about dissolution of the 
local government system by the new Pakistan People's Party 
(PPP) led government.  The nazims, all members of President 
Musharraf's Pakistan Muslim League (PML) party, expressed 
continued support for his leadership.  One nazim told the CG 
that, should the current government fail, Musharraf should be 
returned to power and allowed to oversee a caretaker 
government until the country can install a new democratically 
elected government.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (C)  The Consul General meet with the District Nazims 
(locally elected district officials) of Sukkur (Nasir Hussain 
Shah), Shikarpur (Arif Khan Mahar), Khairpur (Pir Syed Niaz 
Hussain Shah), and Ghotki (Ali Gohar Khan) during a July 21 
) 23 visit to upper Sindh province.  All four nazims, 
members of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) party, were 
concerned about the future of the local government system in 
Pakistan, which allows for local election of district and 
sub-district leaders.  All of them expressed support for 
fellow party member, President Pervez Musharraf. 
 
Concern Over PPP Plans for the Local Government System 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶3.  (C)  Sukkur Nazim Nasir Hussain Shah told the CG that he 
was concerned about recent talk by the federal government, 
dominated by members of the rival Pakistan Peoples' Party 
(PPP),  about abolishing the local government system.  He 
acknowledged that the system was in need of change, but 
opined that the PPP was simply maneuvering to oust PML 
elected officials, who currently make up the majority of 
elected district nazims. 
 
¶4.  (C)  In a separate meeting in the city of Ghotki, 
Khairpur Nazim Pir Syed Niaz Hussain Shah and Ghotki Nazim 
Ali Gohar Khan voiced strong concerns about PPP attempts to 
eliminate a system they claimed "had brought revolutionary 
change to Pakistan."  They described frustration among PML 
elected officials who "allowed" elections to occur and then 
accepted their outcome (in which PPP won the majority of 
seats from Sindh to the national and provincial assemblies) 
but have felt betrayed by the PPP since.  Both called for 
more devolution of powers to the district government. 
 
¶5.  (C)  The Khairpur Nazim complained that the new 
government had reduced funding to the local districts and 
opened a number of corruption inquiries into the operations 
of these districts, without uncovering evidence of any 
misappropriation of funds.  He felt this scrutiny was 
distracting and uncalled for, particularly by representatives 
of parties that, he said, were "thrown out for corruption" in 
the past. 
 
¶6.  (C)  At a July 22 meeting, Shikarpur Nazim Arif Khan 
Mahar voiced concern about a large number of school employee 
vacancies that he said the provincial government has been 
slow to address, only recently lifting a ban on filling the 
vacant positions.  Mahar concurred that the local government 
system needed reform, but not outright abolishment.  For 
example, he felt that that district governments should have 
control over the police in their district, in order to 
effectively address security issues. 
 
Distrust of New Government 
-------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (C)  During a private meeting with the CG, the nazims of 
Khairpur, Sukkur, and Ghotki expressed unbridled frustration 
with the new PPP and Pakistan Muslim League ) Nawaz (PML-N) 
coalition government.  They declared that this government has 
overseen the worst economic decline "since independence (from 
the U.K.)," causing foreign investors to leave Pakistan.  The 
three nazims claimed that the PPP and PML-N have used a 
confrontational approach to stifle opposition. 
 
 
KARACHI 00000471  002 OF 002 
 
 
Support for Musharraf 
--------------------- 
 
¶8.  (C)  The Khairpur Nazim described the situation in 
Pakistan today as "alarming," due to the declining law and 
order situation, which has adversely affected the economy, 
and declared that Musharraf was the only true leader in the 
nation.  He called for USG involvement in and funding for GOP 
operations.  The Nazim stated that if the current government 
fails, the only solution would be to establish a caretaker 
government lead by Musharraf for one to two years before 
attempting to install a new democratic government. 
 
¶9.  (C)  Comment:  All four nazims, members of Musharraf's 
PML party, are clearly at odds with the new PPP-led 
government.  This dissatisfaction likely comes as much from 
being removed from the corridors of power after nine years as 
from disappointment with the new government's performance. 
Nevertheless, the nazims that the CG met with are all wealthy 
and powerful overlords with enormous influence in upper Sindh. 
Anske