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C O N F I D E N T I A L PESHAWAR 000066 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  2/10/2016 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC KISL PK
SUBJECT: SECTARIAN VIOLENCE ERUPTS IN THE SOUTH 
 
REF: ISLAMABAD 2218 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Michael Spangler, Principal Officer, Amconsul 
Peshawar, State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
 
 
 
SUMMARY 
--------------- 
¶1.  (SBU)  After a relatively quiet five years, the Northwest 
Frontier Province's (NWFP) southern district of Hangu erupted in 
sectarian violence on February 9, the tenth day of Muharram. 
Two bomb blasts, reportedly caused by suicide bombers, shattered 
a Shi'a procession around noon, killing thirty-one people and 
leaving dozens seriously injured.  Gunfire quickly broke out, 
escalating to heavy weapon use; angry mobs torched the city's 
main bazaar; and violence lasted throughout the night.  The 
Pakistan Army has been mobilized to seal off the city and impose 
a curfew.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  Shortly after the explosions ripped through the Shi'a 
procession, gunfire broke out between rival Sunni and Shi'a 
groups, claiming the lives of four innocent bystanders in the 
first hour.  District Nazim Ghani-ur Rehman appealed to Kohat 
Army Commander Major General Gul Mohammed to impose a curfew and 
seal off the city before violence escalated further.  However, 
Army units could not arrive in time to prevent protestors from 
taking to the streets and torching the Hangu Bazaar.  Once 
taking up their positions around the city, the Army witnessed 
heavy weapons fire throughout the night until around 0900 today. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  NWFP Governor Khalil ur-Rehman is meeting with Joint 
Chiefs of Staff Chairman Ehsan ul-Haq today to ensure adequate 
assets are in place to prevent the spread of violence to the 
adjoining Kurram and Orakzai Agencies containing 
Shi'a/Sunni-divided populations.  In addition, the NWFP 
government has moved swiftly to appoint an investigation 
committee headed by a Peshawar High Court Judge and announced 
compensation for the dead and injured. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  In a related development, sectarian violence broke 
out in Tank District (adjoining South Waziristan) on February 6. 
 A Sunni mob attacked a Shi'a procession, reportedly injuring 
several participants.  Arrests by local police stamped out the 
violence.  Elsewhere in the NWFP, Muharram has been marked by 
tense calm and heightened security. 
 
COMMENT 
--------------- 
¶5.  (C)  Hangu is not new to sectarian violence.  In 2001, the 
GOP imposed a military curfew on the city, after sectarian 
violence claimed sixteen lives.  In 1997, fourteen died in a 
similar outbreak.  This time, the GOP has moved much faster and 
more decisively than in the past, probably calculating that such 
efforts are essential to preserve the peace in Kurram and 
Orakzai.  Nonetheless, the GOP's writ of authority may be 
challenged if the relatively large loss of life spurs a wave of 
revenge attacks. 
 
¶6.  (C )  Over the past three years, the NWFP's Muttahida 
Majlis-e Amal (MMA) government has often taken credit for 
fostering sectarian harmony.  The Hangu violence throws the 
MMA's claim into doubt.  Just as importantly, the reported 
suicide bombings are raising concerns here that Islamist 
militant groups are poised to use this weapon more widely in the 
NWFP.  The NWFP continues to be wracked by a rising tempo of 
protests, initially sparked by the Bajaur incident, recently 
sustained by the European cartoon publications, and now possibly 
cresting with sectarian violence.  END COMMENT. 
 
SPANGLER