VZCZCXRO1592
RR RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHIL #2868 2421022
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 291022Z AUG 08
FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8566
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 9061
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 3699
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 8590
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 0237
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 5977
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 4784
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIL/ODRP ISLAMABAD PK

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 002868 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: ECON EINV ETRD PGOV PREL PK AF
SUBJECT: PLANNING FOR ROZS: STAKEHOLDERS MEETING ON LOCATIONS 
 
¶1. (SBU) Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) Chief Minister Ameer 
Haider Khan Hoti convened an August 21 meeting between provincial 
and federal officials to discuss the selection of Reconstruction 
Opportunity Zones (ROZs) in the NWFP and Federally Administered 
Tribal Areas (FATA).  Federal Minister for the Frontier Region 
Najmuddin Khan and FATA native Hamidullah Jan Afridi, Federal 
Minister of Environment, represented the federal government. 
Following the meeting, the NWFP government announced the formation 
of a standing ROZ implementation committee, chaired by the NWFP 
Minister of Industries and comprised of representatives from the 
federal government, NWFP government and FATA authority.  The 
committee has been tasked to identify existing industrial estates in 
the NWFP and FATA for ROZ designation.  The committee will 
reportedly submit its recommendations to the GOP by the end of 
September. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Local media reports that provincial and federal officials 
remain at odds over the location of the proposed zones.  NWFP Chief 
Minister Hoti was quoted as saying that the Government of Pakistan 
(GOP) will only consider sites that are "ready for investment and 
already have all infrastructure facilities" for first round site 
selection.  Declaring that the ROZs are a means for employment 
generation in and around Pakistan's tribal areas, Hoti conceded that 
the GOP will likely select locations in the settled and more stable 
parts of the NWFP, in which "economic activities can start 
tomorrow."  In contrast, Federal Minister for the Frontier Region 
Najmuddin Khan advocated that ROZs be placed in NWFP-administered 
tribal areas, including Lower and Upper Dir, Swat, Buner and 
Chitral.  Khan reportedly encouraged the GOP to designate the 
provincial tribal areas as a means of reducing Taliban and extremist 
influence in the province. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Comment:  Collaboration between federal and provincial 
governments remains critical to the success of the ROZ selection 
process.  All three government entities in question- the federal 
government, provincial government and FATA authority- will have to 
cooperate and compromise in order to quickly and effectively 
designate sites for future ROZs.  Post will continue to work closely 
with the relevant authorities to urge inter-governmental cooperation 
to ensure that sites with the greatest potential benefit are 
selected as ROZs. Post also continues to press for cooperation on 
labor and customs issues in advance of ROZ implementation. End 
Comment. 
 
PATTERSON