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DE RUEHIL #0936/01 1211150
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FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0205
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0228
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 4824
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 1554
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 7158
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 6093
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 000936 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/05/2019 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER PREF PHUM PK
SUBJECT: FOCUSING ON RENEWED IDP ISSUES 
 
Classified By: CDA Gerald Feierstein, for reasons 1.4 (b)(d) 
 
¶1. (C)  Summary.  The number of internally displaced persons 
(IDPs) remains in flux as military operations continue in the 
Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP); post will report specific 
updates septel.  Charge and PO Peshawar have been pressing PM 
Gilani, the presidency and NWFP Chief Minister Hoti on the 
need for increased support and coordination from the GOP in 
efforts to deal with this burgeoning humanitarian crisis. 
Post recommends that the need for increased 
cooperation/coordination be raised during bilateral meetings 
with President Zardari next week in Washington.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C)  During separate meetings April 29 with PM Gilani and 
Presidency Additional Secretary for the Federally 
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) Shahzaz Arbab, Charge raised 
U.S. concern about improving Pakistani responses to the 
growing problem of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). 
Charge noted that in our discussions with Pakistani officials 
and international NGOs, there was general agreement that 
current and planned military operations could create up to 
one million IDPs.  This included the approximately 500,000 
IDPs from FATA and Swat who now are living both in and out of 
IDP camps.  Frankly speaking, said Charge, our efforts to 
help the Bajaur IDPs last year were too slow and too 
disorganized.  One of the lessons learned was that we needed 
to improve the responsiveness of the UN agencies, and we are 
pleased that the UN has deployed increased personnel to 
manage the situation in Pakistan.  We are encouraging them to 
expand further. 
 
¶3.  (C)  But a key problem that has not been solved, said 
Charge, is the need for a more complete picture of what is 
actually happening on the ground.  For this we need improved 
coordination by the Pakistani government and access to 
affected areas by the aid agencies.  Charge suggested that 
the GOP name one point of contact through whom all the 
international donors could work.  He or she should be 
empowered to coordinate at the national level among donors, 
between the national and the provincial level, and with the 
Pakistani security services. 
 
¶4.  (C)  PM Gilani agreed that it was critical to help the 
IDPs for political, humanitarian and military reasons.  The 
Taliban, he said, would exploit the situation of disgruntled 
IDPs and begin recruiting in the IDP camps.  He suggested 
that the GOP would rely on existing structures, including the 
National Disaster Management Agency headed by retired General 
Farouq to coordinate IDP assistance.  Charge pressed again, 
saying that we have been working with Farouq but that perhaps 
he needed to be empowered with a specific mandate to work 
with the military, NGOs, the Northwest Frontier Province 
government, and the U.S.  He would also need expanded staff 
to meet the impending needs.  Gilani agreed to get back to us 
after discussing the issue with his staff.  Arbab, who is a 
former FATA political agent from Peshawar, understood the 
problem immediately and suggested that President Zardari call 
a meeting on the issue with all relevant Pakistani and 
international stakeholders. 
 
¶5.  (C)  NWFP Chief Minister Haider Hoti told PO Peshawar 
April 30 that he expects Dir and Buner operations to be 
completed within about a week, but he appeared to have little 
doubt that Swat would require a military operation sooner 
rather than later.  The military, he said, has expressed deep 
concern about IDP numbers as a result of a Swat operation. 
The CM described preparations and coordination between the 
federal and provincial level, including establishment of 
camps in Mardan and a directive from Prime Minister Gilani to 
General Farouq, to remove federal level bottlenecks such as 
"No Objection Certificate" requirements for travel by 
international agencies.  PO emphasized the importance of 
access to areas with IDPs.  Consulate Peshawar reports that 
the Frontier Corps appears to be employing tactics that are 
avoiding population centers and large scale damage to 
infrastructure, which may account for the limited numbers of 
IDPs from Dir and Buner. 
 
¶6. (C)  Comment:  Our efforts to convince the GOP to improve 
coordination on the IDP issue are paying off, but the weak 
point here always is ground implementation, which requires 
pushing from the top leadership.  We suggest that Washington 
raise the need for improved IDP coordination with President 
 
ISLAMABAD 00000936  002 OF 002 
 
 
Zardari during bilateral meetings next week. 
FEIERSTEIN