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FM USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9742
INFO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1691
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
AFGHA/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 0111
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 UNVIE VIENNA 000304 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
C O R R E C T E D  C O P Y (DELETED SPACE) 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: KCRM PREL PTER SNAR EAID UN AF PK CA RU IR UK
SUBJECT:  UNODC PLANS BIG FOR PAKISTAN 
 
UNVIE VIEN 00000304  001.3 OF 002 
 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: At a June 15 meeting, UNODC Deputy Director for 
Operations Bernard Frahi shared with us the terms of reference for 
his recent mission to Pakistan and UNODC's plans for its program 
there.  (Mission report and terms of reference were emailed to the 
Department - IO/T, INL/PC, and SCA.)  Based on meetings in Islamabad 
and Lahore with Pakistani officials, key donor representatives and 
UN officials, Frahi and his colleagues identified four areas in 
which UNODC could play a meaningful role; (i) counternarcotics, (ii) 
strengthening civilian police, (iii) criminal justice reform, (iv) 
counter-terrorism.  More particularly, Frahi and others at the UNODC 
have concluded that improving security, including strengthening 
civilian police and the justice system, should be an area of focus 
for UNODC. Frahi is developing a concept paper for an UNODC work 
plan, which he will use to solicit contributions from donors, 
primarily through the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Group.  He 
estimated that the plan would require USD 19 million, although the 
immediate needs, to staff up UNODC's Islamabad office, are estimated 
in the USD 700,000 to USD 900,000 range.  Our AFPAK Strategy and new 
donor interest in Pakistan have encouraged UNODC to increase its 
engagement in Pakistan, and we believe that it is moving in the 
right direction.  END SUMMARY. 
 
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Whom They Met 
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¶2. (SBU) Frahi travelled on UNODC mission to Pakistan June 1-6, 
along with UNODC Integrated Programming Unit Chief Mark Shaw and 
Terrorism Prevention Branch Expert Ilias Chazis.  He described his 
mission, intended to identify both priority areas of donor interests 
and available bilateral resources, as "positive" and "terrific." He 
and his colleagues met with the Pakistani Ministers of Interior, 
Finance, and the Planning Commission.  In addition, they met senior 
officials from a spectrum of agencies, including Foreign Affairs, 
Law, Justice and Human Rights, Narcotics Control, Economic Affairs, 
and National Reconstruction.  They also met the Supreme Court 
Registrar, and heads of law enforcement agencies, including the 
Intelligence Bureau, Federal Investigation Authority, National 
Police Bureau, National Crisis Management Cell, and National 
Coordinator of the Counter Terrorism Authority, as well as General 
Syed Jaffery, head of Pakistan's Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF).  During 
a day visit to Lahore, they met the Inspector General of Police and 
the Director General of Prisons for Punjab province. Furthermore, 
they met with representatives of the embassies of U.S., Canada, UK, 
Italy, Japan, European Union, France, Germany, and Greece.  They 
also met with UN officials Jean Arnault from UN's Department of 
Political Affairs, who is Special Adviser of the Friends of 
Democratic Pakistan Group, and Fikret Akcura, UN Resident 
Coordinator in Pakistan. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
Four Pillars for a Pakistan Strategy: Counternarcotics 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) According to Frahi, his mission helped him refine four main 
areas for UNODC intervention; (i) counternarcotics, (ii) 
strengthening civilian police, (iii) criminal justice reform, (iv) 
counter-terrorism. For counternarcotics, UNODC would continue to 
foster regional cooperation already underway through the Triangular 
Initiative and the Dubai process. UNODC would facilitate joint 
operations among Pakistani law enforcement groups by improving 
Pakistani law enforcement intelligence collection and sharing.  He 
noted the support of the Finance Ministry for a revised version of 
the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA), expected to be signed in 
mid-September, which will allow the inspection of cargo between 
Afghanistan and Pakistan. He remarked that while ANF head Major 
General Jaffery had been cooperative, UNODC would need to establish 
border liaison offices in sensitive parts of Pakistan, such as 
Quetta (Pakistan) and Chaman (Afghanistan), in order to implement 
the Triangular Initiative.  Furthermore, Frahi believes that UNODC 
would need to work with local authorities to resolve the security 
issue in Baluchistan before it can tackle drug trafficking through 
that region. 
 
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Strengthening Civilian Police 
----------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Frahi described the police as fragmented and lacking in 
equipment and training.  Pakistan has brought former military 
 
UNVIE VIEN 00000304  002.3 OF 002 
 
 
officers out of retirement to serve as police in the Northwest 
Frontier Province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Frahi 
observed, but they lack training in civilian police work.  He cited 
the need to train the police to gather forensic evidence for 
investigations of crimes such as kidnapping (which he claims to 
occur at the rate of one every 36 hours), to conduct organized crime 
threat assessments, improve police service and civilian oversight. 
Frahi said that the UNODC had already provided some training to 
Pakistan to help them set up a forensic lab in Islamabad, but such 
centers need to be replicated in the provinces, e.g., in Punjab. 
Frahi acknowledged that the population distrusts the civilian 
police. 
 
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Reforming the Criminal Justice System 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) The third pillar of the proposed strategy is to strengthen 
the criminal justice system, including the restoration of law and 
order in the Northwest Frontier Provinces and Federally Administered 
Tribal Areas. More specifically, Frahi described the prisons as 
being overcrowded, without separation and proper control of women 
prisoners.  He referred to the view of the Punjab Director of 
Prisons that his province needs many more than the existing 36 
prisons.  Frahi advocated an assessment of such needs. 
 
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Counter-Terrorism 
----------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Frahi noted that UNODC's Terrorism Prevention Branch is 
already doing work in this area - helping member states to draft 
legislations to meet the requirements of UNSC resolutions.  In 
Frahi's view, UNODC could work with Pakistan's National Coordinator 
of the Counter-Terrorism Authority to draft legislations for a 
national counter-terrorism strategy for Pakistan. 
 
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Next Steps for UNODC 
-------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) To follow up on his visit, UNODC will hold an offsite to 
prepare a "concept note" that will translate the priorities 
identified on Frahi's mission into concrete projects.  He estimated 
UNODC's new Pakistan program would cost USD 19 million. (Note: For 
comparison, UNODC's program in Afghanistan costs USD 20 million. 
End Note.) The most immediate need would be to strengthen the UNODC 
office in Islamabad for USD 700,000 - USD 900,000. This will cover 
the addition of one or two experts and the development of a program. 
UNODC would seek a "real doer" with the "proper profile" to fill the 
top position, someone who can formulate projects and upgrade them as 
needed. The concept note, which Frahi planned to complete by June 
29, would become a project document to be circulated among donors. 
It is unlikely to include any UNODC office in the Northwest Frontier 
Province because of the poor security situation. 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) Frahi noted that Canada had expressed interest in UNODC's 
work in Pakistan, viewing it as a tool for advancing the Dubai 
Process.  (Note:  This is the Canadian initiative to promote 
cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan. End Note.)  Frahi 
asked what the UK and U.S. could contribute to UNODC's work in 
Pakistan.  Counselor promised to relay his question to Washington. 
The upcoming July 1 UNODC Major Donors meeting would be a venue to 
offer some preliminary USG reactions. 
 
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Comment 
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¶9. (SBU) To date UNODC has had a meager program in Pakistan.  Our 
new AFPAK strategy, followed by expressions of interest in Pakistan 
from major UNODC donors, such as Japan and Italy, has encouraged 
UNODC to look for ways to expand its Pakistan activities within the 
constraints of security limitations.  Its mission to Pakistan, on 
the heels of its participation in the Tokyo meeting of the Friends 
of Pakistan, has helped the Secretariat to focus on how UNODC could 
supplement existing bilateral and multilateral assistance programs 
to the country. Improving security is a good start, and we look 
forward to learning the specifics of its program for the country. 
 
END COMMENT. 
 
PYATT