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PP RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHLH #0205/01 2941337
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 211337Z OCT 09
FM AMCONSUL LAHORE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4207
INFO RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 4903
RUMICEA/JICCENT MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0509
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 2166
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0212
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 0889
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 1846
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 5366

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAHORE 000205 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  10/21/2034 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PK
SUBJECT: ATTACK ON ISLAMABAD ISLAMIC SCHOOL SHOCKS PUNJABIS, CLOSES 
SCHOOLS 
 
REF: LAHORE 198 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Carmela A. Conroy, Principle Officer, US 
Consulate Lahore, US Department of State. 
REASON: 1.4 (d) 
¶1.  (C) Summary.  On October 21, the Punjab provincial 
government called for all educational facilities in the province 
to close until further notice.  Immediately after the October 15 
attacks on three security installations in Lahore, some public 
and private schools closed for a few days while they assessed 
their security postures.  Others remained open because there 
were no specific threats against them.  The October 20 suicide 
bombers' attack on International Islamic University in Islamabad 
have shaken the Punjabi general public, and all schools in the 
Punjab appear to be closed, indefinitely, as of October 21. 
 
 
 
- - - 
 
Attacks on Lahore Security Institutions Bring Measured Response 
 
- - - 
 
¶2.  (U)  On October 15, anti-government operatives 
simultaneously attacked two police training facilities and the 
Federal Investigative Agency's regional headquarters, all in 
Lahore.  The attacks were complex, using various weapons, 
coordinated, and deadly, killing 27 people (18 police, 9 
insurgents) and injuring over 100, reftel.  Following these 
attacks, provincial schools operated by the Federal Board of 
Education, including military schools, were closed until October 
¶26.  The Lahore City District Government ordered the closure of 
select private schools, including the Lahore Grammar School and 
Beacon House School system, also until October 26.  Urdu medium 
schools, including government schools, remained open. 
 
 
 
¶3.  (C) Despite other private institutions closing, elite boys' 
school Aitchison College went ahead with scheduled 
extracurricular activities at its campus from October 16-18. 
Thirty-seven schools from throughout Pakistan participated.  The 
evening of October 17, Geo television news channel ran a 
headline ticker that a suicide car bomber was en route to attack 
Aitchison.  Dean of Aitchison College, Fakir Syed Aijazuddin, 
told the PO that he first learned of the possibility of a threat 
from Geo's ticker.  As a precaution, Aijazuddin concluded events 
early on October 17.  After assessing the security situation and 
deciding that Geo's report was a "negligent" reaction to a crank 
call, events on October 18 went ahead as planned with 97 percent 
participation.  Student organizers told PO that they did not 
even consider canceling the event.  They had worked too hard, 
and cancelling would "give the terrorists what they want."  As 
of the afternoon of October 20, Aijazuddin said that he would 
not close the school based on a general sense of fear.  That 
would give the terrorists what they wanted, and send the wrong 
message to the students. 
 
 
 
¶4.  (C) While the PO was at Aitchison College, Lahore Acting 
Regional Security Officer (RSO) was in a special meeting of the 
executive board of the Lahore American School (LAS).  LAS had 
closed on October 16, largely in response to parents' unease 
after the October 15 attacks.  RSO noted there were no specific 
threats against LAS, and asked rhetorically what would trigger 
LAS's reopening, if a generalized perception of threat kept it 
closed.  The executive board decided that the school would 
reopen on October 21.  RSO and the executive board agreed the 
RSO and school officials would together survey and assess the 
security of LAS, following up as needed on long-term security 
improvements and possible new security measures that can be 
implemented to secure the facility. 
 
 
 
--------- 
 
Attack on Islamabad Islamic Education Institution Brings Panic 
 
 
LAHORE 00000205  002 OF 002 
 
 
--------- 
 
¶5.  (U) Later the afternoon of October 20, two suicide bombers 
attacked the International Islamic University in Islamabad. 
Media reported eight dead and 20 wounded.  The same day, Sirdar 
Zulfikar Khan Khosa, acting Punjab Chief Minister, called for 
all public and private schools in Punjab Province to close until 
further notice.  Shortly thereafter Punjab Provincial Governor 
Salman Taseer also called for schools to close indefinitely. 
Schools may reopen once the security situation improves, 
according to Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanullah. 
 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU) As news of the attack in Islamabad spread, the LAS 
executive board members whose children attend the LAS telephoned 
each other and decided that the school should remain closed 
indefinitely.  They notified school officials and other parents 
via text messages.  During another special session of the 
executive board, in which PO participated, the board appeared 
shaken, or worse.  Members said that text messages, some 
purporting to be from government security or intelligence 
organizations, had created an environment of fear.  Based on 
parent perceptions that the LAS was insecure, the chairman 
pressed the executive board to direct the school to hire a 
security company operated by Special Support Group personnel 
(retired military special forces) who could carry assault 
weapons.  He brushed off calls by PO and other board members to 
assess LAS's security measures and fix identified flaws, instead 
of rushing to (ineffective) action. 
 
 
 
¶7. (C) Aitchison College also decided to close as of October 21, 
evacuating even boarding students.  Staff and faculty reported 
to duty as usual.  A harried-sounding Aijazuddin told the PO he 
would give Consulate Lahore personnel sanctuary if needed.  PO 
declined with thanks.  An afternoon visitor to Post, who had 
worked with non-governmental organizations in Afghanistan, 
explained why she and others found the attack in Islamabad so 
upsetting.  Prior attacks had been on uniformed targets, she 
said, but "they've started attacking their own." 
 
 
 
- - - 
 
Comment 
 
- - - 
 
¶8.  (C) While some Lahore schools closed for specific periods of 
time, for specific purposes, in response to the October 15 
attacks in Lahore, the October 20 attack on an Islamic 
university in Islamabad prompted the indefinite closure of every 
school in the province, as far as Post has been able to 
determine.  It is unclear what improvements to security measures 
or to the security situation might prompt the provincial 
government to call for schools to reopen.  Lahorites generally 
have reacted more strongly and emotionally to a simple attack on 
a single school in the capital than they did to complex (and 
more deadly) attacks on multiple security facilities in their 
own city.  We will reach out to more contacts to assess, among 
other things, how the insurgents' shift of targeting affects 
Punjabi opinion towards government counter-insurgency efforts 
and American activities in the region.  End Comment. 
CONROY