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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAHORE 000215 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL:  11/19/2019 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PK
SUBJECT: NOVEMBER 10 VISIT TO MUKHTAR MAI AND SECURITY ASSESSMENT 
 
REF: LAHORE 190 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: Carmela Conroy, Consul General, U.S. Consulate 
General Lahore, Department of State. 
REASON: 1.4 (b), (d) 
SUMMARY 
 
 
 
¶1. (C) ACTION REQUEST IN PARAGRAPH 8.  After the leadership of a 
local non-governmental organization (NGO) contacted Department 
of State personnel regarding terrorist threats, ConGen Lahore 
spoke with NGO staff and relevant security organizations. 
Police told us they recently contacted staff of Mukhtar Mai 
Women's Welfare Organization (MMWWO) and all other prominent 
personalities in Muzaffargarh District, to apprise them of the 
current security situation in southern Punjab.  Police have no 
information regarding specific terrorist threats against MMWWO 
or persons associated with it.  A new police post with 20 
officers has been installed next to MMWWO's compound and ConGen 
Lahore RSO has conducted a security assessment and provided 
recommendations.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
BACKGROUND: MMWWO CLAIMS OF SPECIFIC TERRORIST THREATS 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) In a November 4 email to Department of State personnel 
and calls to ConGen Lahore PolOff, MMWWO staff claimed that 
police had provided them on November 3 a report specifically 
listing them as a target by terrorists (ref A).  According to 
MMWWO staff, the report indicated a "lady suicide bomber in red 
dress" had been sent from Dera Ghazi Khan District to attack 
them.  With this in mind, ConGen Lahore RSO team went to 
Muzzarfargarh District on November 10 to assess their needs and 
offer advice to protect the organization. 
 
 
 
POLICE EXPLANATION AND ACTION 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) On November 10, Muzaffargarh District Police Officer 
(DPO) Mehboob Rasheed told ConGen Lahore RSO there was currently 
no specific threat to Mukhtar Mai or MMWWO.  DPO Rasheed assumed 
his position in late October and had asked his Deputy 
Superintendents of Police (DSPs) and Station House Officers 
(SHOs) to meet with all prominent personalities in Muzaffargarh 
District to reiterate and sensitize them to the current security 
situation.  Note: Mukhtar Mai and MMWWO reside in Meerwala, 
Jatoi Tehsil, Muzzarfargarh District, where the DSP and SHO 
report to DPO Rasheed and were present at the meeting.  They had 
no specific threat information that Mai or MMWWO were 
specifically being targeted.  DPO also said that he had asked 
all, and not specific, prominent personalities in the District 
to limit their movements in southern Punjab because of the 
current security situation, and that any movements should be 
coordinated with police in advance. 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) According to DPO Rasheed, he ordered a new police post 
with 20 police officers and an escort vehicle to be set up 
adjacent to MMWO's building.  The police post opened October 22 
and provides security to all Meerwala residents; it is situated 
right next to the only driveway that leads into the MMWWO 
compound.  He added that without "specific threats," he could 
not allocate more resources to their facility. 
 
 
 
RSO ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATION 
 
 
 
¶5. (C) RSO also separately met with Mukhtar Mai, MMWWO Manager 
Samson Salamat, and MMWWO Chief-of-Staff Naseem Akhtar on their 
compound in Meerwala.  In a security assessment of the MMWWO 
compound, RSO recommended to Mai, Salamat, and Akhtar an 
additional checkpoint, increasing the height and strengthening 
of the perimeter wall, installing perimeter lighting and solid 
core doors, and adding at least five additional guard positions. 
 Salamat agreed with the assessment and said he would start 
 
LAHORE 00000215  002 OF 002 
 
 
working on the upgrades to the wall and anti-climb wire.  Akhtar 
noted a "budget crunch" but did not elaborate further or request 
financial assistance.  Note: An additional five guard positions 
would cost 840,000 Pakistani rupees (USD 10,120) per year. 
 
 
 
CONTINUED TENSIONS OVER "HONOR KILLINGS" 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) MMWWO staff complained that the police post was rarely 
fully staffed, and that a full police station should be 
established.  Salamat said that a "criminal gangster" from Jatoi 
Tehsil named Tariq Khan Ghazlani had threatened to bomb and kill 
Mai and Akhtar because of their work.  He further believes that 
the police, especially Jatoi Tehsil police station sub-inspector 
Talib Shah, have ties to Ghazlani and are therefore reluctant to 
do anything more to protect MMWWO.  According to DPO Rasheed, 
however, Ghazlani is a close relative of the aggrieved 
petitioner in the case against Akhtar's male relatives and their 
involvement in a feudal honor killing (ref B).  DPO Rasheed 
believes there is rising tension between family and friends of 
Mai and Ghazlani because of this case.  The police have 
conducted an investigation on Ghazlani but have not to-date 
arrested him and said that Mukhtar Mai has not provided 
additional information about her complaint against Ghazlani. 
 
 
 
COMMENT:  A WAY FORWARD ON INCREASING SECURITY FOR MUKHTAR MAI 
 
 
 
¶7. (C) MMWWO will begin working on RSO recommendations to 
improve the perimeter wall, but outside financial assistance 
will be needed to provide them at least five additional local 
guard positions to protect their compound.  Their claims of 
specific criminal-related threats seem to be a result of rising 
tensions between Ghazlani and Akhtar over recent honor killings. 
 The police have made a good faith effort in setting up a police 
post next to MMWWO's compound, but do not consider MMWWO's 
complaints against Ghazlani to be terrorism-related.  Post will 
continue to appropriately support MMWWO by working with local 
authorities and MMWWO to improve their security.  We are, 
however, reluctant to intervene in the ongoing investigations 
and complaints related to recent honor killings. 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) Action Request: Post requests DRL consider revising 
plans for funding MMWWO's security improvements to conform with 
RSO's recommendations, based on RSO's on-site observations. 
CONROY