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ACTION NEA-09
INFO OCT-01 ISO-00 CIAE-00 DODE-00 PM-03 H-02 INR-07 L-02
NSAE-00 NSC-05 PA-01 PRS-01 SP-02 SS-15 USIA-06 OMB-01
AID-05 IO-10 /070 W
--------------------- 129696
R 140900Z APR 75
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2141
INFO AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
AMEMBASSY TEHRAN
AMCONSUL KARACHI
C O N F I D E N T I A L KABUL 2296
E.O. 11652: GDS
TAGS: PFOR, PINT, PK, AF
SUBJ: EVENTS AND NON-EVENTS IN PAK-AFGHAN RELATIONS
1. SUMMARY: PAST WEEK IN PAK-AFGHAN AFFAIRS MARKED BY
CURIOUS UNWILLINGNESS ON PART OF AFGHAN GOVERNMENT TO PUBLISH
NEWS EMANATING FROM PAKISTAN THAT SHERPAO ASSASSINS HAVE
BEEN CAPTURED, AND WHAT APPEARS DELIBERATE AFGHAN DECISION
NOT TO USE SOME KIND OF DISPARAGEMENT OF STORY AS MEANS OF
FURTHERING AFGHAN POSITION. SIMILARLY, NO PUBLIC MENTION
MADE HERE OF PRIVATE AFGHAN CHARGES PAKISTANIS ARE DELIBER-
ATELY SLOWING TANSIT MERCHANDISE BOUND HERE VIA KARACHI.
PROPAGANDA WAR CONTINUES WITH EACH SIDE NOW APPEARING EQUAL
IN VENOM CONTENT, AND FROM SOUTHWEST COME STORIES OF MEASURES
AFGHANS TAKING TO INSURE NO ARMS NOR PAK AGENTS ARRIVE WITH
RETURNING NOMADS. END SUMMARY.
2. BEGINING TO APPEAR THAT BIGGEST EVENT HERE IN PAST WEEK
OF PAK-AFGHAN RELATIONS WAS IN FACT NON-EVENT: WE HAVE
NEITHER SEEN NOR HEARD ANY RESPONSE FROM AFGHAN MEDIA TO
ANNOUNCEMENT BY GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN THAT ITS AUTHORITIES
HAVE DISCOVERED MURDERERS OF SHERPAO (ISLAMABAD 2861).
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3. MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS INFORMATION OFFICE DIRECTOR
SAID IN PRIVATE CONVERSATION WITH POLCOUNS THAT THE NEWS
STORIES, WHICH HE KNEW OF BUT PROFESSED TO BELIEVE WERE
PUBLISHED ONLY IN THE PAK "PROVINCIAL PRESS", HAD NOT BEEN
FOUND W
WORTH ANY ATTENTION.CERTAINLY THIS WAS TRUE WITH
REGARD TO HIS MINISTRY, AND HE COULD ONLY ASSUME THAT AFGHAN-
ISTAN'S BAKHTAR NEWS AGENCY HAD FELT SIMILARLY. HE JESTED THAT
BAKHTAR, LIKE A FAMOUS U.S. PAPER, WAS DEVOTED TO NEWS
"FIT TO PRINT", AND APPARENTLY ARRESTS OF ALLEGED SHERPAO
ASSASSINS NOT IN THIS CATEGORY.
4. A SIMILAR NON-EVENT WAS FACT THAT AFGHAN GOVERNMENT
HAS APPARENTLY DECIDED NOT TO DISCLOSE ALLEGATIONS IT HAS
MADE PRIVATELY TO US THAT GOVERNEMNT OF PAKISTAN
DELIBERATELY SLOWING DOWN SHIPMENTS VIA PORT OF
KARACHI INTENDED FOR AFGHANISTAN. THIS SEEMS A CURIOUS OMIS-
SION IN THAT THERE HAS BEEN FAIRLY EXTENSIVE REPORTING BY
BAKHTAR AGENCY ON SUSPENSION OF THE SINDH PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY,
AND SINDH TEACHERS' STRIKE, REPORTING HAS ALSO COVERED
THOROUGHLY LABOR DISPUTES IN KARACHI, LAHORE AND HYDERABAD,
INCLUDING ONE REPORT OF RAILWAY WORKERS ON STRIKE.
5. ON PROPAGANDA FRONT, PAK RADIO BROADCAST OF APRIL 3
MONITORED HERE NOTED PREDICTING THAT AFGHAN PEOPLE, HAVING
"RECOGNIZED THE ENEMY" (DAOUD) WILL NOT "LET THESE TYRANTS
RUN AWAY TO EUROPE THIS TIME. THEY WILL KILL THEM RIGHT IN
KABUL, WHERE THEY CONTROLLED THEIR TYRANNY. THEY WILL BE
KILLED RIGHT IN THE PALACE." THIS CALL FOR DAOUD'S DEATH,
WE BELIEVE, EVENS ANY SCORES IN THE ONGOING PROPAGANDA WAR
(KABUL 2163) AND, IF INDEED THIS WERE NOT ALREADY THE CASE,
PUTS THE CLAMOR ON A "MEASURE FOR MEASURE" BASIS.
6. FINALLY, ON YET ANOTHER SUBJECT, RELIABLE STORIES LEAD US
TO BELIEVE THAT TROUBLE HAS BREWED ON AFGHANISTAN'S SOUTHWEST
FRONTIER WHERE, FEARING PAKISTANIS MAY BE SEEKING TO INSINUATE
AGENTS AND ARMS INTO THIS COUNTRY, GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO
CONSIDERABLE LENGHTS TO SEARCH TRIBAL PEOPLE RETURNING
TO HIGH PASTURES IN AFGHANISTAN AFTER WINTERING IN PAKISTAN.
MEASURES HAVE, ACCORDING TO THESE REPORTS ENGENDERED
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HOSTILITY AMONG THESE NOMADS.
ELIOT
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