PRESIDENT BUSH'S VISIT TO PAKISTAN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 005307

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/19/2015
TAGS: PK PREL PGOV
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT BUSH'S VISIT TO PAKISTAN

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Classified By: Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, DSCG 05-01,
January 2005, Edition 1, Reason: 1.4 (B,D)



1. (C) Summary. President Bush's March 3-4 visit to Pakistan
inspired a range of opinions on the state of the US-Pakistan
relationship. Government officials, such as President
Musharraf, PM Aziz, and FM Kasuri expressed satisfaction with
the visit and its outcomes, including the launching of a
strategic dialogue and progress on counterterrorism and
defense cooperation. Opposition parties, who are typically
critical of US policy, applauded the President,s comments on
democracy. As expected, most criticism centered on a
familiar sticking point for Pakistan: India. President
Musharraf and other GOP officials, however, sought to counter
the widely held view that what is good for India must be bad
for Pakistan. End Summary.

GOVERNMENT POSITIVE ON US-PAKISTAN RELATIONS...
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2. (SBU) In public statements and private conversations
following President Bush,s March visit to Pakistan, GOP
officials have expressed satisfaction with the visit and its
outcomes. President Musharraf and PM Aziz have repeatedly
said that the visit went as they expected, and that it
strengthened Pakistan,s strategic relationship with the US
and institutionalized dialogue on energy, economic relations,
and defense cooperation. President Musharraf, in particular,
has led the way in trying to give the visit a positive spin.
Sitting through an hour-long barrage of negative and pointed
questions from eminent newspaper editors, Musharraf insisted
that he was pleased that the President overnighted in
Pakistan, and that he mentioned the importance of resolving
the Kashmir dispute.

...BUT CONCERNED ABOUT THE US-INDIA CIVIL NUCLEAR INITIATIVE
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3. (C) MFA officials*notably FM Kasuri and Pakistani
Ambassador to the US Karamat*were initially positive about
the visit, but their favorable comments were subsequently
overshadowed by their criticisms of the US-India civil
nuclear deal. The MFA criticized the deal on two (mutually
inconsistent) fronts, arguing on the one hand that it would
destroy the NPT and on the other that in the interest of
regional stability, Pakistan should get a similar deal. On
March 16, FM Kasuri told the "Financial Times" that "Once
this (deal) goes through, the NPT will be finished. It's not
just Iran and North Korea. Brazil, Argentina, and Pakistan
will all think differently." (Kasuri subsequently maintained
to the Ambassador that his remarks were distorted.) On March
17, the Foreign Ministry issued a press-release saying, "The
grant of a waiver as a special case will have serious
implications for the security environment in South Asia, as
well as for international non-proliferation efforts. The
objective of strategic stability in South Asia(would have
been better served if the United States had considered a
package approach for Pakistan and India." Continuing on this
track, it also stated, "The Agreement...would only encourage
India to continue its weapons programme without any
constraint. On its part, Pakistan would not accept any
discriminatory treatment...Pakistan will neither be oblivious
to our security requirements, nor to the needs of our
economic development, which demand growth in the energy
sector, including civilian nuclear power generation.8
Ambassador told PM Aziz that official comment critical of the
nuclear deal was helpful to neither Pakistan nor the US.
Aziz agreed. There has been no further official word on the
issue over the last week or so.

OPPOSITION WELCOMES DEMOCRACY FOCUS
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4. (U) In the days following President Bush's visit,
opposition politicians who routinely criticize US policy
towards Pakistan hailed President Bush,s statements on
democracy. PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto, former Pakistani

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Ambassador to the US Syeda Abida Hussain, and Jamait-e Islami
officials took the President's statement that the 2007
elections should be fair as a very positive sign. Bhutto was
particularly effusive in her praise, telling reporters that
the President's statement pushing for a democratic future and
fair elections reflected the sentiments of the Pakistani
people. She also praised the President for assuring
Pakistanis that "Washington,s commitment to democracy
applies to America's allies as well." Jamait-e Islami deputy
Liaquat Baloch and other MMA leaders took the President's
speech as a sign that Musharraf would have to take off his
uniform immediately and hold new elections, because "the US
is watching."

"GIVE US SOMETHING JUST AS GOOD"
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5. (C) Despite the efforts of Pakistani and US officials to
de-link the US-Pakistan and US-India relationship, many
Pakistani politicians and the ordinary public want equal
treatment with India. This theme has emerged repeatedly in a
drumbeat of negative editorials and articles, and in private
conversations with GOP officials. For example, NDC
Commandant LTG Raza Muhammed Khan told A/S Hillen during his
recent Pakistan visit that "New Delhi received far more than
it deserved" during the President's visit. PML Senator Asif
Jatoi complained to Poloff that once India got the landmark
civil-nuclear deal, "you needed to give us something big."


6. (SBU) Most government officials attempted to stay positive
in the face of such media criticism. Musharraf told critics
that they were not being rational, saying "it should not
bother us what the US does with India, because those
relationships should be viewed independently." Others, such
as Ministry of Foreign Affairs Additional Secretary
(Americas) Shahid Kamal have told US officials that as a
result of the "big" deliverables given to India, the
Pakistani public now has higher expectations for the
US-Pakistan bilateral relationship. He suggested that US
assistance in education and increased market access for
Pakistani textiles could help improve public perceptions that
the US values its relationship with India more than its
relations with Pakistan.

COMMENT
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7. (C) President Musharraf and senior leaders understand the
significance of the President's visit and appreciate his
comments on Kashmir and his willingness to overnight in
Islamabad. The fact that most other Pakistanis have a
jaundiced view is not surprising, given decades of rivalry
with India and a festering ambivalence about relations with
the US. We expect popular perceptions will change over time
as we begin to put substantive content into the various
elements of the composite dialogue. As official US visitors
meet with opposition figures in coming months, we will have
an opportunity to put to rest any doubts regarding our
commitment to democracy in Pakistan. End Comment.
CROCKER