QURESHI TALKS TOUGH ON MILITANTS WITH BOUCHER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 002441

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2018
TAGS: PGOV PK PREL PTER PINR
SUBJECT: QURESHI TALKS TOUGH ON MILITANTS WITH BOUCHER

Classified By: Anne W. Patterson, Reasons 1.4 (b),(d)


1. (C) Summary: Assistant Secretary Boucher met July 2 with
Foreign Minister Qureshi. Qureshi assured Boucher that the
new Pakistani government would not "shy away from using
force" against militants in either the frontier areas or in
other parts of Pakistan. He argued that recent Frontier
Corps operations in Bara proved that the government would
enforce any negotiated peace accords. Qureshi reported that
Pakistan was now ready to go forward with the next joint
jirga with Afghanistan. Qureshi was encouraged by his recent
visit to India, having proposed four "doable" areas on which
he believed the two countries could demonstrate cooperation.
Qureshi said he looked forward to visiting the U.S. in July
and asked that the next Strategic Dialogue to be scheduled in
Washington in September. End summary.

"Multi-Pronged"
- - - - - - - -


2. (C) Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian
Affairs Richard Boucher, Ambassador Patterson and National
Security Council Senior Director Mark Webber met July 2 with
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Qureshi began his
July 2 meeting by noting the recent armed engagement in the
Bara region of the Khyber Agency. Qureshi said that the
government's use of force in the Federally Administered
Tribal Areas proved that its announced strategy to deal with
insurgents was truly "multi-pronged." As a newly-elected
government, the coalition was willing to broker peace
accords, in the hope of "separating the good from the bad."
However, Qureshi added, "we will not shy away from using
force either."


3. (C) Boucher stressed that the U.S. supported Pakistan's
policy to negotiate with tribal leaders but not with
militants. He agreed that forceful action in Bara, just
outside Peshawar, had been necessary. The U.S., he noted,
also believed that the separate peace accord in the Northwest
Frontier Province's Swat region had been breached. The
government must ensure "active enforcement," he added.


4. (C) Qureshi responded, "If they go back on their word in
Swat, we will react there too." Qureshi said he was fine
with Baitullah Mehsud's reported threat to call off talks on
Swat over the Government's actions in the tribal areas. He
concluded: "We have to engage politically, but we will not be
bullied."

Afghanistan
- - - - - -


5. (C) Qureshi raised President Hamid Karzai's recent
controversial statement that Afghanistan troops might cross
into Pakistan to go after militant elements. Qureshi
believed his own response to this "unfortunate" public remark
was calm and composed and hoped such criticisms would be
communicated in private in the future. Boucher warned,
however, that the U.S. continued to be concerned about the
increased attacks into eastern Afghanistan supported from
Pakistan's tribal areas.


6. (C) The Assistant Secretary encouraged resumption of the
bilateral Pakistan-Afghanistan jirga process. Qureshi
reported that Pakistan's delegation list, coordinated by the
Interior Ministry, was now final. He explained the delay was
caused because the new Pakistan Government wanted to get
input from the provincial governments of the Northwest
Frontier and Balochistan. The delegation had grown to 32
(above the 25 limit),and its lead had yet to be decided. He
guessed the Interior Ministry or Foreign Ministry would head
up the delegation; a tribal leader might not be sufficiently
dispassionate, Qureshi added. Boucher stressed that such
jirgas sent an important message to the militants that both
countries would and could cooperate.

A.Q. Khan
- - - - -


7. (C) Boucher noted U.S. dissatisfaction at the recent
availability of A.Q. Khan. He questioned which governmental
authority had loosened the restrictions on Khan. Without
replying directly, Qureshi assured the Assistant Secretary

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that Khan remained "isolated." Noting that Khan no longer
held any position of official authority, "his bark is worse
than his bite." Qureshi admitted, though, that Khan's
statements had been detrimental to Pakistan's international
reputation and had created suspicions in the international
community.

India
- - -


8. (C) Turning to his recent visit to India, Qureshi felt he
had "gelled" with Indian Prime Minister, having time to also
meet with the Ministers of External Affairs and Energy.
(Note: Qureshi's planned three-day trip was cut short because
of a family death.) Qureshi said he raised four "doable"
issues, for which he believed there was now domestic
civilian-military concurrence and on which the two countries
could demonstrate immediate cooperation: (1) Sir Creek
demarcation; (2) Siachen resolution (to prevent economic and
environmental loss); (3) visa liberalization (to encourage
people-to-people exchanges); and (4) trade promotion.


9. (C) In seeking common ground with India, the Pakistani
Government had a duty to convince the general population that
a "peace dividend" was possible, Qureshi argued. He believed
current bilateral trade was just the "tip of the iceberg,"
with plenty of growth possibilities in bilateral and transit
trade. He said he presented his Indian counterpart with a
list of 25 industries that could benefit from freer trade,
naming cement and textiles specifically. He highlighted
private initiatives across the border as well.


10. (C) In addition to these four issues, Qureshi said he
also raised water and energy as another future topic for
Pakistan-India discussions. He believed the two countries
needed to consider an Indus River II Accord. Boucher praised
the countries' river basin agreement as an example for the
rest of the region.

Engagement
- - - - - -


11. (C) Qureshi glowed over his recent meeting in Paris with
the Secretary. He looked forward to their meeting again in
Washington during his upcoming trip to the U.S. Boucher
noted that Prime Minister Gilani was also set to visit the
U.S. in late July, and, hopefully, State Department's
Economic Affairs Under Secretary would visit Pakistan in
mid-July. Qureshi confirmed Pakistan's interest in the next
Strategic Dialogue round for September in Washington. He
asked for these bilaterals to be more regular and for
agricultural issues to be added for discussion.


12. (C) Boucher pushed for a more cooperative Pakistani
mission at the U.N., noting Pakistan's obstructionism on a
few issues. Qureshi encouraged regular updates from Embassy,
"at my level," on the most important upcoming issues,
doubletracking discussions taking place at his mission in New
York.


13. (U) Assistant Secretary Boucher's office cleared this
message.

PATTERSON