NAWAZ SHARIF TELLS CODEL KYL TO TALK TO ALL PARTIES

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 LAHORE 000076

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 4/17/2019
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV PK
SUBJECT: NAWAZ SHARIF TELLS CODEL KYL TO TALK TO ALL PARTIES

CLASSIFIED BY: Matthew Lowe, Acting Principal Officer, Consulate
Lahore, U.S. Department of State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
1.(C) Summary: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif told a
congressional delegation led by Senator Jon Kyl April 8 that
political parties in Pakistan must fight together against
terrorism, which has now reached Punjab. Punjab Chief Minister
Shahbaz Sharif emphasized the importance of education in
countering extremism, and former Finance Minister Sartaj Aziz
stressed that the U.S. must cooperate with Pakistan. In
response to criticism regarding the Bush Administration's
treatment of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N),Senator
Kyl underscored that his delegation's visit to Lahore represents
a new, bipartisan start to U.S. engagement with Pakistan. End
Summary.

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Parties United Against Terrorism
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2. (C) In an April 8 meeting in Raiwind with Former Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif, Senator Jon Kyl emphasized that his
bipartisan delegation represented both Democratic and Republican
support for the Obama Administration's new strategy in Pakistan
and Afghanistan. Nawaz noted that no single party can deal with
the significant problems, primarily terrorism, that Pakistan
faces. In the past, he quipped, "rather than fighting terrorism,
we were fighting democracy." After the restoration of Chief
Justice Iftikar Chaudhry, Nawaz said, he hopes President Zardari
would now fulfill the obligations of the Charter of Democracy
(COD),but he admitted that he placed more trust in Prime
Minister Gilani than Zardari. He called for the political
parties to put aside their differences and fight terrorism by
convening politicians, security forces, military and civil
society leaders in a conference. Without such unity, Nawaz
commented, each part of government has gone in different
directions.

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Shahbaz: "No Other Option" But to Win
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3. (C) Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif contended that the
terrorist threat in Pakistan goes back to the war in
Afghanistan, which created a "gunrunning culture" that
challenged political legitimacy, particularly after Musharraf
took over. He lamented that terrorism has made its way to
Punjab, as shown by the March attacks on the Sri Lankan cricket
team and police training center. Shahbaz believed that education
can help "dry the pipeline" that provides the foot soldiers for
extremist groups. He detailed a provincial program to establish
"Danish" (wisdom) schools in Punjab, which would provide a
modern education that can compete with the radical madrassas.


4. (C) Shahbaz observed that the global community has "keenly
watched" the Pakistan government enter into a peace deal with
the Taliban in Swat. He explained that the Taliban in
Afghanistan succeeded in making the lawless area weapons-free
and crime-free. The lack of a functioning judicial system and
"galloping corruption" could prompt Shari'a to spread to other
areas, he warned.

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The Three D's: Defense, Diplomacy and Development
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5. (C) Former Finance Minister Sartaj Aziz agreed that
diplomatic, developmental and military engagement must occur
simultaneously to deal with the extremist threat. He suggested
that the U.S. differentiate "hard core" ideological Taliban from
those who only join at the local level for money. He advised
that a National Assembly resolution laying out a national
counterterrorist plan would provide a "homegrown strategy" that
could define the war as Pakistan's war. Aziz also urged that
the U.S. address its issues with Pakistan's intelligence
agencies behind closed doors, and avoid airing complaints in the
media, which has generated distrust of the U.S. and weakened the
institution at a critical time. Senator Kyl acknowledged the
role that intelligence plays on fighting al Qaeda and Pakistan's
continual support of the U.S. in fighting terrorism, claiming
that "no country has assisted the U.S. more than Pakistan." The
delegation is here, he reassured, to come to a common
understanding about these issues and find a way to move forward.

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U.S. Support for Long March and PML-N Lacking

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6. (C) Identifying herself as an attorney, Representative Jane
Harman praised the long march as a meaningful expression of
Pakistan's dedication to the "rule of law." Leader of the
Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan
commented that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) provided
the "street power" for the long march and, while he appreciated
the Representative's interest in judicial reform, he criticized
the U.S. absence during the push for the restoration of the
Chief Justice. Nisar Ali Khan recalled that the PML-N has
always supported a strong relationship between Pakistan and the
U.S., but complained that the Bush Administration had played
favorites by supporting the Musharraf regime. Pakistan and the
U.S. need to move forward with a common agenda to fight the war
against extremism, he underlined. The collateral damage from
missile strikes has also built distrust of the U.S., he
reported. He urged that the U.S. support the passage of a
resolution against extremism supported by the people. Pakistanis
themselves, he stated, can resolve and fight the war on their
terms but must retain credibility in the eyes of the public.


7. (C) Senator Kyl stated that, while the U.S. considers its
"footprint" in Pakistan before making any move, the U.S. track
record in the region justifies Pakistan's skepticism about U.S.
commitment. Still, he clarified, the two countries have strong
ties that will allow the relationship to strengthen.
Representative Harman underscored that given the cross-border
economic and security linkages "it is impossible to withdraw
from Pakistan at this point." She cited President Obama's April
7 speech in Turkey, where he declared that the U.S. must learn
from and engage fully with the Muslim world.

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Pakistan Government Not Responsible for A.Q. Khan's Actions
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8.(C) Representative Harman raised the issue of proliferation
and the safety of nuclear technology in Pakistan. Nawaz
responded that Pakistan has put in place sufficient
command-and-control systems in consultation with the U.S. Nawaz
contended that the "state cannot be held responsible for the
actions of individuals."

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Bush Was Musharraf's Best Friend
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9. (C) Nawaz groused again that Bush had become "best friends"
with Musharraf. Nisar Ali Khan added that Bush had at one
point publicly announced that Nawaz had grown close to militant
groups. Senator Kyl insisted that his visit to Raiwind
illustrated a renewed effort to engage Nawaz. "I don't find it
productive to rehash what Bush has said. We need to have a
common set of values that transcend administrations," he urged.
He pointed out that his delegation will only travel to Pakistan,
not India, because Pakistan holds the key to stability in the
region. Shahbaz reported that he had a productive meeting the
day before with Ambassador Holbrooke, who had pledged the
support of the U.S. Government in the Pakistani fight against
militants.

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Afghan and Mexican Borders Have Different Problems
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10. (C) Senator Jeff Sessions observed that an unstable
Afghanistan poses a threat to the region and asked that Pakistan
do more to secure its borders. Although he noted that the
security agencies would have a better response, Nisar Ali Khan
noted that 1600 Pakistanis have been killed trying to protect
the country. He assured the delegation that he too wants a
Pakistan at peace with itself and its neighbors. Khan compared
the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to the U.S.-Mexican border,
which the U.S. has also had difficulty securing. Senator Kyl
remarked that securing the Mexico border is an issue of desire,
not ability.


11. (C) Shahbaz emphasized the importance of bringing Pakistan
and India together and the critical role that India plays in
the region. Senator Kyl concluded that the discussion would help
inform Congressional deliberations to move forward on the
Pakistan strategy.

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12. (C) Meeting Participants:
Pakistan
-- Nawaz Sharif, Former Prime Minister
-- Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister
-- Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Leader of the Opposition in the
National Assembly
-- Sartaj Aziz, former Finance Minister
-- Ambassador (ret) Latif Fatimi
U.S.
-- Senator John Kyl
-- Senator Jeff Sessions
-- Representative Jane Harman
-- Representative John Kline
-- Representative Chris Carney
-- Tim Morrison, National Security Policy Advisor to Senator Kyl
-- Jennifer Stewart, National Security Advisor to Rep. Boehner
-- Sandy Luff, Military Legislative Advisor to Senator Sessions
-- CDR C.J. Cassidy, Navy Senate Liaison
-- Lt. Natalie Schultz, Navy Senate Liaison
-- Deputy Chief of Mission Jerry Feierstein
-- Acting Principal Officer Matthew Lowe
-- Political Officer Stephanie Hackenburg, notetaker
LOWE