PAKISTAN: NEXT STEPS AFTER MILIBAND'S VISIT

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 LONDON 000230

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEAPT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/INS, AND SCA/PB

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2019
TAGS: PREL EAID PTER KDEM IN PK UK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN: NEXT STEPS AFTER MILIBAND'S VISIT

REF: A. LONDON 71

B. SCA/FO-LORD EMAILS

C. 08 LONDON 3001

Classified By: Richard Mills, reasons 1.4 (b/d).


1. (C/NF) Summary. Pakistan's engagement and public
messaging about its actions in the aftermath of the Mumbai
bombings formed the core of Foreign Secretary Miliband's
script during his January 16-17 visit to Islamabad.
Miliband, according to FCO Pakistan Team leader Laura Hickey,
was re-assured from his conversations with senior GOP
officials that the GOP planned to prosecute the Mumbai
attackers. To move forward on planning for the Friends of
Pakistan meeting and on the FATA Roadmap, Hickey suggested
HMG and the USG have consultations, possibly via
videoconference, to iron out details about the Trust Fund and
other next steps. End Summary.

Miliband Reassured
--------------


2. (C/NF) Following his January 13-15 visit to India
(septel),Foreign Secretary Miliband visited Islamabad
January 16-17. From his GOP meetings, Miliband was
re-assured that many in the GOP, including Minister of
Interior Rehman Malik and Foreign Minister Qureshi, were
committed to prosecution of Pakistanis involved in the
November Mumbai bombings, FCO Pakistan Team leader Laura
Hickey said January 26. Miliband encouraged the GOP to show
publicly what it was doing on the investigation and explain
the process. Miliband was pleased by the statement Malik
issued the day after their visit about the proceedings, even
if "things remained a bit murky." HMG plans to continue
pushing the GOP to make the process clear and to make it
public. Miliband suggested that Malik write a list of
information that the GOP needs from the Indians for
prosecution, as a way to have back-channel cooperation. Good
messaging and presentation on the Mumbai bombings was
Miliband's core message.


3. (C/NF) According to Hickey, the visit also confirmed for
Miliband HMG's analysis of the extent and role of
Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) (reftel A).
The organizations are extensive and popular, and as such it
will be difficult for the GOP to take action against them in
a short period of time, certainly longer than it will take
for the GOP to prosecute the Mumbai attackers. Hickey said
Miliband's sense of the situation was that it is a "race
against time," as the capacity and capability for LeT to
mount attacks remains. Hickey said it would be helpful for
HMG and the USG to consult on our analysis of the JuD's
social/charity networks and devise ways to undermine the
organization's credibility.

Miliband with Sharif
--------------


4. (C/NF) Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Nawaz
Sharif told Miliband that the Punjab authorities were
cooperating completely. Hickey said Miliband questioned
Sharif's sincerity and pushed hard on Sharif's mutual
interest in shutting down extremist networks, especially if
he continues to have national political aspirations. Such
organizations would limit his authority if he were in
Pakistan's top position. Miliband questioned after his
meeting with Sharif if the Punjab authorities had allowed the
police to give JuD leaders advance notifications of the
police raids conducted in the wake of the Mumbai bombings.
Hickey asserted, however, that Miliband had the sense that
Sharif genuinely wanted to shut down the networks but was
scared for his own safety and unsure of the political capital
it would cost.

Friends of Pakistan Meeting

LONDON 00000230 002 OF 002


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5. (C/NF) Hickey said that Miliband is unsure of his
attendance at the Tokyo meeting and was waiting to see who
would represent the USG. She said President Zardari had
asked about extending an invitation to Iran to participate.
Miliband gave no firm answer to Zardai, but advised that
Saudi Arabia and others may not support the idea. Hickey
noted that the Saudis had approach HMG several times to
inquire about Pakistan's dealings with Iran. She questioned
if Zardari's flirtations with Iran were a negotiation tactic
to get Saudi Arabia "to stump up" and provide major support.
Hickey said HMG has no problem with Iran's attendance, as
long as all other Friends of Pakistan members are on board.
She indicated that the GOP planned to circulate a notional
list of possible new Friends in the coming days.

Trust Fund Details
--------------


6. (C/NF) Hickey said it would be helpful for HMG and the USG
to discuss the focus of the Trust Fund. The UK's Department
for International Development (DFID) would like the trust
fund to focus exclusively on the tribal areas so that
development aid for the rest of Pakistan could flow through
government institutions, thereby building government capacity
for service delivery. In the Federally Administered Tribal
Areas (FATA),however, such institutions do not exist and
other mechanisms are needed. Hickey noted that the Saudis
wanted the trust fund to be for the whole of Pakistan. She
suggested a UK-U.S. video conference may be helpful in
fleshing out the details.

FATA Roadmap
--------------


7. (C/NF) Miliband did not discuss the FATA Roadmap during
his visit as he had planned (reftel),as HMG wants to resolve
the differences in approach to the trust fund before
discussing the roadmap with the GOP. HMG would like to talk
to the GOP about the roadmap in short order, and Hickey
suggested HMG and the USG discuss the Trust Fund as soon as
possible.

EU Trade
--------------


8. (C/NF) Hickey said GOP officials complained that Pakistan
had not received Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP
Plus) status for EU trade, which does not require reciprocal
market access. Hickey said Pakistan did not qualify because
it is not poor enough. HMG is still considering a free trade
agreement option as a deliverable for the July Pakistan-EU
Summit (reftel C).

U.S. Kashmir Envoy
--------------


9. (S/NF) Hickey said many in HMG were keenly following the
media reports about the possibility that the USG would
appoint an envoy for Kashmir. Hickey said the view from FCO
Political Director Mark Lyall Grant's office was that it
would be better for a senior USG official to privately take
on the role rather than for an envoy publicly dedicated to
Kashmir. She said the hope was that Ambassador Holbrooke, as
part of his new appointment as Special Representative for
Afghanistan and Pakistan, would take on the Kashmir issue as
well because of the "sensitivity" around the issue.


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