PAKISTAN: PM'S MAY 28 LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ISLAMABAD 004003 C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - TEXT CINCPAC/CENTCOM ALSO FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/29/08 TAGS: PREL PARM MNUC PK SUBJECT: PAKISTAN: PM'S MAY 28 LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT CLASSIFIED BY ACTING POLCOUNS DAN MOZENA. REASON: 1.5 (B,D). ¶1. (C) THIS MESSAGE CONVEYS FOR THE RECORD THE TEXT OF PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF'S MAY 28 LETTER TO PRESIDENT CLINTON. THE LETTER HAD EARLIER BEEN FAXED TO SA/PAB; THE ORIGINAL IS BEING SENT BY POUCH. ¶2. (C) BEGIN TEXT: 28TH MAY 1998 HIS EXCELLENCY MR. WILLIAM J. CLINTON PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WASHINGTON, D.C. DEAR MR. PRESIDENT, I WISH TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF THE PERILOUS SITUATION RESULTING FROM INDIA'S NUCLEAR TESTS. OUR TELEPHONIC CONVERSATIONS IN THE PAST FORTNIGHT CONVINCED ME OF YOUR SINCERITY AND YOUR GENUINE CONCERN FOR PAKISTAN'S SECURITY AND THE STABILITY OF THE REGION. THE OVERT NUCLEAR WEAPONIZATION OF INDIA HAS CREATED A STRATEGIC IMBALANCE, EMBOLDENING INDIAN LEADERSHIP TO HOLD OUT THREATS OF NUCLEAR BLACKMAIL AGAINST PAKISTAN AND AGGRESSION ACROSS THE LINE OF CONTROL IN KASHMIR. AS ADVISED BY YOU AND OUR OTHER FRIENDS, WE PONDERED HARD AND DELIBERATED CAREFULLY ON OUR DIRE SECURITY PREDICAMENT. DETERMINED TO ACT WITH UTMOST RESPONSIBILITY, DESPITE GRAVE PROVOCATIONS, WE ALSO CLOSELY EVALUATED THE INTERNATIONAL REACTION, WHICH REGRETTABLY DID NOT FACTOR THE THREAT TO OUR SECURITY AND TO REGIONAL PEACE AND STABILITY. WHILE I WAS DEEPLY APPRECIATIVE OF YOUR PERSONAL UNDERSTANDING OF OUR SECURITY CONCERNS, THE OVERALL INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE TO INDIA'S CROSSING OF THE NUCLEAR THRESHOLD WAS REGRETTABLY DEFERENTIAL, BORDERING ON ACQUIESCENCE. WE SAW A FAMILIAR PATTERN, WHEREBY INDIA'S INCREMENTAL STEPS ON THE NUCLEAR AND BALLISTIC LADDER HAD ONLY GENERATED PRESSURES AND EVEN PUNITIVE ACTIONS AGAINST PAKISTAN. FOR MORE THAN TWENTY YEARS, PAKISTAN ADVOCATED, IN ALL EARNEST, THE GOAL OF NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION. OUR IMPECCABLE RECORD OF RESTRAINT AND RESPONSIBILITY NEVER EARNED US ANY APPROBATION. SELECTIVE SANCTIONS ONLY SERVED TO DEGRADE OUR CONVENTIONAL CAPABILITIES AND PRODUCED A TOTALLY UNTENABLE SECURITY EQUATION BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND INDIA. THE EVIDENT SELECTIVITY IN THE PURSUIT OF THE GLOBAL NON- PROLIFERATION GOALS, WITHOUT ANY REGARD TO THE UNDERLYING SECURITY PROBLEMS THAT IMPEL PROLIFERATION, HAD INCENSED OUR PEOPLE. AT THIS CRITICAL JUNCTURE, AT WHICH OUR VERY LIFE AND EXISTENCE ARE AT STAKE, THE PEOPLE OF PAKISTAN WERE UNANIMOUS IN DEMANDING THAT WE SEEK TO RECTIFY THE STRATEGIC IMBALANCE RESULTING FROM NUCLEAR WEAPONIZATION BY INDIA. HAVING EXHAUSTED ALL OPTIONS AND LEFT WITH NO CHOICE, WE HAVE IN OUR SUPREME NATIONAL INTEREST DECIDED TO EXERCISE THE NUCLEAR OPTION. THIS DECISION, WHICH I HAVE TAKEN WITH A HEAVY HEART, WAS NECESSITATED BY THE IMPERATIVES OF SELF-DEFENCE AND TO DETER AGGRESSION AGAINST THE SOVEREIGNTY, INDEPENDENCE AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF OUR COUNTRY. WE ARE MINDFUL OF THE NEED FOR URGENT STEPS TO BRING ABOUT NUCLEAR STABILIZATION BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND INDIA. I HAVE, THEREFORE, OFFERED TO DISCUSS WITH INDIA, ALL ASPECTS OF THE SECURITY SITUATION PREVAILING IN THE REGION AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR BILATERAL DIALOGUE. WE TRUST THAT THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER MAJOR POWERS WILL ENCOURAGE AND FACILITATE NOT ONLY THE RESUMPTION OF THE PAKISTAN- INDIA TALKS BUT EARLY CONCLUSION OF MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE RESTRAINTS, ACCOMPANIED BY CONFIDENCE ENHANCING MEASURES. WE WOULD ALSO URGE YOU TO FULLY ENDORSE AND SUPPORT OUR PROPOSAL FOR A NON-AGGRESSION PACT BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND INDIA, ON THE BASIS OF AN EXPEDITIOUS SETTLEMENT OF THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR DISPUTE. I AM ALSO REQUESTING THE LEADERS OF THE OTHER G-8 COUNTRIES TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER COLLECTIVELY INITIATING EFFORTS TO ENGAGE WITH PAKISTAN AND INDIA TO URGENTLY ADDRESS STABILIZATION MEASURES SO AS TO PREVENT THE POSSIBILITY OF A NUCLEAR ARMS RACE AND TO REDUCE THE DANGERS OF A NUCLEAR CONFLICT IN SOUTH ASIA.