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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. 
 
- - - 
Parties United Against Terrorism 
-  - - 
 
¶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. 
 
- - - 
Shahbaz:  "No Other Option" But to Win 
- - - 
 
¶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. 
 
- - - 
The Three D's: Defense, Diplomacy and Development 
- - - 
 
¶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. 
 
- - - 
U.S. Support for Long March and PML-N Lacking 
 
LAHORE 00000076  002 OF 003 
 
 
- - - 
 
¶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. 
 
- - - 
Pakistan Government Not Responsible for A.Q. Khan's Actions 
- - - 
 
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." 
 
- - - 
Bush Was Musharraf's Best Friend 
- - - 
 
¶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. 
 
- - - 
Afghan and Mexican Borders Have Different Problems 
- - - 
 
¶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. 
 
LAHORE 00000076  003 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶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