Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XIX, South Asia

254. Memorandum From Secretary of State Vance to President Carter¹

Washington, July 5, 1977

[Omitted here is material unrelated to Pakistan.]

5. Pakistan. The military coup yesterday in Pakistan came after talks on holding new elections had again broken down and new clashes between armed, opposing political groups were reported. The military, assisted by the judiciary, provides an interim administration acceptable to all political parties and capable of carrying out a new national election. The cities are quiet; communications and transportation are functioning normally; no Americans or other foreigners have reportedly been affected. Saudi Arabia and Iran reacted privately with mild relief to the military takeover.²

Our goals in Pakistan are first, while not commenting publicly on the coup, to encourage the military authorities to honor their pledge to hold free elections and, second, to continue to try to move the Pakistanis and the French toward cancellation or deferral of the nuclear reprocessing plant despite the military takeover.

[Omitted here is material unrelated to Pakistan.]

1. Source: Carter Library, National Security Affairs, Brzezinski Material, Subject File, Box 18, Evening Reports (State): 7/77. Secret.
2. In the left-hand margin next to this paragraph, Carter wrote: “Too bad about our old friend Bhutto!”