287. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Pakistan1
155119. For the Ambassador from Assistant Secretary Saunders. Subject: Meeting With Pakistan Ambassador Yaqub Khan.
1. At the conclusion of the meeting June 16 with Yaqub Khan (reported septel),2 the Ambassador asked for five minutes alone with Assistant Secretary Saunders.
2. Yaqub Khan said he wished to convey his personal view that U.S./Pakistan relations were currently at the lowest ebb in recent years. He wanted us to know that when this view is expressed by officials in Islamabad, it is not a question of tactics, but is genuinely felt. Saunders commented that it was his strong impression, while reimmersing himself in subcontinental affairs after several years away from the subject, that the nuclear issue dominated the relationship. If this issue were behind us, relations across the board could revert to a more satisfactory state, although not to the extremely close ties of the early 1960’s. Yaqub Khan generally acknowledged this to be the case, and felt we had [Page 685] arrived at a satisfactory plateau about 3 years ago, to which it would be desirable to return.
3. The Ambassador warned that there was considerable resentment growing up among the top circles in Islamabad about our “continuing campaign” on behalf of Bhutto. The matter is before the courts, the regime has meticulously adhered to correct judicial procedures, and outside comment is perceived as unwarranted interference. Saunders pointed out that our official overtures had not been addressed to the judicial process, but only sought to highlight the effect on world opinion if the former Prime Minister were executed.3 We, of course, had no control over expressions of concern by the U.S. press, private citizens and members of the legislative branch.
- Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, P840163–0052. Secret; Priority; Nodis. Drafted by Coon; cleared in S/S; approved by Saunders.↩
- Telegram 155072 to Kabul, June 19, reported on Saunders’s meeting with Yaqub Khan, at which Saunders described his talk with the Afghan Foreign Minister in New York. Saunders explained that the purpose of the meeting was to demonstrate to the new Afghan leaders that the United States was prepared to have relations with them. The telegram also noted: “Yaqub-Khan said that since the coup the Afghans have been talking out of both sides of their mouth. In private they say one thing but their public pronouncements are redolent of the past painful relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.” (National Archives, RG 59, Central Foreign Policy File, D780255–0275)↩
- See Document 272.↩