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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LONDON 000071 
 
SIPDIS 
NOFORN 
 
DEPART FOR SCA/FO, SCA/INS, AND SCA/PB 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2019 
TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER KDEM IN PK UK
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN: MILIBAND VISIT TO FOCUS ON INDO-PAK 
REF: EMAILS LORD-SCA/FO  

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

¶1. (C/NF) Summary. UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband's visit to Pakistan and India January 13 - 17 will focus on Indo-Pak relations and a roadmap for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), FCO Pakistan Team leader Laura Hickey said on January 12.  A recent HMG analysis of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) assessed that it may be more difficult than initially thought for the Government of Pakistan (GOP) to take action against LeT/JuD. HMG is working to reduce widespread public sympathy for the organization and to focus its messaging more precisely. Miliband plans to press President Zardari to do more on strategic communications about LeT's "more grizzly side." Miliband's message for General Kayani is to follow through on investigation of the Mumbai bombings and to take action to bring the perpetrators to justice.  Miliband thinks Pakistani Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif needs to be braver in his public comments about LeT and Pakistani involvement in the Mumbai bombings.  While Sharif may not be able to implicate LeT publicly for political reasons, he should not deny LeT's involvement.  The FATA roadmap Miliband intends to discuss with the GOP is general and follows previous U.S./UK discussions on the topic.  (Copy of the roadmap emailed to SCA/FO and SCA/PB.) End Summary.  

¶2. (C/NF) Accompanied by the Prime Minister's Special Advisor for Foreign Policy and Security Affairs Simon McDonald and FCO South Asia Additional Director Philip Barton, UK Foreign Secretary Miliband will visit Pakistan and India 13 - 18 January, spending 13 - 15 in India and 16 - 17 in Pakistan. Miliband has had the India trip on his calendar for several weeks, but added the Pakistan leg as part of his continued efforts to diffuse Indo-Pak tensions in the wake of the Mumbai bombings, according to FCO Pakistan Team leader Laura Hickey.  

Tougher Than Initially Thought For GOP to Take Action Against LeT ----------------------------------  

¶3. (C/NF) According to a recent HMG analysis of LeT/JuD (which HMG sees as essentially the same organization), it may be more difficult than initially thought for the GOP to take action against the organization because LeT/JuD are publicly perceived as "defenders of Pakistan" and manage widely publicized social programs (including emergency aid), Hickey said.  In addition, Pakistanis are apathetic about militant organizations in general.  HMG concludes that it is in its interest to reduce widespread Pakistani sympathy for LeT/JuD because of the potential for the organizations to train or provide transferable skills to UK militants and because public sympathy for the organization limits the GoP's ability and willingness to tackle LeT effectively, which damages Indo-Pak relations and in turns hampers stabilization efforts in Afghanistan.  As such, HMG is trying to focus its messaging with Pakistani officials and public more precisely.  

Miliband's Message for Zardari ------------------------------  

¶4. (C/NF)  Miliband plans to press President Zardari to do more on strategic communications about LeT's "more grizzly side," according to Hickey.  It is difficult to deny LeT delivers important social services through mosques, hospitals, and schools, but the GOP could raise public awareness about the LeT's killing of Kashmiri and/or Indian Muslims, involvement in the Mumbai bombings that killed 50 Muslims, targeting of other nationalities and global jihadi ideology, and damaging Indo-Pak relations to the detriment of the average Pakistani.  

¶5. (C/NF) Miliband also plans to present Zardari with a FATA roadmap.  HMG wants to continue pushing the GOP to do more politically on the FATA and for the GOP to set out a long-term strategy.  Miliband's roadmap is general and follows previous U.S./UK discussions on the topic.  (Copy of  LONDON 00000071  002 OF 002   the roadmap emailed to SCA/FO and SCA/PB.)  The UK hopes the roadmap concept will communicate to the GOP the need to have a framework in advance of the next Friends/Donor meeting, which would allow donors to "have something to sign up to," a framework for assistance.  The UK's Department for International Development (DFID) is "finally" on board with the idea that the World Bank Trust Fund should exclusively be for the FATA, according to Hickey, as assistance for other areas of the country can be channeled through other, already existing, aid mechanisms.  HMG hopes the FATA Fund can be used as a political and peace initiative to jump start projects and assistance right after military action occurs in an area, similar to CERP funds in Iraq.  Hickey said that the GOP still needs to communicate more with the World Bank on this idea, as HMG does not think the World Bank will take any action until it receives an official GOP request.  

For Kayani ----------  

¶6. (C/NF) Miliband's message for Chief of Army Staff General Kayani is that the GOP must follow through on the Mumbai bombing investigations and take action to bring the perpetrators to action.  In HMG's analysis, the GOP has done little with the information the Indians have provided on the bombings and the GOP needs to do more follow-up investigation work.  Hickey noted that the UK's counter insurgency training with the PakArmy had stopped, ostensibly because of "holidays."  HMG assumes the troops they were training were among those sent to the Indo-Pak border.  

For Sharif ----------  

¶7. (C/NF) With PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif, Miliband wants to encourage him to be braver in his public comments about LeT and Pakistani involvement in the Mumbai bombings.  Miliband also plans to suggest that Sharif create a plan to shut down LeT.  While Nawaz may not be able to implicate LeT publicly for political reasons, he should not deny LeT's involvement. HMG thinks that Sharif has not been more outspoken against LeT because he fears for his own personal security and may loose some popular support.  Sharif's tact thus far has been to let GOP/Zardari take all the political risk in dealing with LeT.   Visit London's Classified Website: XXXXXXXXXXXX
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