B. ISLAMABAD 970
C. ISLAMABAD 924
Classified By: Anne W. Patterson, Reasons 1.4 (b), (d)
1. (C) Summary: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Asif Zardari told Ambassador 10 that yesterday's agreement with Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif was less than it seemed regarding the restoration of the judges (Ref A). Zardari reiterated his desire to work with Musharraf as President. He and Nawaz have agreed, privately, that former Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry will not be restored and that the current Chief Justice will remain. Zardari said his choice for Prime Minister was Yousef Gillani (Ref B). Zardari has selected Sherry Rehman as Minister of Information and Syed Naveed Qamar as Minister of Finance (Ref C). Embassy cautions there is more ground to travel before these issues are resolved. Zardari seems sincere and has shown some political courage, particularly on the Kashmir issue. He has good ideas, especially on the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and on economic issues. But it remains to be seen how he will handle the parliament)- and his coalition partners -- once the sessions get underway. End Summary.
2. (C) Ambassador called on Asif Zardari March 10 to get his version of the "deal" with PML-N head Nawaz Sharif. Zardari said he and Nawaz had agreed (very privately) that the former Chief Justice would not be restored, nor would current Chief Justice Dogar be removed. Zardari said he had to do something about the judges: a new civilian government could not keep the former Chief Justice and his family, including two disabled children, in confinement two blocks from the parliament, and Zardari had conveyed this view to ISI head Nadeem Taj and NSA Tariq Aziz. He had asked the government to move the former Chief Justice to his family home in Quetta, but the government had refused, arguing that the CJ "had a gun" and would forcibly resist being moved.(Comment: No one wants the black eye of moving the former Chief Justice and his family under the glare of international publicity. End Comment.) When Ambassador asked about the 30 day deadline for the parliamentary resolution which would supposedly reinstate the judges, Zardari laughed and said in politics thirty days could become eighty or ninety. He reiterated his commitment to working with Musharraf and especially Tariq Aziz, with whom he felt particularly comfortable. He wanted Musharraf to "relax" and not be so concerned about the former Chief Justice.
