153464 5/12/2008 2:07:00 PM 08ISLAMABAD1832 Embassy Islamabad CONFIDENTIAL 08ISLAMABAD1747 | 08STATE46477 VZCZCXRO1901OO RUEHLH RUEHPWDE RUEHIL #1832 1331407ZNY CCCCC ZZHO 121407Z MAY 08FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABADTO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6911INFO RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 8569RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 7892RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 3244RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI PRIORITY 9717RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 5462RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 4201RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 8060RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 3829RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITYRUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITYRHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITYRUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 001832 SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/12/2018 TAGS: PGOV, PK, PREL, PHUM, UNHCR-1
SUBJECT: PAKISTAN CAMPAIGNING FOR SEAT ON UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
REF: (A) STATE 46477 (B) ISLAMABAD 1747
Classified By: Anne W. Patterson, Reasons 1.4 (b), (d)
1. (U) On May 7, A/DCM delivered Ref A points to Hasan Javed, MFA Director General of the UN and Economic Cooperation Division. Hasan confirmed that Pakistan did plan to run for one of the four Asian-designated seats on the Human Rights Council (HRC) and said he was confident of victory.
2. (C) Reiterating what DRL Assistant Secretary David Kramer told Foreign Secretary Riaz Khan (Ref B), A/DCM stressed U.S. disappointment with the HRC. More specifically, we were concerned, she said, that the Pakistani Ambassador in Geneva had been pro-active in encouraging unhelpful resolutions, especially on issues relating to religious freedom and the Middle East. She asked if Hasan believed there would be a change in MFA policy now that Pakistan had a new government in place.
3. (C) Hasan stated that the only reason that Pakistan took the lead on certain resolutions is that the other members of the Organization of the Islamic Council (OIC) do not draft well in English. He reiterated Pakistan concern that freedom of expression be balanced with respect for religion as "we are not as advanced as you are" in terms of respect for freedom of religion and could not always control the reactions of sometimes ignorant crowds. Hasan said that the new government could change some of the nuances of the current UN policy, but that the Geneva delegation was conveying the current will of the Pakistani people.
PATTERSON
