Foreign Relations of the United States, 1969–1976, Volume E–7, Documents on South Asia, 1969–1972
Document 229
229. Telegram 1833 From the
Embassy in Pakistan
to the
Department of State
1
2
Islamabad
,
February 25, 1972, 1050Z
Subj:
Conversation With Pres
Bhutto
: Peace Prospects
Ref:
Islamabad 1676 (Notal) and 1823
1. Summary:
Bhutto
is searching for some way to pursue path of peaceful settlement with India. He is willing to go to New Delhi for talks with
PriMin
Gandhi
after Indian troops have left Bangladesh. His initial objective would be to determine whether
GOI
is committed to a peaceful settlement on terms that would be acceptable to Pakistan. If finding is positive, specific details of settlement could then be worked out. End summary.
2. Recent
GOI
offer to meet with
GOP
qte without preconditions unqte to discuss outstanding problems came up during my dinner meeting with
Bhutto
Feb 24. He said he thought
GOI
had timed offer to coincide with opening of US/Chinese talks in Peking. He would not reply to it until after Pres
Nixon
left China. Although he did not seem to have made up his mind just how to react to
GOI
offer,
Bhutto
gave impression he wished to go along in some positive way. He said he would like to explore the nature and depth of
GOI
commitment to a peaceful settlement that would be acceptable to Pakistan. He thought this could best be done by his having personal meeting with
PriMin
Gandhi
.

and he was willing to go to New Delhi for that purpose. He saw difficulties in making such visit to Delhi prior to evacuation from Bangladesh of remaining Indian troops, which now set for March 17. (He reiterated earlier statement to me that he remained ready to meet with Mujib at any time if such meeting could be held without preconditions i.e. prior
GOP
recognition of Bangladesh.)
Bhutto
said he did not envisage his first meeting with Mrs.
Gandhi
as going into details of a settlement. If he determined that Indian concept of peace and his own were compatible, details might better be worked out in subsequent meetings.
3. I noted that
GOI
had been saying to us that it wanted to arrive at a durable peace with Pakistan that would allow both countries to devote themselves increasingly to their important programs of domestic uplift. I said I assumed this was also the goal of Pakistan, and we hoped it would be achieved.
Bhutto
said it was necessary to have peace and he recalled his emotional statement to me last summer that he no longer considered confrontation with India to be a valid policy. He hoped
GOI
would recognize many problems he faces as he seeks to move toward durable peace. Acknowledging that
GOI
may seek both rectifications and internationalization of ceasefire line in Kashmir, he said these will present difficulties for him. He was, however, ready to talk with India regarding a qte line of peace unqte which might, in due time, lead to a resolution of the long standing Kashmir problem. He envisaged that acceptance of such a qte line of peace unqte, could be followed, for example, within fairly short order by the reestablishment of some trade and travel links with India. He referred, meanwhile,to the return of
Pak
POWS as matter of high priority.
4. I alluded at that point to
Bhutto
’s latest message to Pres Nixon which I noted had not included any reference to
Bhutto
’s desire for peaceful coexistence with India such as he had expressed in his meetings in Washington last December.
Bhutto
remarked that my concern on this point had been brought to his attention. He wanted to assure me that there was no change in his commitment to seek a

peaceful settlement with India. He had sent a similar message to Chinese leaders prior to Pres
Nixon
’s arrival. He would not have wanted to send one kind of message to Chinese and another to Pres
Nixon
. Concerns he had expressed in message were real but so was his desire for peace.
Sober