‘Zulfikar Ali Bhutto rejected Kissinger’s warning over nukes’

Embassy deputy chief says American president sent three mercy pleas to save ZAB

ISLAMABAD: Deputy chief of the US mission in Islamabad, Gerald Feuerstein, who was a witness to the meeting between former premier Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger in Lahore in August 1976, admitted that Bhutto rejected the “warning” to disband Pakistan’s nuclear programme.

In an interview with a private TV channel, Gerald said the US had been concerned over Bhutto’s nuclear plan to match India’s capabilities and sent Kissinger to warn the Pakistani leader. “Yes, it’s true that Bhutto rejected the warning and Pakistan continued with its nuclear programme,” he said. “I was the protocol officer when Kissinger came to Pakistan in August 1976 and met Bhutto in Lahore.” Gerald said Kissinger came with “a carrot and stick”. “The carrot were the A-7 bombers, while the stick was not the direct threat, but since US elections were near and the Democrats were set to win them and wanted a tougher non-proliferation approach and might make Pakistan an example. Pakistan did face sanctions,” Gerald said.

Saving Bhutto: However, Gerald denied that the US made Bhutto a “horrible example” over his refusal to drop the nuclear programme. “The US president had sent three mercy pleas to General Zia to save Bhutto,” he said.

Gerald called Bhutto Pakistan’s most gifted politician despite his weaknesses. He said the US maintained its pressure on Pakistan’s nuclear programme and succeeded in pursuing the French to cancel their nuclear deal with Islamabad. However, Pakistan did not stop its plan despite sanctions, even under General Zia, and in 1998 both India and Pakistan conducted their nuclear tests. To a question, he denied that the US had adopted double standards in case of nuclear programmes of India or Israel, compared to its stance on Iran or Pakistan, but admitted the US did not impose sanctions on India after its first nuclear test. Gerald also disclosed that former US president Bill Clinton intervened when ex-premier Nawaz Sharif was sentenced under Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf. “Yes, president Clinton intervened,” he said, when asked what the US did when Sharif was sentenced. He also defended the US’ decision to attack Afghanistan. app