An old US diplomatic cable detailing a 2007 meeting between Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and then-US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson has resurfaced on social media.
The cable was issued by the US Embassy in Islamabad on November 27, 2007, under the subject “Ambassador Discusses Elections with Fazlur Rehman.” It details a meeting between Patterson and Fazlur Rehman held on November 20, 2007.
According to the cable, the US ambassador expressed Washington’s support for ending the state of emergency in Pakistan and holding free and fair elections. Fazlur Rehman also supported free and fair elections but said his party would not boycott the polls. He also said JUI-F had no plans to stage street protests against the emergency.
The document says Fazlur Rehman asked whether the US government would work with him if he became prime minister. He also appeared interested in knowing whether Washington would support or approve his possible bid for the top political office.
The meeting also covered former Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairperson Benazir Bhutto. According to the cable, Fazlur Rehman expressed sorrow over her possible political fate and said he would have to consider whether he could work with her politically again.
Fazlur Rehman also raised concerns about the security situation in the tribal areas and the then-North-West Frontier Province, now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He warned that worsening security could prevent elections in some areas and affect JUI-F’s electoral performance.
The discussions also covered Afghanistan, the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Fazlur Rehman questioned US policy, while Patterson explained Washington’s distinction between Taliban elements willing to negotiate with the Afghan government and al-Qaeda.
The cable is not a new US document. It is a historical diplomatic record from 2007 that has resurfaced on social media. The document provides a glimpse into how US officials viewed Fazlur Rehman and his political role ahead of Pakistan’s 2008 general elections.