TALKS ON REPATRIATION FAIL
Pakistan has accused India of creating an atmosphere of confrontation between the two countries and rejected allegations of harassment of India’s Deputy High Commissioner and his wife in Dacca, it was officially stated in Islamabad.
The charges were contained in three notes handed to the Indian High Commissioner.
One made a strong protest against alleged serious violations of Pakistans territory by India. It said that Indian forces last Thursday fired nine rounds and 91 rounds respectively from 25 pound guns and three-inch mortars into East Pakistan from the direction of Radhikapur, an Indian border town opposite Dinajpur.
The note said that “for several weeks the Indian government, through statements by its leaders. Parliament and State Assembly resolutions and all Indian Radio broadcasts, and by serious violations of Pakistan territory and the sending of armed infiltrators had been systematically creating and atmosphere of confrontation with Pakistan.”
For its part, Pakistan had exercised “the utmost patience and restraint” in the hope that India itself would come to realise the “dangerous implications” of such a policy the note added.
Pakistan hoped for “the sake of Peace and tranquility and the well-being of the peoples of the two countries”, that India would immediately end its provocative activities against Pakistan.
Indian Allegation Rejected.
In another note Pakistan totally rejected an Indian allegation that the Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Dacca Sen-Gupta, and his staff had been placed in a state of internment.
The note described the charge as unfounded and said Sen. Gupta and his staff are allowed to go about the city and are provided with escorts for security reasons.
Pakistan accused the Indian government of detaining Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner in Calcutta, Mehdi Masud and his staff in their house for four days, saying Masud was kept incommunication for 74 hours.
Pakistan hoped the Indian Government would take “immediate corrective measures” and restore their rights and privilages to the Deputy high Commissioner and his staff.
Deadlock
A fifth round of talks between the Pakistani High Commission and the Foreign Ministry in New Delhi Monday failed to break the deadlock over the repatriation of deputy-commission staffs in Calcutta and Dacca.
Official Indian sources said after the meeting between High Commissioner Sajjad Hyder and Foreign Secretary S.K. Bannerjee that no agreement could be reached because of Pakistan’s insistance that India should hand over the entire staff of the Pakistani Deputy Commission in Calcutta before the Indian staff in Dacca is allowed to leave East Pakistan.
India maintains that the majority of the Pakistani staff in Calcutta has already switched allegiance to “the Independent government of Bangla Desh” and they could not be forced to leave.
India has also rejected a Pakistani offer to repatriate the Indians in Dacca via Kathmandu (Nepal)- Rtr and APP.
Reference : The Djakarta Times, 05.05.1971