US FAILS TO ASSURE INDIA ON ARMS SALES TO PAKISTAN
Approved Before March 25?
NEW DELHI :- Indian Foreign Minister Swaran Singh told Parliament here Thursday the United States had been unable to give an assurance that there would be no further shipments of U.S. arms to Pakistan.
The Foreign Minister said the case of the Pakistan merchant ships Padma and Sunderbarns now sailing to Karachi from New York had been taken up with the U.S. Under Seeretary of State by the Indian Ambassador in Washington on Tuesday and with the U.S. Embassy in Delhi Wednesday.
Singh said : “According to the U.S. Government, no foreign military sales to Pakistan have been authorised or approved since March, 25 and no export licences have been issued for commercial purchages in U.S. since March 25. Nor have export licences been renewed since that date.”
Singh, who has just returned from a tour of major world capitals, including Wasington, to put India’s point of view on the East Paskistan crisis, said the U.S. Government had, However, admitted it was possible that military items authorisation approved prior to March 25 had been delivered to the Pakistan ships.
‘They have further stated that it was also possible that commercially purchased items where export licences were required and were issued before march 25 may be aboard these ships”, he said. Media and the Liberation War (11) 0 32 “Further, there are some items for which export licences are required. So it is possible that some such items are also on the ships.”
“They have stated that it is thus probably that these ships do carry items of military equipment resulting from actions taken prior to March 25”.
Singh continued “The Under Secretary of State has appreciated our concern and expressed regret that this loophole regarding last authorisations had not been brought to our notice.
“He has fruther explained that full facts… were still not known and he could not, therefore, say there would be no further shipments to be made”.
Singh said the Indian Government had urged the United States Government to prevent the Padma and Sunderbans from delivering arms to Pakistan.
“We have pointed out to the U.S. Government that any acceleretion of military strength to Pakistan, particularly in the present circumstances when military oppression and atrocities are being let loose on the unarmed and defenceless people of Bangla Desh, would not only pose a threat to the peace and security of this subcontinent and but whole region”, he said.
Intensive review
Earlier on Wednesday DPA reported the United States Defence and State Departments are conducting an “Intensive review” to correct recently discovered flaws in the American ban on sales of military items to Pakistan, State Department spokesman Charles Bray revealed in Washington.
The ban was imposed on March 25 shortly after civil war erupted in East Pakistan.
However, according to a “New Times” report two Pakistani ships had left New York with arms shipments for Pakistan.
Bray said that the State Department has learned since June 22 that in addition to the “Padma” and “Sundarbans” there was at least one ship bound from the United States to Pakistan “Which may have had aboard it goods licensed since March 25”.
Bray did not have the name of the vessel or the dates of its departure.
He promised newsmen a description of the cargoes of both freighters, adding that the Pentagon had preconfirmed” that there wre no aircraft board on the Padma”, as claimed in the “New York Time” story,
“No licences have been this calendar year for the sale of commercial aircraft or any kind (of planes) to anyone in Pakistan.”
Demonstration
Earlier Wednesday some of Indian M.P.’s of various parties demonstrated outside the American Embassy in New Delhi to protest against the shipments.
The memorandum handed to an Embassy official said the Indian people condemned the shipments.
The Indian M.P.’s charged that the U.S. arms would be used for “genocide” by the Pakistan forces against residents in East Pakistan and demanded that the vessels be stopped.
Rioting in Shillong.
Rioting broke out in the market area of Shillong town Wednesday night apparently in protest against the Influx of East Pakistani refugees into Meghalaya state.
A company of Gurkhas was alerted for possible police duties although the rioting appeared to be contained in the central market area.
Several policemen were reported to have been injured while trying to control a tribal protest against the influx.
The rioting follows dissatisfaction among the local populace over preferrential treatment of refugees some of whom are receving more food and better housing than the local villagers in the border areas of Meghalaya state.
Reference : The Djakarta Times, 26.06.1971