Moscow views Yahya’s plan with utmost scepticism
MOSCOW, June 19.—Moscow today viewed President Yahya Khan’s promised plan to transfer power to civilian hands in Pakistan with utmost scepticism and even some concern, says PTI.
Scepticism arose from recent events which, according to Soviet experts, showed that while Gen. Yahya Khan was anxious to impress the world with his democratic postures and ability to conduct impartial elections he was not prepared to heed the popular verdict unless it fitted in with his own ideas.
The concern on the other hand was that consummation of the Yahya plan might turn out to be bringing back into power of Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto commentators here had whom described as a sinister political force bebind the Bangladesh tragedy and whose policies had been criticised as adventuristic, especially in relation to India.
The Soviet reaction to the current situation in Pakistan and assessment of the emerging pattern had been brought out clearly in the latest issue of the political weekly, “New Times” which also reviewed the economic consequences of three-month-old reprssion in Bangladesh.
Without seeming to make comments which might be interpreted as interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan, the weekly’s commentator, A. Ulansky, discussed the latest declaration of intent of Mr. Yahya Khan not to make the last elections a wholly futile exercise and to hand over power to elected representatives.
Mr. Ulansky asked rhetorically to whom power was to be transferred now that the Awami League which won absoluter majority in the last elections was banned. By way of an answer he quoted the Bangladesh rightwing leader, Mr. Nurul Amin, as saying that so far as Bangladesh was concerned there was no one to whom power could be handed because there was no one who would take it.
Mr. Ulansky then followed up with quotations from Mr. Bhutto demanding power for elected representatives and claiming that his party had become the single biggest group since the removal of the Awami League from the political scene. In parenthesis Mr. Ulansky mentioned that in March Mr. Bhutto had given full support to the military measures taken in Bangladesh.
Discussing the scope of the Bangladesh agitation and the economic consequences of the military action, Mr. Ulansky said more than two months were required by the Pakistani Army comprising 70,000 to 100,000 soldiers and officers to crush the armed resistance of followers Mujibur Rahman, to establish control over cities and partial control over the countryside. He said unco-ordinated and irregular resistance however continued in Bangladesh.
Quoting from Pakistani sources he said that military presence in Bangladesh would be necessary for a long time yet, even after liquidation of the armed resistance. Colossal economic and political difficulties remained.
According to one estimate he quoted Islamabad was having to spent $2 million a day for operations in Bangladesh and Dacca’s losses were estimated at more than Rs. 5 billion. While curfew had been lifted and communications were being restored industries were still working with only 40 to 50 per cent labour force.
On the outflow of refugees, unprecedented in the annals of history, the commentator said that it made the problem of Bangladesh not merely an internal affair of Pakistan but of India too which was having to bear the brunt.
He gave the latest figures of refugees in India, the expeditious measures being taken by the Indian Government to relieve their plight and said it was the duty of all peace loving forces to demand creation in Bangladesh of conditions and guarantee for the return of all these refugees.
As for the tension developing between India and Pakistan and frequent border clashes, Mr. Ulansky said tension between those countries would only benefit reactionary internal forces there as well as those foreign elements who, pursuing their selfish aims, were going against the interests of Pakistan as well as India. Allusion was obviously to China.
A detailed descriptive account of refugee relief work being carried on India appeared today also in the trade union paper “Trud” whose Delhi correspondent, Mr. Georgi Terekhov, paid tributes to the efforts of the Indian Government. He noted that in refugess whom in interviewed there was little desire to return to Bangladesh–symbolic of the tragic condition of their moral state.
The Eighth Congress of East Germany’s ruling Socialist Unity Party now in session in East Berlin, gave sympathetic hearing to a plea for support of Bangladesh demand voiced by the Indian delegate, Mr. Bhupesh Gupta, according to a report received here today.
The Communist Leader, Mr. Bhupesh Gupta read out at the Congress a message from the Bangladesh Struggle Aid Committee, which the organ of the East German party today published textually.
The measure described the slaughter and genocide in Bangladesh, the unprecedented influx of refugees and the threat to peace in the Indian sub-continent. “How to ensure freedom and honour to the people of Bangladesh has become a major preoccupation of our party, all left and democratic forces and masses of Indian people. We are confident their cause will win with the sympathetic support of freedom loving humanity,” the message said.
Mr. Gupta also met and circulated among leaders of Communist Parties of Europe. Latin America, Asia and Africa present at the Congress this appeal together with a call for broad international campaign to help the people of Bangladesh.
Indian delegation sources said the appeal aroused great interest and evoked positive response.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 20.6.1971