Bhutto abolishes privy purses
NEW DELHI DEC. 23_In a fresh move seen in some quarters as one that will help him reinforce his “socialist image”, Mr. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto today struck at the “Privileged” classes — Nawabs Wazirs Sirdars and former princes, report agencies.
President Bhutto, who had only yesterday ordered the impounding of Passports of 22 wealthy families in Pakistan and the repatriation of money these families might have invested abroad, today abolished with immediate effect the privy purses and privileges, including civilian and military titles of 70 rulers of existing and merged States.”
The privileges withdrawn include import facilities hitherto enjoyed by the former rulers. Radio Pakistan said, among those affected is the Nawab of Junagadh to whom these privileges had recently been extended.
Among others affected were the rulers of Manavadar State, Kalal, Khairpur, Swat, Amb and Dir.
In a further drive to clean up the armed forces, Mr. Bhutto today applied his axe to the Navy, retiring among others the Commander-inChief, Vice Admiral Muzaffar Hassan, who has been replaced by commodore Hasan Hafiz Ahmed as the Acting Commander-in-Chief.
On the day he took office Mr. Bhutto had retired seven Army Generals including the former President Gen.Yahya Khan and yesterday he removed the four provincial Governors all of the rank of Lt. General, and installed his own party men, one of them a counsin: Mr. Mumtaz Bhutto, in their place.
UPI, quoting Radio Pakistan listed the following officers as among those removed today: Navy chief of Staff Rear Admiral Rashid Ahmed, commodore R. R. Mumtaz; Maj. Gen. S. Khadim Hussein, Maj. Gen. Shaukat Raza and Maj. Gen. B. M. M. Mustafa
Also among he retired naval officers were Rear Admiral U. A. Saeed, Managing Director of the National Shipping corporation, Rear Admiral M. H. Lodi and Commodore S.M. Ahmed. Radio Pakistan said.
Meanwhile, reports indicated that Mr. Bhutto, who had so far named only his Vice-President aside of a few administrative incumbents, was giving thought to the formation of his Cabinet.
UPI quoted Government sources to say that the Cabinet would consist of about 10 members in addition to the President and the VicePresident, Mr. Nulur Amin.
The Cabinet members would be chosen mostly from Mr. Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party but, the source said, it was possible that a few more Ministers would be selected from among “East Pakistanis” who are at present in West Pakistan.
The reference to the possibility of including “East Pakistanis” was regarded as one more move on the part of Mr. Bhutto to maintain the myth of one Pakistan even after the fall of the eastern wing. The first was the appointment of Mr. Amin, who hails from what was East Pakistan, to the Vice-Presidency.
Radio Pakistan report, that Mr. Ghulam Mustapha Kar was sworn in as Governor of Punjab in Lahore today. Mr. Kar was previously Secretary-General of Mr. Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party, Punjab.
The Governor-designate of the North West frontier Province, Mr. Hayat Mohammed Khan Sherpao, called on President Bhutto in Rawalpindi today.
Radio Pakistan said that two members of the “National Assembly” from “East Pakistan,” Mr. Habibur Rehman and Raja Tridib Roy and a Sindh member of the Provincial Assembly from Karachi, Mr. Qasim A. Patel, also called on the President today.
Raja Tridib Roy had visited, among other countries ceylon and Nepal as a special envoy of Gen. Yahya Khan to canvass support for Pakistan.
Mr. Yahya Bakhtiyar a Quetta lawyer whom Mr. Bhutto had named Attorney General in place of Mr. Sharifuddin Pirzada, assumed office today.
Mr. Bhutto today exchanged views with vice-chancellors of universities on the current education system and the problems of students, Radio Pakistan reported.
New money for Pakistan
Mr. Bhutto announced yesterday he would print new money for the nation. So quick is the order going ahead that the new bank notes will bear the signature of the State Bank Governor why new Governor has not had time to get his signature on the notes.
The sind Governor Mr. Mumtaz Bhutoo said in Karachi today that the provincial Cabinet would be installed within three to four days, Radio Pakistan reported Talking to newsmen, he said: “We will liberate the eastern part of our country.”
Reference: Hindustan Standard 24.12.1971