Freedom fighter’s strength growing, admits Yahya
NEW DELHI, AUGUST 2— President Yahya Khan today admitted the growing strength of the freedom fighters of Bangladesh and said their “challenge should be met”, says PTI.
“We have to meet the challenge of anti-national elements who seek to jeopardize our economy in an attempt to undermine the unity and integrity to the country”, he said in a message to a four-day conference of chief executives of banks and financial institutions opening in Dacca today.
Admitting that the economy of the nation was under “serious strain.” he called upon the banking and financial community to provide “ideas and means” of accelerating the process of development in East Bengal.
He appealed to the private and public sectors to make positive contributions in making the economy stable.
He hoped that the Dacca conference would lead to the preparation of a “positive action plan” for the economic uplift of the people.
Radio Pakistan said the Dacca conference, which was being inaugurated by the State Bank Governor, would be attended among others by the Chairman of the East Pakistan Planning Authority the chiefs of the Jute Board and Jute Marketing Corporation, besides the Central Secretaries of the Ministries of Finance and Industries.
UPI adds from Karachi, President Yahya Khan’s first visit to East Bengal since the tragic events in March is expected to clear the way for power to be transferred under his own constitution according to a section of the Pakistani Press.
But if the President is optimistic about the outcome of his visit it is a sentiment not shared by many Pakistanis. In West Pakistan, President Yahya’s proposal to warp the nation’s political issue on a constitutional blanket has created its own crisis.
Mr. Bhutto recently thundered that he would have effective power as the western region’s majority leader by November or be in jail.
Mr. Bhutto is moreover suspicious o President Yahya’s proposal that regional parties be banned in order to force Pakistan’s factional politics to assume a national outlook.
The result thus far has brought together two of the three right-wing Muslim League factions. Such reunification would, on its won, not affect Mr. Bhutto’s position as majority leader. All three Muslim League factions together would command a total of 18 seats in the National Assembly against the 82 won by Mr. Bhutto’s party in last December’s elections.
Meanwhile with more than three division about 80,000 troops deployed throughout East Bengal, the military situation three is providing a hurdle to a political settlement. Under such circumstances, most foreign observers here feel Pakistan’s political situation is going around in circles, generating new issues rather than heading toward a settlement.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 3.8.1971