PAKISTAN OBSERVER
5th April 1955
Mission To Karachi Bears No Fruit
(By A Staff Reporter)
Mr. Yousuf Ali Choudhury of the Krishak Sramik Party returned yesterday from Karachi. On Sunday Mr. Ataur Rahman Khan, Mr. Mujibar Rahman and Mr. Abul Mansur Ahmed also returned. All indications are that the mission of neither of the two groups was successful. The Central Government there is reported to be anxious to set the One Unit Scheme of West Pakistan going and get through their constitutional proposals through a convention, the mode of constituting which is now under discussion. The question of restoration of Parliamentary Government in the province has fallen into the background, principally owing to the opposition of some of the Ministers of the Central Government.
Meanwhile, Mr. A. K. Fazlul Huq, who has called a Parliamentary meeting on the 10th, has also announced a public meeting to discuss the constitutional problem and the necessity for proper representation of East Pakistan in the set-ups. He has also called upon the public to hold similar meetings throughout the province on the same day.
Protest Day Called
Mr. Mujibar Rahman, on the other hand, issued a Press statement yesterday, calling upon the people to observe “A Protest Day” on Friday the 13th of April. He has directed Awami League Units to hold public meetings for withdrawing the ‘ban on Maulana Bhashani, restoration of popular government and release of political prisoners. He has accused “some Muslim League cliques in the Centre as well as some interested persons in the province (who) are putting all obstacles and impediments against the withdraw of ban on Maulana Bhashani.”
Salam Khan’s Statement
Another statement was issued by Mr. Abdus Salam Khan, explaining his and 33 others Awami Leaguers position who opposed noconfidence motion against Mr. A. K. Fazlul Hug. He criticised the Working Committee of Awami Muslim League for proposing action against him and his friends, and said that the Working Committee not justified in issuing a directive in regard to the noconfidence motion : First, because Mr. Mujibar Rahman, General Secretary of the Awami League, had all along been saying that the motion would not be moved on a party basis. Secondly, because the United Front Party came into being before the elections, which were not fought as members of any constituent party but as members of United Front as a whole. Thirdly, because they had felt that in view of the unsympathetic attitude of the Central Government, united and concerted actions were necessary and differencess were required to be held in check.
The judge observed that the second F. I. R. seems to have been drawn up with much diffidence by the Superintendent of the Jail, possibly in an attempt to mitigate the circumstances which caused the first F.LR. Therefore, it seems, observed the learned judge, that the F. I. R. was brought into existence on May 6, though the incident was to take place on the next day. Further, the two F. I. Rs varied completely in their versions and none of the Ministers, MLAs and high officials who were present after the trouble started were cited as witnesses. The Jail Superintendent preferred to confine his list of witnesses to the Jail officials and employees Two of these high officials, the Inspector-General of Prisons and the Superintendent of the Jail, could name none of the accused persons, excepting Saidul Huq, as associated with any incriminating act. It also took these officers about a fortnight to establish the real cause of firing, “It is very difficult to conceive things like this, specially when Ministers and high officials were present remarked the learned judge on the charge that Sk. Mujibur Rahman had shouted and incited the crowd for a length of time which had been given from ten minutes to two hours. The accused, according to the Magistrate, should have been apprehended there and then. Further, in the evidence of the Prosecution witness No. 15, who had tumed hostile to the prosecution, Sk. Mujibur Rahman instead of ‘inciting the mob was acting as a “peace-maker”. Finally in the evidence against Mohammad Mia, who gave his name as Md. Abdul Huq “not an iota of truth” was found.
The Incident
It will be recalled that the Jail Police opened fire on the evening of May 7, 1954 following an altercation between a jail warder and a panbidi shop-owner at Chakbazar. The warder was reported to be in the habit of making purchases at the shop on credit. A crowd soon gathered before the Jail gate demanding the injured persons who had been taken inside the jail. Later in the night the Jail police again opened fire on the alleged threatening behaviour of the crowd, in all killing one boy and injuring about 60 persons. The charge-sheets of the cases were submitted by the police on June 15, 1954, against Sk. Mujibur Rahman, General Secretary, Provincial Awami League and a member of the deposed U. F. Cabinet, and 10 others. No witnesses on behalf of the defence were produced yesterday. Mr. Mozhar Hossain, Advocate, appeared for the prosecution while Mr. Ataur Rahman Khan, Advocate, assisted by Messrs. Zamiruddin, Zahiruddin and Kamruddin appeared for the defence.