Morning News
25th July 1958
No “Physical Demonstration’ by MPAS
Outside Assembly Mujib Condemns
PM’s move to send central ministers
By a Staff Reporter
The East Pakistan Awami League general secretary, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, condemned the reported move of the Prime Minister to depute two Central Ministers to review the political situation in East Pakistan with a view to lifting Section 193 from the province. He also expressed his opposition to any “physical” demonstration by MPAs outside the Assembly to ascertain the respective strength of the two contending Coalition parties one led by Mr. Abu Hossain Sarkar and the other by Mr. Ataur Rahman Khan. “Let a special session of the Provincial Assembly be caled, if necessary, to ascertain as to who commands the majority in the House.” he suggested. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman who returned to Dacca yesterday from Karachi in the course of an interview with “Morning News” said that if the Central Government felt that they were “our” masters, “they are living in a fool’s paradise.” “I do not know how long this Karachi clique will continue to play with East Pakistan.”
NOT DUMB, DRIVEN CATTLE
Referring to the possible deputation of the Central Ministers to this province, the Awami General Secretary said: If anybody thought that East Pakistan MPAs were not “human beings” but dumb, driven cattle, he was grossly mistaken. The MPAs could be physically present only at one place that is the Assembly” he asserted. The Awami Shiekh sounded a note of warning against the violation of the “constitutional convention,” which according to him clearly laid down that one who enjoyed the confidence of the House should be allowed to form the Government. The people of East Pakistan, he said, wanted to be governed through constitutional procedures and not in a “dictatorial” manner. If required, the Awami League would again prove that it had the majority in the House, he added.
AL WILL WAIT
He, however, said that his party was not interested in Ministry Making. Now that the date for the general election in the country had been announced, he said, the party could wait for another six months. When he was asked to state as to what would be the attitude of his party if the KSP Coalition was prepared to “physically” demonstrate its strength, he said, “I am sure they cannot do it.” He emphasised that MPAs were duly elected representatives of the people. How could the Central Government want the respective strength of the parties ascertained through physical demonstration when no such demonstration by MPs was considered necessary to show as to who enjoyed majority support in the National Assembly he asked.
Replying to a question on a reported talk between Mr. Hamidul Huq Choudhry and Mr. Abul Mansur Ahmad on the basis of a possible Coalition between the Awami League and the KSP, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman gave the briefest answer, “I do not know.” He declined comment on the issue further.
The trusted lieutenant of Awami Chief Mr. Suhrawardy, ….. very critical of the reported ……… for a confederation of Pakistan …. Iran and said that the people East Pakistan would “resist” it. It was another plan, he said, to…….. the people of this province into minority. “If anybody wanted amalgamate Pakistan with any other country it was clearly an act of …….. version,” he said.