THE STATESMAN, MAY 15, 1971
PINDI SHIFTS STAND AGAIN
SWISS MEDIATION OFFER REJECTED
From Our Special Representative
New Delhi, May 14. -The rejection by Pakistan of the Swiss offer of good offices to help resolve the dispute with India over the repatriation of diplomatic personnel from Dacca and Calcutta has taken Government sources here by surprise. Islamabad’s move of rejection came late last night.
Coming within a day of the acceptance by the Pakistan Government of the proposal that Mr. Mahdi Masud, the former Deputy High Commissioner at Calcutta, meet Mr. Hossain Ali and the East Bengali staff in the presence of a Swiss representative, the latest turnabout is seen as further evidence of the off-again onagain diplomacy being pursued by that country.
The contradiction between the two statements made by the Pakistan Government spokesman, one accepting the principle of meetings between Mr. Masud and his Bengali staff in a Swiss representative’s presence and the other rejecting the proposition in to is too obvious to need any elucidation, it is pointed out.
What is, however, causing surprise is that Pakistan, which initially sought Swiss intervention should have gone back on its word so soon. The obvious intention appears to keep the diplomatic tussle alive so that international attention is diverted from the reign of terror let loose by the Pakistani Army in Bangladesh as also from the vast multitude of East Bengalis seeking refuge in India.
Official sources here seemed extremely reluctant to get embroiled in the latest Pakistani manoeuvre. Having got the Swiss involved in the matter, it was for them and the Swiss to sort their affairs out. India, for her part, would be prepared to cooperate with any constructive moves made by the Swiss in consultation with the Pakistanis.
This was also borne out by India’s readiness to continue to talk to Mr. Fritz Real, the Swiss Ambassador, when he called at the Foreign Office today for talks with Mr. S. K Banerjee, Secretary’ (East). The meeting took place after the Pakistani rejection of Swiss good offices had been announced.
Delicate Issue
What is causing concern, however, is that Pakistan should “play ducks and drakes” with such a delicate and potentially explosive issue. To begin with. Pakistan had shown Interest in the Russian offer to evacuate the diplomats of the two countries from Dacca and Calcutta. Then the Iranians were brought into the picture with the Government of India agreeing to provide facilities to an Iranian plane to land at Calcutta. Finally. Pakistan had on its own approached the Swiss to intervene. Now that the Swiss Ambassador here and other Swiss Government sources elsewhere have moved in the matter, Pakistan has subverted the whole thing by going back on its word.
The Pakistani rejection of the Swiss offer to mediate between Mr. Masud and Mr. Hossain Ali, who declared his allegiance to the Bangladesh Government, was announced by a Foreign Office spokesman at Islamabad.
In a statement, the spokesman charged India with attempting to shift its responsibilities on the dispute over the Calcutta Mission to the Swiss.
The spokesman said India was committed to arranging a meeting between Mr. Masud and the ex High Commissioner, Mr. Hossain Ali, to ascertain the wishes of Mr. Ali’s staff regarding repatriation.
Oddly, the spokesman, ignoring his previous statement on the matter, added that “there is no need for mediation by Switzerland or any third party to bring about this meeting.