AMRITA BAZAR PATRIKA, MAY 12,1971
MISSION STAFF EXCHANGE
INDIA, PAKISTAN ACCEPT SWISS MEDIATION
From Our Special Representative
New Delhi, May 11.- The week-old diplomatic deadlock between India and Pakistan over the question of repatriation of the personnel of their respective closed missions in Dacca and Calcutta is being sought to be resolved through Swiss good offices.
It transpires, according to the spokesman of the External Affairs Ministry, after unsuccessful attempts by Russia and Iran to offer third party assistance, Pakistan made an approach to the Swiss Government to take a hand in resolving the problem of repatriation of the Deputy High Commissions of India and Pakistan in Dacca and Calcutta. The Swiss agreed to consult India and lend their good offices.
The Swiss Ambassador in New Delhi, Dr. Fritz Real met Mr. S. K. Banerjee, Secretary, External Affairs, this afternoon and discussed the proposal, which was accepted by India.
Shortly after that the Pakistan High Commissioner Mr. Sajjad Hyder, met Mr. S. K. Banerjee in the External Affairs Ministry, who conveyed India’s acceptance of the good offices of Switzerland.
Main hitch
The main hitch in the evacuation of the Dacca Mission staff arose over Pakistan’s insistence that their Deputy High Commissioner, Mr. Mahdi Masud should be afforded all facilities by the Government of India to meet individually all members of their Calcutta mission who had declared their allegiance to Bangladesh and defected from Pakistan.
Since Mr. Hosain Ali and other members of the Calcutta mission did not agree to meet Mr. Masud individually except in a group, Pakistan created a stalemate and stalled the repatriation of our Dacca mission staff.
The stand of India was that it was a matter between Mr. Masud and members of the Pakistan Deputy High Commission to settle and India did not come into the picture, nor could India force any member of the Pakistan mission to meet Mr. Masud. Yet the External Affairs Ministry had requested Mr. Hosain Ali to meet Mr. Masud, but when Mr. Rosain Ali went to meet Mr. Masud with other members of the Calcutta mission, who had declared their allegiance to Bangladesh, Mr. Masud insisted that they should sec him individually. Thereupon, Mr. Hosain Ali and other members of the group walked away.
Modalities
It is not known what would be the modalities of the Swiss good offices in resolving the hitch. So far as India is concerned, the External Affairs Ministry seems to have taken the line that it is now for the Swiss and Pakistan to resolve the issue. India has made it clear to Pakistan earlier that the repatriation of the Dacca and Calcutta missions would be on a reciprocal basis, but reciprocity in this matter is not connected with numerical criterion. The entire staff of our Dacca mission, who are all desirous of coming back to India should be allowed facilities to be repatriated. India would offer facilities to all those members of the Calcutta mission, who are so willing to be repatriated to Pakistan, but could not force anyone to go to Pakistan.
It would seem the Swiss will for the present be making their efforts in Calcutta in trying to ascertain the will of the staff of the Pakistan Mission. The Swiss has no mission in Dacca. Whether the Swiss would themselves meet the Calcutta mission staff individually or collectively, or they would try to arrange individual or collective meeting between the Calcutta mission staff and Mr. Masud, these are matters left to the Swiss good offices.
India is primarily concerned about the repatriation of their entire staff from Dacca, and would not interfere in the repatriation of the Pakistan mission staff who may be so willing.
The Swiss efforts at resolving the repatriation problem and the main hurdle holding it up will be a waited with keen interest. The Dacca and Calcutta missions were closed on April 16 last following Pakistan’s unilateral decision to close down their Deputy High Commission and asking India to close the Dacca mission.
Since then the repatriation of the personnel of respective mission has been held up because of the hurdle created by Pakistan trying to implicate India in what is purely an internal mission affair of Pakistan.