They are not giving arms
From Our Special Correspondent, NEW DELHI, May 5.—The External Affairs Minister, Sardar Swaran Singh, said in the Lok Sabha today that the French Government did informed the Indian Government towards the end of June that they would not make any deliveries of alms even on old contracts” to Pakistan. They had also not entered into any new contracts for the supply of arms to Pakistan after the military action in Bangladesh.
The Soviet Union had also assured India, the Minister said, that they had not delivered any arms to Pakistan after March 25. The Soviet Ambassador had told us that the Press reports about USSR supply of arms to Pakistan after the military action in Bangladesh are incorrect.
Mr. Singh who was making a statement in reports to a call attention notice said chances of shipment of arms by the USSR to Pakistan earlier than March 23 reaching Pakistan later could not be ruled out. But there was no confirmation of this.
He said that in view of the prevailing practice of slandestine sale of arms through private parties in Western Europe, the possibility of Pakistan acquiring arms through such sources cannot be ruled out.
The Minister said that the Government had been in touch with the Governments of the USSR and France both in New Delhi and their respective capitals.
Mr. Madhu Dandavate (PSP), who raised the issue, wanted to know wthether arms supplied by the USSR to Pakistan prior to March 25 had reached Pakistan after the military action in Bangladesh. He contended that the Soviet Union had charged the policy towards India. They, like other Western power did not want to unpret the balance of power in Asia and did not want the rise of a virulent nation like Bangladesh which would be friendly to India. The PSP member quoted Radio Pakistan as quoting Mr. Kosygin saying that the Bangladesh issue was an internal ajar of Pakistan.
The Minsiter said that the Government had always stcadfastly pointed out that this doctrine of balance of power between India and Pakistan was “unreal”. India was tivetunes bigger in size than Pakistan. India had much bigger problems on account of this size. Anybody talking of a balance of power between India and Pakistan should not be allowed to go unchallenged.
Mr. Singh said that France did not subscribe to this theory of balance of power. He urged the members not to take seriously what Radio Pakistan out across.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 7.7.1971