Aga Shahi tries vainly to muzzle Swaran Singh
From J. K. Banerji
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23.-A dramatic flare-up marked the opening of the General Assembly’s general debate when the Pakistani Ambassador, Mr. Aga Shahi, tried repeatedly but in vain to muzzle the Indian Foreign Minister. Mr. Swaran Singh, as he dealt with the background of the developments in Bangladesh and the resultant exodus of nine million refugees across the international border into India.
Mr. Shahi twice interrupted Mr. Swaran Singh by raising points of order to the effect that India was “delving into the internal affairs of Pakistan” by dealing with the causes of the conflict in Bangladesh.
The Assembly President, Mr. Adam Malik of Indonesia, whose heart is on the side of Pakistan, could not muster enough courage to rule the Indian spokesman out of order and said nothing.
It is at this point that the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Baroodi, rose to give Mr. Aga Shahi friendly assistance by proposing that the India’s Foreign Minister should ‘skip’ those paras which dealt with matters to which Mr. Shahi has raised objections, In the light of the fact that copies of Mr. Singh’s speech had already been distributed amongst the delegates, all that Mr. Aga Shahi and Mr. Baroodi, achieved was that Mr. Swaran Singh was ad lib as he gave his replies and thereby could speak of the armed resistance in Bangladesh—something that was not in his prepared statement.
Mr. Singh, after all is said and done, did not and, in fact, could not propose or suggest anything going beond the cautious and even noncommittal, at least outwardly, stance taken by New Delhi.
Meanwhile, the head of the Pakistani delegation, Mr. Mahmud Ali yesterday reiterated in the general Assembly the readiness of his Government to sit down and discuss directly with India the problem of refugees from East Bengal or to accept the good offices of a committee of the Security Council, adds AFP.
Answering remarks made by Mr. Swaran Singh, Mr. All said Pakistan was “ready and willing to take back every single one of its citizens and was conscious of the need of return to normality.” At the same time, he added, “Pakistan has no intention to allow anyone to put the itegrity of our country in jeopardy.”
He urged the Assembly to “warn India about the dangerous course of her policy.” In his statement. Mr. Ali denied the right of India to comment on or to influence” events in East Bengal.
Mr. Ali charged India last night with interfering in the internal affairs of Pakistan “inviolation of good international behaviour, the U. N. Charter and International Law,” adds UNI.
Mr. Ali’s objection came after Mr. Singh, in his speech before the Assembly, called for the release of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and a political settlement of the Bangladesh issue. Mr. Ali said member nations were not unaware of the problems to which, he claimed, his country was tryig to find a solution. o nation was free from such problems as confronted Pakistan, he asserted.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 24.9.1971