Repatriation likely on Thursday
By a Staff Reporter, Simultaneous repatriation of Indian and Pakistan diplomatic staff from Dacca and Calcutta is expected to come off this week possibly on Thursday or Friday.
Dr. Bonard, the Swiss representative, after interviewing 65 members of the former Pak Deputy High Commission who had switched their allegiance to Bangladesh Government observed in his report to the Swiss Ambassador in India, Mr. Fritz Real, that none of them was willing to be repatriated to Pakistan.
Dr. Bonard had interviewed the former Pak Mission staff in Calcutta on July 18 in presence if the Pak representative, Mr. Mehedi Masud. and the Indian representative, Mr. A. K. Roy.
Before submitting his report Dr. Bonard discussed the matter with the Indian and the Pakistani representative Mr. Roy and Mr. Masudas also with Mr. Hossein Ali the Chief to the Bangladesh Mission in Calcutta. Mr. Masud concurred with Dr. Bonards report and put his signature on it. Mr. Hossein Ali was also in full agreement with Dr. Bonard but refused to put his signature along with Mr. Masud on the ground that he was much junior to him in service and diplomatic status.
Islamabad had been holding the India diplomatic staff in Dacca as hostages since it had ordered closing down of the Mission unilaterally on April 26 eight days after 65 members of its Mission in Calcutta had switched over their allegiance to the Bangladesh Government. India as a retaliatory measure also ordered. Closing down of the Pak Mission in Calcutta.
Pakistan had been delaying repatriation of the Indian staff on one pretest or the other, frustrating initial mediation efforts by the Soviet and the Swiss Governments. Finally, on the intervention of the UN Secretary General, Pakistan agreed to accept a formula under which a representative of the Swiss Government would interview the staff of the Bangladesh mission in the presence of Indian and Pakistani representatives. Dr. Bonard came down to Calcutta for the interview.
All the 65 members of the Bangladesh Mission categorically told Dr. Bonard that they had disowned the Pakistan Government voluntary and that they would not like to be repatriated to Pakistan. Pakistan had been claiming that the Bangladesh Mission staff had transferred their loyally under duress and coercion but failed to substantiate the charge. Unless Pakistan comes out with fresh excuses, the deck seems to have been cleared for the repatriation of the diplomatic staff of both the countries simultaneously.
UNI reports from New Delhi: The good offices of the Swiss Government will be utilized for the simultaneous repatriation of the Indian Deputy High Commission personnel in Dacca and the Pakistani diplomatic personnel in Calcutta.
India’s suggestion to this effect made at a meeting between Mr. S. K. Banerjee, secretary (East). Ministry of External Affairs, and Mr. Sajjad Hyder, the Pakistani High Commissioner, is reported to have been accepted by the Pakistani representative.
Mr. Hyder called on Mr. Banerjee this morning and discussed the details of the arrangement to be made for the representation had successfully resolved the deadlock created by Pakistan’s insistence that its personnel in Calcutta, who shifted allegiance to Bangladesh were being forcibly held.
Details regarding the transport arrangements for the repatriation will most probably be decided by the Swiss representative in consultations with India and Pakistan.
Our Staff Reporter reports.
But indications are that Pak. Deputy High Commission in Calcutta on April 25, and 30 odd former employees of the Mission will be airlifted by Iranian aircraft form Calcutta to Karachi.
Simultaneously, Soviet aircraft’s will bring the Indian Deputy High Commissioner in Dacca, Mr. K. C. Sengupta, and a staff over 130 to Calcutta.
Even then, Pakistan’s intentions are not very clear. The military authorities in Dacca have imposed further restorations on the Indian mission staff by disrupting the telephone connection which served as the only communication with people outside.
The movement of the Deputy High Commissioner as also the Mission staff in Dacca had already been restricted. The Deputy High Commissioner could every day. How the telephones line too had been snapped. The Government of India is seriously annoyed about the mater and is contemplating to sever the telephone connection of Mr. Masud in Calcutta unless the Pak authorities restored the telephone line in the Indian mission in Dacca immediately.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 27.7.1971