USA shipping more arms to Pakistan
From Our Special Correspondent New Delhi, June 24.—More of clandestine shipments of arms and ammunition and military hardware have been getting into Pakistan from the USA, it is reliably learnt.
This means that the arms shipment, despite the official US ban since the carnage of March 25-26 in East Bengal, had not been restricted only to the two cases (“Padma” and “Sunderbans”) as reported by the New York Times and over which the two houses of Parliament expressed grave concern today.
It was already indicated by the US authorities that shipments had been possible because of some legal loopholes.
The Political Affairs Committee of the Cabinet discussed this question of arms shipment to Pakistan from the USA here this evening in detail. Many of the important secretaries were present.
It was also reported to have discussed what measures might be taken to see that the USA strictly banned any future shipment to Pakistan.
The USA’s own decision is that on arms should go to Pakistan till the Pakistan Army stopped atrocities in East Bengal and the military regime comes to a political settlement with Bangladesh people.
Still third ship is believed to have been loaded with the United States military hardware for Pakistan, adds UNI
According to a statement released here today by the United States Embassy: “Apparently two and perhaps three ships have recently loaded military equipment sold to Pakistan before March 25. Two have sailed.”
The statement did not say whether the third ship has also sailed for Pakistan.
The statement containing points “with respect to newspaper reports of continuing US arms shipment to Pakistan” was handed over to a deputation of Congress (R) workers who demonstrated before the US Embassy this evening to protest against such arms shipments.
A US State Department spokesman announced today that two new licences for export of military equipment to Pakistan on a token value of $9,000 were issued on March 31 and April and April 6. Says a report from Washington.
He said he did not know whether the equipment had already been shipped. He explained that these licences had been issued in spite of the decision to cut off all licences for tan taken on March 26, because it took several days to put this decision into effect.
Answering a question, the spokesman confirmed that a third ship and sailed recently from the United States bound for Pakistan, but he did not know whether this ship was carrying military equipment.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 25.6.1971