A HARD PRESSED REGIME
Time is fast running out for Pakistan’s millitary regime under Genreral Yahya Khan as the combined forces of public opinion in the world as well as within the country itself exert great pressure for political economic reforms. Yahya Khan’s dsperate attempt to avert his country’s total bankruptcy by announcing general amnesty and the replacement of East Pakistan’s military governor by a civilian has not aroused the least interest among the 9 million refugees from East Pakistan in India. The Pakistan President has not touched the essential core of the problem in promising a lenient attitude towards the refugees. He did not mention about the future legislature of Pakistan as result of the geneal elections of last December in which the Awami League achieved an overwhelming victory.
Overlooking this problem will not bring the crisis in Pakistan an inch closer to solution. Meanwhile, as the days wear on without a clear Political solution in sight, Pakistan’s plight becomes the more unbearable. With the spectre of financial bankruptcy looming ahead and the economy in shambles, even the most optimistic supporters of Yahya Khan’s regime would not dare to predict how much longer it will last.
Pakistan’s effort to arouse sympathy for her position by way of exaggerating India’s role in supporting the Bangladesh idea has also failed to hoodwink the world towards the developments in East Pakistan. Sooner or later President Yahya must take a clear-cut stand on the problem of East Pakistan and its connection with the general election. The sooner he does so, the better for the country because only then it will be able to draft concrete plans for recovery.
Reference : The Indonesian Observer, 07.10.1971