KISSINGER-SINGH DISCUSS
Pakistan Situation
NEW DELHI- Dr. Henry Kissinger, Special Adviser to President Nixon, met the India Foreign Minister, Swaran Singh here Wednesday for talks on the East Pakistan situation.
It was the first high-level discussion between representatives of the two countries since it became known on June 22 that shipments of American arms were on their way to Pakistan.
Singh, who returned from a visit to Washington that day, and said he had been assured that the US would not provide arms to Pakistan told Mr Kissinger Wednesday of the resentment in India at the American move.
The State Department has said licences for the arms were granted before the Pakistan Army moved against East Pakistan on March 25.
Mr. Kissinger, who arrived here Tuesday from Bangkok, is to see the Indian Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi, later for further talks on the arms issue and the plight of the 6,500.00 refugees who have come from East Pakistan.
Also on the American official’s agenda are meetings with the Planning Minister, C. Subramaniam, the Defence Minister, Jagjivam Ran, and a lunch as guest of the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, Dr. Vikram A Sarabhai.
He leaves Thursday for Islamabad for discussions with Pakistani leaders.
Newspaper’s view
Thu muvian Express (right wing) in an editorial Wednesday said it hoped Dr. Kissinger would not try to persuade the Indian Government that arms aid to Pakistan at this juncture was really form of protective insurance against the commission of further barbarities in Bangla Desh.
Dr. Kissinger might argue that the United States Government has not been ungenerous in its aid to the refugees the Express said, “This is correct. What Dr Kissinger and President Nixon appear to overlook is that there is surely something ethically wrong in the excrcise which permits in a situation of this kind the country of financial aid to the victims with one hand and the sending of arms aid to their oppressors with the other.”-Rtr.
Reference : The Djakarta Times, 09.07.1971