Daily Dawn
20th November 1964
Mujib ‘replies’ to Shoaib’s charge
DACCA, Nov. 19: Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, General Secretary of the East Pakistan Awami League, today replied to the allegations levelled against him by Finance Minister Mr. Mohammad Shoaib.
In a Press statement he said: “Patriotism was a great thing and it should not be lightly played upon for personal ends.”
The following is the text of his press statement: “My attention has been drawn to news item published today in a section of the press in full front page banner headline, purported to be a comment of Pakistan’s Finance Minister, Mr. Mohammad shoaib on my reported statement published in an Indian paper. I have not come across my alleged statement and am therefore unable to testify to what has been published. “Some time past some representatives of foreign Press including APA (Associated Press of America) met me in conncetion with the present electioneering campaign. In the course of discussion I stated some policies with regard to the role of the under-developed countries in the race of armament. In my opinion underdeveloped countries should not waste their resources in armament race, because it is the big power blocks who can excite world war or maintain world peace if they so desire. In the face of nuclear warfare arm-build up by the small countries at the cost of their development programme has no meaning.
“India and Pakistan should resolve their outstanding problems and live as good peaceful neighbours, and divert their defence expenditure to the development programme. That will better serve the cause of their respective peoples. India has now started feeling the pinch of massive armbuildup with the help of foreign powers, the outcome of which was the gigantic internal unrest due to acute crises in all spheres”.
“Mr. shoaib has questionend my patriotism for my wish to reach a settlement with Inndia and live as friendly neihgbours. Do Mr. Shoaib and his leader then not want to settle up with India all the disputes including Kashmir? “Questioning the patriotism of political opponent by the members of the anti-people ruling coterie is not new to the people of Pakistan. As for myself since my boyhood in my humble way I fought for independence.
“Mr. shoaib is in the service of Pakistan on loan and is vigorously introducing measures here in line with the measures introduced in South American states which have completely shattered the economy of our masses to the great benefit of a few families.
“Just after Martial Law, Mr. Shoaib’s leader offered for a joint defence with India. His leader also made over to India Pakistani territories in the name of exchanges without ever getting Berubari from India.
“The other day General Cariappa, former Chief of Staff of the Indian Army was allowed to visit the most strategic area along the border of East Pakistan. We have taken all these to be instances of big follies, although highly detrimental to the very existence of our state”. Recently Indian Paper “The Statesman” wrote two editorials eulogising Mr. Ayub Khan and his regime and castigating the Opposition presidential candidate Mohtarama Miss Fatima jinnah. But we have not questioned the patriotism of anybody, because patriotism is a great thing not to be lightly played upon for personal ends”. -PPA
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