Pak campaign for summit renewed
From Our London Office SEPT. 19— Pakistan’s campaign for a Yahya-Mrs. Ghandhi summit meeting has been renewed and the prospect of mediation by Iran and Russia has been mentioned in Karachi after Yahya Khan’s retum from talks with the Shah of Iran in Teheran. But informed circles give little credence to these possibilities and stress on the demand for the immediate release of Sheikh Majibur Rahman.
It is understood in London that no useful purpose will be serve by an indo-Pakistani summit or mediation efforts through a theird party without the release of Mujib whose release, it was reported in London, was sought by the Shah in his talks with Yahya Khan, India has already made it known that the conflict was between the military regime of Pakistan and the democratic forces of Bangladesh under Mujib’s leadership. So the Yahya regime should come to terms with Mujib and nothing short of an independent Bangladesh would be acceptable to him and his people.
Support from Iran and some other countries is not enough to meet the growing economic crisis in Pakistan with Bangladesh facing famine and the Pakistani occupation forces there being increasingly harassed by the Mukti Bahini.
A section if Maoists who are supporting the Bangladesh movement claims that China is supplying arms and ammunition to the Yahya regime as well as to a group of pro-Chinese freedom fighters. This claim has been challenged by another Left-wing group of Bangladesh. This group maintains that China is still in hand and glove with that Yahya regime.
Iran has persuaded Yahya Khan not to take any military action against India and did not accept his contention that the conflict in Bangladesh is between india and Pakistan.
Before the United Nations General Assembly warms up in the middle of October, some significant development including the release of Mujib is anti-cipated in some diplomatic quarters. Americans have made it known that the State Department may have informal talks with the leader of he Bangladesh delegation to the Unite Nations. Several proposals are being canvassed but India has apparently told the State Department and Foreign Offices of other countries that neither Mujib nor any other Bangladesh leaders can now accept anything less than independenee.
If West Pakistan can be satisfied with a confederation with Iran and gives up Yahya Khan’s dream of a united pakistan. America and Britain are ready to endorse it provided the Shah has no objection to it.
After the announcement of Mr. Andre Mairaux, 70-year-old French author, that he offered to serve with the Mukti Bahini, the spectacular fund raising performances for Bangladesh by pop singers and young intellectuals at the big Oval cricket ground yesterday were marked the success. Many other intellectuals of other countries are expected to make offer like Mr. Malraux. If the liberation of Bangladesh is not completed soon, a move is afoot for an international brigade of intellectuals and other to fight the Pakistani occupation forces in East Bengal.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 20.9.1971