The Daily
Morning News
Some Important Entries
19 MAY 1971
News headlines and details from the Daily Morning News.
News Headlines:
- M.M. Ahmed meets U Thant : Pakistan responds to UN offer of aid for East Pakistan.
- More Chinese relief goods on way to Dacca.
- People in the East Wing beginning to realise full extent of betrayal.
Other Headlines:
- Organised armed resistance liquidated, Gen. Niazi told.
- Indian press has lost credibility.
- India has no right to sit on judgement over E. Wing situation-
Colombo paper Al Tsla.
United Nations, New York, May 18 (Reuter): Pakistan today made its first positive response to United Nations Secretary General U Thant's offer of aid for the population of East Pakistan through U.N. agencies.
President Yahya Khan's Economic Affairs Adviser, Mirza Muzaffar Ahmed, called on U Thant at UN headquaters and informed him that Pakistani officials had estimated a two million ton food gap for the year July 1971 to June 1972.
He also told the Secretary General that about 30 coasters with cargo capacity of from 500 to 1000 tons and a number of barges were needed to carry food into the interior of East Pakistan where it is most needed.
Mr. Ahmed told a press conference here after his meeting with U Thant that Pakistan had suggested that experts from the UN and from a number of countries who left East Pakistan during the fighting between the Pakistani Army and Bengali separatists could resume their work in the country from June 1.
Mr. Ahmed said present food stocks in East Pakistan should be sufficient for three to four months. Thereafter a great deal would depend on the size of the year's two remaining rice crops.
The two UN agencies which would be most concerned with the aid he had requested from U Thand would be the world food programme and the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), Mr. Ahmed said.
He was asked about a statement by president Yahya in a letter to U Thant at the end of April that international assistance if required would be administered by Pakistan's own relief agencies.
Mr. Ahmed replied: It is co-
"I think we will prepare a plan and use our own distribution machinery, but UN experts will be available to assist us in these operations."
AID Required
Mr. Ahmed said the aid Pakistan required was largely in the field of food, and "some beefing up of the water transport system to ensure that food is moved from the ports to the interior where it is needed".
The Pakistan Government had already made inqueries in Holland and in the Far East about obtaining coasters and barges.
Mr. Ahmed said the aid being requested from UNICEF would be mostly for milk and other commodities of that kind.
The major problem would be the distribution of food and other goods on account of "some dislocation of the communications system" in East Pakistan, he added.
The Pakistan envoy said reports of loss of life and property damage in East Pakistan and of the numbers of refugees who had crossed the border into India, had "grossly exaggerated."
But questioned he said he had no figures for casualties or refugees.
The law and order situation in East Pakistan had improved vastly and rapidly, he continued.
Mr. Ahmed said during his visit to Washington before coming to NewYork, he had wide ranging discussions with the US administration US AID agencies and the World Bank both about Pakistan's food needs and our normal consortium relationship.'
Asked if he had directly requested a resumption of suspended us aid to Pakistan Mr. Ahmed said the food grain aid programme was suspended not because of any desire not to help but because conditions in Chittagong port were such immediately after the disturbed conditions that they could not lead or unlead ships.
He continued the other major assistance from the US is in the form commodity and the agreement on which is normally signed in the spring.
"Last year, the agreement was signed in the middle of April. Now we are in the middle of May, and we hope that the availability indicated to us at the time of the consortium meeting will be approved during the course of the year.
American aid officials in with holding commitments of further aid to Pakistan told Mr. Ahmed that the United States would like to see World Bank involvement in Pakistan's problems rather than provide direct US aid, sources said.
They said such a policy was in keeping with president Nixon's announced desire to channel more aid through multinational agencies and was not intended as a rebuff to Pakistan.
One of the considerations in the reluctance to give firm commitments of further assistance to Pakistan appeared to be difference with the central government over the need for emergency relief in East Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Embassy here has given an assurance to senator J. William Fulbright Chairman of the senate foreign relations committee that the Pakistan Army has not used any more force than necessary against the "Bangla Desh" secessionists.
The Embassy, in a letter to the Arkansas Democrat, said that the amount of damage and the casulties resulting from the Army's action had been grossly exaggerated.
The foreign relations committee recently approved a resolution calling for suspension
of US aid to Pakistan, but action by the full senate on the non-
Hilaly's letter
The Pakistani Ambassador here Mr. Agha Hilaly said in the letter to the committee, would like to assure the members of the senate foreign relations committee that the Pakistan Army in suppressing utter lawlessness that prevailed in the province after the AL leader, Mr. Mujib, ordered his followers to start a civil disobedience campaign did not use more force than was necessary against the armed mobs who had let loose reign of terror and who were indulging in sheer looting and wanton killing of peaceful citizens.
"In the face of the chaotic happenings that ensured in East Pakistan after Mr. Rahman set up a parallel government from March 1 onwards there was absolutely no alternative except for the Govt. to order the Army to restore law and order so that the national integrity of the country could be preserved and the lives and property of millions of innocent citizens who had never voted for separation protected."
"The letter was a response to testimony given to the panel by Mr. John Rohde a SEATO aid official who alleged mass killing of unarmed civilians and a systematic elimination of the intelligentsia in East Pakistan.
The Ambassador said that Mr. Rohde had never been an impartial observer of events in East Pakistan and that after last November's cyclone, had openly set himself up as the champion of Bengali nationalism.
Islamabad, May 18 (APP): Several items including powder milk are on way to Dacca from China in addition to its first instalment of relief assistance which reached the East Pakistani capital on Sunday last, it was learnt here today.
China's first instalment, a plane load of powdered milk, was placed at the disposal of East Pakistan authorities for distribution in the province.
By handling over its relief supplies to the administration China has followed the
procedure indicated in President Yahya Khan's letter to United Nations Secretary
General U Thant that international relief assistance should be handled by Pakistan's
own national agencies which are well-
Karachi, May 18 (APP): People in East Pakistan are now beginning to realise the full and the awesome extent of their betrayal by the leadership of the outlawed AL. The statement issued by 55 university professors, writers, artistes and editors in Dacca bears testimony to this. When the tragic story emerges in full, it will constitute one of the 20th century's monumental frauds played by a small coterie on a large population, said a special news commentary broadcast by Radio Pakistan yesterday.
Currently, the irony strikes one as cruel and the irony is this, the AL persuaded people to vote for the party to better their lot. The party's manifesto said this was possible only with maximum provincial autonomy under one central Government of Pakistan.
And having won an unprecedent, victory at the polls, instead of consolidating, it put the very freedom of Bengali Muslims in jeopardy. It wanted to cut the eastern and reimpose Hindu political hegemony once again on the Muslims of East Pakistan.
As far as their economic wellbeing is concerned all the economic progress that East Pakistan had managed to achieve through toil and sweat over the last 23 years, was sought to be destroyed or damaged.
To accomplish this, the AL leadership barefacedly took the support of the worst enemies
of Muslims and Islam from across the border could perfidy with the Muslims of East
Pakistan go any further? Can the modern world produce another example of this kind
of cynical double-
Let us run through the catalogue of the AL's achievements after the election. It
won the election, promising to realise the maximum possible provincial autonomy as
envisaged in its six-
But having won the election on this basis, let us see what it did
It imported arms from India and stocked them in strategic places including student
hostels. It smuggled armed Indian soldiers and para military personnel to direct
and lead the operation to extinguish the freedom of East Pakistan. It paralysed the
administration and brought untold sufferings upon the very people it sought to serve.
It used the methods of the fascist killer gangs and went on a murder spree against
non-
The question that people in East Pakistan and many even in the rank and file of the AL had not voted for the party to destroy their own state, to invite Indian arms, Indian money and Indian soldiers to snuff out our hard won freedom. As the 55 intellectuals of East Pakistan pointed out AL leadership had no mandate, none whatsoever from the people for what it did after the election. The mandate was not for the break up of Pakistan.
August 1971
September 1971
October 1971
November 1971
December 1971
Profile of Bengal