The Daily
Morning News
28 APRIL 1971
News headlines and details from the Daily Morning News.
News Headlines:
- Mehdi Masud virtually put under detention in Calcutta.
- Restrictions on Pak diplomats : Comment.
- Sylhet meeting pledges support to Armed Forces
- Pakistan Army in firm control of all towns : APA report.
- People urged to lend full support to police.
- Left communists denounce E. Wing secessionist's game.
- Stories of pitched battles are fictitious (Patina).
- Mujib's son on PIA flight carrying Bhutto, Begum Sulaiman?
- Gen. Hamid and Air Marshal Rahim arrive in city.
- Postal services normal in Dacca.
Other Headlines:
- Another proof of Indian backing to AL.
- Bhutto calls on president.
- Interference of foreign powers in Pakistan's internal affairs slated.
Islamabad, April 27, (APP): Mr. Mehdi Masud. Pakistan's Deputy High Commissioner in Calcutta, is virtually under detention in Calcutta, it was learnt here today.
He is not allowed by the local Indian authorities to move out. This is being done on the pretext of disturbed law and order situation in the city of Calcutta and 'concern' for his safety.
This is in complete violation of the assurances given by the Indian Govt. before Mr. Mehdi Masud's arrival in Calcutta to take over his assignment as the Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan in Calcutta.
Officials here are concerned about Mr. Masud's welfare and are reported to be awaiting further information from Calcutta.
Islamabad, April 27 (APP): The Governor of Pakistan hopes that the largest announcement by the Indian Government regarding restrictions on Pakistan's diplomats is not intended to hamper the departure of Pakistani officials and their families from Calcutta.
This was stated by a spokesman of the ministry of Foreign Affairs, here today while commenting on the Indian announcement that Pakistani diplomatic officers in India, their families and domestic servants will henceforth be subjected to certain restrictions with regard to their movements.
The spokesman said that if, as is reported, the Indian Government now require that Pakistani diplomats, officials and their families in India should give seven days advance notice and seek prior permission of the Indian Government before leaving for Pakistan.
Then surely the Indian diplomats and their families will require to do the same on the basis of reciprocity.
He added that so far as restrictions on movement were concerned, the Indian announcement
did not introduce any new element because the movement of Pakistani diplomats and
their families in India and those of Indian diplomats in Pakistan have been regulated
under reciprocal arrangements. For quite some time they are required to give three
days advance notice before moving out of their headquarters to visit their sub-
The spokesman remarked that on their part Govt. of Pakistan did not wish to impose
any such restrictions on Indian diplomats. All that the Govt. of Pakistan wanted
was that the personnel of the Pakistan sub-
Sylhet, April 27 (APP): A largely attended public meeting held here recently reiterated
its determination to safeguard the solidarity of Pakistan and pledged its support
to the armed forces in their task of annihilating the anti-
The meeting was presided over by Al-
The meeting in a resolution asserted that while peace and tranquility prevailed in Sylhet, Indian propagandists were putting out stories of continuous fighting. They condemned the baseless Indian propaganda.
In another resolution adopted at the meeting, a peace committee was formed with Mr. Nazmul Hossain Khan (Tara Mia) as convener and 22 prominent persons as members.
Procession
A big procession was taken out by citizens of Sylhet on Friday, 23 April after Juma prayers. About 8,000 persons participated shouting 'Pakistan Zindabad'. Pakistan flags and banners bearing slogans 'Crush India', 'Long live Pakistan' were carried by the procession. All houses, buildings, rickshaws and bicycles flew Pakistan flags.
After marching through the streets of the city the procession went to the Dargah Sharif of Hazrat Shah Jalal and offered prayers for the solidarity of Pakistan,
The gathering was then addressed by the members of the Sylhet district peace committee
condemning, the anti-
Islamabad, April 27 (APP): An American news agency APA has reported that the socalled Bangla Desh leaders have admitted that it was a mistake to have tried to hold the towns in the face of Pakistan army where most of their armed supporters turned tail at the first crump of an exploding mortar shell.
In a Calcutta-
APA also reported that several thousand miscreants had sought refuge in India which has been supplying arms and weapons to them.
Lahore, April 27 (APP): The Inspector General of Police, Punjab, Mr. Anwar Afridi, yesterday appealed to the people to lend full support to the police to facilitate efficient performance of their duty.
He made this appeal at a press conference at the police club here yesterday morning.
The police chief said the job of the police could be conveniently divided into three
major spheres of activity : prevention, detection and conviction. At almost every
stage the co-
He regretted that the people have lost confidence in the police and made an earnest
appeal to the press to lend whole-
When the newsmen drew the police chief s attention to incidents in which police officials had maltreated and harassed complainants, he said in such cases, The people who were subjected to such harassment should report to senior district police officials or the DIGs or direct to him.
He assured newsmen that he would certainly take action in such cases. He said previously too, whenever such a complaint came to him he ordered an enquiry and action was taken accordingly.
He said that he had directed all police officials to be courteous and polite to the complainants and to their duty honestly. He, however, said that the police department has a large number of people drawn from all parts of the province and from a strata of society.
They were not infallible and "I do not deny the existence of black sheep in the force".
He said that he was doing his best to streamline the police administration by weeding out the undesirable elements.
London, April 27: Indian communist and left-
A report from Calcutta in the newspaper "The Times" said, the Naxalites of West Bengal have decided to oppose the independence movement in East Pakistan led by Mujib's followers. Naxalite posters denouncing the " upheaval as an imperialist's conspiracy against China" are appearing on the walls in several parts of Calcutta.
Reporting that Mohammad Toaha's marxist groups have broken away from the anti-
Pabna, April 27 (APP): Despite the fictitious stories broadcast by All India Radio
of so-
I had the occasion of flying in small reconnaissance plane today to have a look at
the remaining couple of pockets of the Bahini in the north Bengal region bordering
state of West Bengal. An accompanying field officer showed me a pocket from about
3000 feet. I saw some trenches manned with men of the so-
As our plane went down to 2,000 feet I saw through binoculars leave their guns and
run to take shelter in the hamlets in the man-
While on the round I asked an army officer who was engaged in clearing the miscreant,
anti-
Lahore, April 27: the Pakistan PP Chairman, Mr. Bhutto, who flew here from Karachi on Sunday, said he had been told by some passengers that Mujib's son, Kamal was also travelling by the same plane, according to a report appeared in Dawn, Karachi,
He told newsmen that he himself had not met Mujib's son but this information was communicated to him by some passengers while he was alighting from the plane.
Mian Mahmood Ali Kasuri, who was standing nearby in the VIP room, interjected, "So you are also working as a newsman."
Correspondents' attempts to contact Sheikh Mujib's son however bore no fruit. This correspondent met Begum Akhtar Sulaiman in the transit lounge. Begum Sulaiman said she had no knowledge of Mr. Kamal's presence in the plane although she was travelling by the same flight. There were strict security measures at the airport.
General Abdul Hamid Khan, chief of staff, Pakistan Army arrived in Dacca on Monday night, reports APP. Lt. General Tikka Khan, Governor and Martial Law Administrator, zone "B" and other senior military officers received him at the airport. During his stay in East Pakistan General Hamid will visit army units and establishments.
Rahim
Air Marshal A. Rahim Khan, commander-
Letter sorters at G.P.O. were seen busy and postmen went out on their beat for delivery of mail in different localities of Dacca as usual this morning.
The employees of Pakistan post office department, including the RMS, foreign post office, postal life insurance, etc., have resumed their duties and have been attending their offices regularly. The booking of all accountable and unaccountable articles, money orders, registrations of parcels and insured articles, sale of stamps, etc., at the counters of post offices and the normal delivery of mails by postman have been continuing in a normal manner. The postal services between East and West Pakistan have also been continuing satisfactorily.
Profile of Bengal