July17

17 JULY 1971

News headlines and details from the Daily Morning News.

News Headlines:

Other Headlines:

Quader proposes national confec.
Canadian MPs. off to Delhi.
Pakistan not created on basis of region or language.
India responsible for damages in E. wing.
People urged not to he misled by Indian propaganda.
Relief and Rehabilitation.
India wants to weaken Pakistan.

Indian military planes violate W. Pak air space.

Peshawar, (PPI)

The Indian military aircraft violated the air space over West Pakistan three times Thursday morning, an ISPR press release, said here today.

A strong protest is being lodged with India for this provocative violation of Pakistan air space, the release added.

It was the second violation of Pakistani air space by Indian aircraft within a fortnight, the last violation was an air attack on Amarkhana in Dinajpur district of East Pakistan of July 3. In Dinajpur four fighter aircraft and one armed helicopter of the India Air Force had intruded into Pakistan air space up to six miles and had strafed and machine gunned Amarkhana.

A strong protest was lodged by the Pakistan Government with India against the intrusions.

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Hindus constitute 90 pc of refugees now in India

London (PPI)

A report carried by the Times London from its correspondent says that at least perhaps 90 percent of the refugees now in India are Hindus.

The correspondent Michael Hornsby , in a despatch from Dacca said fear has been the spur, fear not only of the army but also of the vengeance of Bihari (non-Bengali) Muslims who were victimised and in some places butchered by Bengali fanatics during two or three weeks it took the army to secure control of the province.

The report further said that since Biharis were now playing an important role of co-operation with the authorities it is unrealistic to imagine that anything more than a fraction of the Hindu refugees in India can be persuaded to return.

Tracing the cause of Hindu fear the correspondent writes the roots of these antipathies go back way beyond the foundation of Pakistan. In the six centuries before British domination in India, Muslim soldiers and administrators ruled over much of a population in which Hindus formed a numerical majority, though mass conversions to Islam in economically backward areas like East Bengal produced local Muslim majorities. The British replaced Muslim domination with their own. The Muslims further more were regarded after the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 with suspicion by the British as the instigators of rebellion while Hindus of the educated and commercial class began to play an increasing role in public life.

With the approach of independence, partition seem to be the right answer to Muslim's fear of domination by Hindu majority. They had been accustomed historically to regards as subjects rather than rulers yet it was solution that was to bring little satisfaction. For in the view of West Pakistan neither Delhi nor London has ever fully accepted the division of the sub-continent to which both were parties 'there are admissibly some elements of truth in this interpretation of Indian and British attitudes towards Pakistan.

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Passing out parade of Razakars held

Kushtia (APP)

The passing out parade of Mujahids and Razakars was held here yesterday morning on the United school ground in presence of a huge gathering including officials and gentry.

Mr. Saad Ahmed, chairman, District Peace Committee, took the salute from about 2,000 Razakars.

Addressing the Razakars, Mr. Saad Ahmed congratulated them for volunteering themselves for defending their motherland against Indian infiltrators.

He called upon them to stand united like rock and help the armed forces in crushing the enemy.

The enthusiastic Razakars and members of the peace committee and part of gathering paraded main roads of the town raising slogans like Pakistan Zindabad, Quaid-e-Azam Zindabad. It may he stated here that Mujahids and Razakars were rendering valuable services in wiping out miscreants and boosting the morale of the people who had risen as one man against the colonial regime of India.

People in large number have enrolled and were till enrolling daily in thousands as Razakars to counteract the anti-state and anti-social activities of the saboteurs and infiltrators pushed from India.

After being trained in groups the Razakars with the help of the people of their localities were forming defence parties in every village.

People inspired by their inherent sense of patriotism and realising the dirty game being played by India and her agents are rallying round the Razakars and are guarding day and night all vital points and all means of communications like roads, bridges, culverts and railway lines against any possible damage that might be done by Indian saboteurs.

These watchful Razakars were keeping eye on undersirable and unknown faces.

Three hold youngsters had already succeeded in recovering large quantities of unauthorised arms and ammunitions.

As a matter of fact quick realisation of the people has deadening effect on the Indian infiltrators and their agents who being overawed by people's unity and resolve to save their independence and motherland had returned into their holes where they were counting their days.

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Dacca district council member killed

A member of Dacca District Council and a young women of his house were killed by a group of miscreants at their village home Dhaidah under Louhajang police station in Dacca, according to report reaching here last night, reports APP.

In the small hours of July 7 about 25 unknown miscreants came in a boat and threw one grenade and fired 10 to 12 rounds at the house of Mr. Khaliluddin Sikdar, member, District Council Dacca, and Peace Committee Munshiganj sub-division.

To save himself from their indiscriminate firing he ran towards his cousin's house for shelter, but he was caught on the way and slaughtered by the miscreants.

A young maid servant of Mr. Kahaliluddins house got hit on the neck and died. Immediately after the commission of the crime the miscreants left the place by boat.

The police is investigating into the case.

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Satisfactory talks with Yahya, says Bhutto

Rawalpindi (APP)

Mr. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto chairman of the Pakistan people's party, said after meeting president Yahya here today that the discussions had proceeded quite satisfactorily.

The PPP chairman who said he will have another round of talks with the president later, stated that if discussions proceed on these lines, the whole nation will have cause to be satisfied. It would then be possible for us to make joint effort to resolve the crisis which can only be overcome by collective effort.

Mr. Bhutto said that since his discussions with the President were to continue he would now hold a press conference on the conclusion of the talks.

Meanwhile, he would hold discussions with central committee members in the light of his talks with the president. He had invited some other prominent partymen to attend the discussions.

Mr. Bhutto said the whole nation was going through a very grave crisis, in many ways a final crisis on which the future of the country hinged one way or the other.

He said, "We belong to the people and the people's interests are supreme to us."

Mr. Bhutto said he did not want to draw any premature conclusions, but nevertheless at this moment "I leave you on a hopeful note."

He stressed that his statement should be viewed in the context of his discussions with the president this morning.

In reply to a question, Mr. Bhutto said he would meet president Yahya again tomorrow or the day after depending on the convenience of the president.

The PPP chief who left for the president's House around 10 this morning returned to his hotel about 2-30 in the afternoon. Asked how long he had stayed with the president, Mr. Bhutto said: "It is for you to calculate."

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Four dissociate from banned AL

Faridpur (APP)

Four members of the outlawed Awami League party have voluntarily surrendered themselves to the Martial Law Authority here recently and announced their dissociation from the party for good.

In separate statements issued by them they have said that they had no knowledge before about the design of the illegal Awami League party to disintegrate Pakistan.

They have condemned naked Indian aggression on East Pakistan and the subversive activities of the Indian infiltrators done in collusion with Awami League.

The former Awami League members have congratulated, the president of Pakistan on having taken timely action to save Pakistan. They have pledged to preserve the ideology of Pakistan and defend its integrity.

The signatories are: Mr. Kamal Uddin Mia, advocate, Mr. Abdus Shukur Mia, ex-social and welfare secretary, Faridpur town Awami League, Mr. Md. Abdul Jalil Mia (Mukteer) and Kazi Khaliour Rahman, advocate.

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Large number of Hindus return

Displaced Pakistan Nationals are now returning to East Pakistan in huge numbers through unrecognised routes defying all measures including the use of force adopted by the Indian government and their agents, against their home coming, report APP.

So far about 30,000 displaced persons reentered Sunamganj sub-division in Sylhet district through unrecognised routes.

More than 80 percent of these returnees were members of the minorities communities. The last three days over 6,000 displaced persons crossed over into East Pakistan, 4,300 into Sylhet, 700 into Dinajpur and the rest into other districts. Of these returnees 3,800 were non-Muslims.

According to a report from Kulaura sector, some workers of the defunct Awami-League want to come back to their homes but are being forcely prevented from doing so.

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