Calls For Pakistan To Leave Western Pacts

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29989, 26 November 1962, Page 13

Calls For Pakistan To Leave Western Pacts

(NJZ. Press Association-Copyright) LONDON, November 24. Pakistan Government plans for Parliamentary debate on the Chinese-Indian conflict were wrecked yesterday by Opposition demands for immediate abrogation of defence treaties with the West and withdrawal from the Commonwealth, “The Times” reported.

The Government found it difficult at the three-hour private session to make Opposition members understand the implications of such drastic action at this stage, the newspaper's correspondent said in a dispatch from Rawalpindi. The newspaper said uproar broke out after the External Affairs Minister (Mr Mohammed Ali) read out the texts of treaties with the Western bloc, including the SouthEast Asia Treaty, the Central Treaty, and the Treaty of Mutual Defence Assistance negotiated between India and

the United States 11 years ago.

Mr Ali sought consideration of a resolution, tabled on Thursday, inviting general debate on the Chinese-Indian conflict and Western arms supplies. “The Times” said that according to Parliamentary sources, Mr Khair Bakhsh Mari called on the Cabinet to resign, saying it had demonstrated its complete incompetence to handle the situation. That the defence treaty between India and the United States had existed without the knowledge of Pakistan was a reflection on the various services of the Government, he said. Mr Abdul Quasem, the Deputy-Speaker, said members of the foreign service in America had not even bothered to buy a booklet containing the treaty, available for the “paltry” sum ot 10 cents.

Amid noisy acenes, an Opposition demand for a House committee to inquire into the affairs of the Foreign Ministry was defeated. In the face of Opposition claims that the Government's Chinese-Indian debate resolution served no useful purpose, the Government promised to table a fresh one today, said “The Times.” The debate was expected to be resumed today in open session. CMasee Offer China had offered to sign a non-aggreaaion pact with Pakistan, informed sources quoted by the Associated Press said today. The offer was made in a Note from Peking to President Moham-

mad Ayub Khan's Government. Mr AU refused to comment on the report. But he said he had received and accepted an offer from the Chinese Prime Minister (Mr Chou En-lai) to visit China at an early date. Mr Ali made the remark to reporters. There was no comment immediately from any other official source. Reliable Parliamentary informant* said, however, that the report was correct and that the Chinese offer was being considered, AF. reported. The Karachi Englishlanguage “Daily Dawn" carried the report prominently. It said a point of the proposed .met was an offer by China to help Pakistan “against aggression from any quarter.” It added that the Chinese had raised no objection to Pakistan remaining a member of the pro-Western Cento and SXA.T.O. alliances if such a pact wore signed.