Sadruddin sees Mrs Gandhi

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32637, 19 June 1971, Page 17

Sadruddin sees Mrs Gandhi

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

NEW DELHI, June 18.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan) said in New Delhi last night that it would be very difficult for the United Nations to guarantee the safety of any East Pakistani refugees who decided to return to their homeland.

Prince Sadruddin, who spoke briefly to reporters after a 35-minute meeting with the Indian Prime Minister (Mrs Gandhi) on the refugee problem, denied he had said that conditions in East Pakistan were satisfactory for the return of the refugees. “It is very difficult for an international organisation to give guarantees within the borders of a sovereign State,” he said. “We can only try in a humanitarian way. “ . . . I have never said that conditions are satisfactory for the return of the refugees. What I did say was that I had received all possible co-operation in the reception centres I visited ih East Pakistan.” Prince Sadruddin was asked whether his discussions in India would lead to the early return home of the refugees, and he replied: “That depends on the conditions in East Pakistan, not on my talks here.” Earlier, Mrs Gandhi had told reporters that her Gov-

ernment was determined to send the refugees back to East Pakistan eventually. “They are certainly not going to stay here permanently, she declared.

Mrs Gandhi said that it was in the interest of the world community to see that there was a political settlement of the Bangla Desh conflict.

“If, at the beginning of the crisis, all the world Powers had put pressure on Pakistan, a political settlement might have been possible, but the possibility has become more remote with the passage of time,” she said. Asked whether some Powers thought that a strong and united Pakistan was still vital, she replied: “If they are going to be so remote from reality, God help them.” Asked whether India had requested that the flow of international aid to Pakistan be stopped, Mrs Gandhi replied: “Certainly we have told those countries that are giving aid to Pakistan that any help Pakistan now gets will probably aggravate the situation in Bangla Desh. It is also obvious that if Pakistan receives military aid, ,it will be used in Bangla Desh.”

The American airlift of refugees from the remote East India territory of Tripuna was intensified today after the arrival of three more United States Air Force transport aircraft. Two Russian Antonov 12 transports began moving refugees to a camp in Mana, in Central India, on Tuesday. There are about one million refugees in Tripura, which normally has a population of 1.5 million.