Pakistan: genocide denial

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32639, 22 June 1971, Page 17

Pakistan: genocide denial

(N.Z P.A.-Reuter—<Copyright)

LONDON, June 21.

The Pakistan High Commission in London has strongly denied the truth of a report in the “Sunday Times,” by a Pakistani journalist, Anthony Mascarehnas, alleging that the Pakistan Army is pursuing a policy of genocide in East Pakistan.

In a long letter to the "Sunday Times” released publicly, Mr Abdul Qayyum, the High Commission’s press counsellor, says that the report is malicious and misleading.

“It is regrettable that the Army’s legitimate action to quell rebellion, and to save citizens from further massacre, is described as genocide,” he says, adding that Mr Mascarehnas’s report of famine prospects in East Pakistan bears out his Government’s statements that the rebel elements there are causing destruction and hardship.

Mr Qayyum denies that Bengali officers have been

weeded out of the Pakistan Army, and says that on the contrary, many have recently been promoted, one to general.

He emphasises that President Yahya has invited all Pakistan refugees to return, irrespective or their religion.

Britons’ view

Three members of the British Parliament who returned from Pakistan last night after a, private visit said that reports of the situation in East Pakistan, had been exaggerated.

The spokesman for the group, Mrs Jill Knight, a Conservative, said: “The papers here in Britain are still reporting atrocities and shocking evidence of violence, but there is none of this going on now.

“I think much of the exaggerated information which was filtering through from Pakistan will now end.” Mrs Knight, a Labour M.P., Mr James Tinn, and a fellowConservative, Mr James Kilfedder, spent eight days in East and West Pakistan, and had talks with- President Yahya. All three said that they were allowed to travel where-

ever they wanted to in East Pakistan.

Mrs Knight said: “The President admitted that he had made a political mistake in not letting journalists in right from the start, but now Pakistan has nothing to hide. There is a tremendous amount of confidence in the President over there, and there is no evidence of atrocities going on.”

Mrs Knight, whose comments were fully endorsed by her two collegues, said that General Yahya was trying his hardest, in spite of criticism from the remainder of the world, to return his country to normal. Mr Tfnn said: “There is a lot of misunderstanding by the rest of the world about the situation in East Pakistan. The Army is, in fact, doing a great deal of work ” Inquiry team The Pakistan Government announced today that it had agreed to allow an official British Parliamentary mission to make an on-the-spot investigation ef conditions in East Pakistan.

The mission, comprising two Labour and two Conservative M.P.s will leave tomorrow for a 10-day visit Arrangements for the tour were completed during the week-end. The party includes two former Labour Government Ministers, Mr Arthur Bottomley and Mr Reginald Prentice, and a former Conservative Secretary of State for War, Mr James Ramsden. The fourth member is a Conservative M.P., Mr Toby Jessell. Islamabad talks From Islamabad, it is reported that Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, the United Nations High Commissioner for refugees, has had fresh talks with General Yahya about the return home of refugees now in India. On his third visit to Islamabad in two weeks Prince Sadruddin told reporters that he still hoped there would be a solution to the refugee problem. “I am , an optimist by nature,” he commented after meeting the President. He later left for Karachi on his way back to Geneva,

where the High Commissioner’s office is based.

Prince Sadruddin has talks with the Indian Prime Minister (Mrs Gandhi) in New Delhi three days ago.

Airlines anxious

From Calcutta it is reported that some international airlines have threatened to suspend their services through Dum Dum Airport unless the tens of thousands of East Pakistani refugees cramming its approaches are removed. About 40,000 refugees are living in flimsy shelters at the Sahara camp, within 500 yards of the end of the main runway.

The senior aerodrome officer, Mr Benoy Hazra, said that international airline executives had complained more than two weeks ago that the presence of the refugees was a constant source of danger to air

traffic. Many people might be killed if an aircraft developed trouble during take-off or touch-down, and ploughed through the densely-popula-ted camps, they said. Health hazards also threatened air travellers because of the presence of cholera among the refugees. Many of the East Pakistanis are entering the airfield to collect grass as roofing for their huts; and many birds, including vultures, are being attracted by the refugees, posing additional dangers to aircraft Calcutta has been declining in importance as an international airport during the last few years, reflecting the declining law and order and economic situation in Calcutta and its West Bengal hinterland.

The Dum Dum area itself is the scene of frequent violent activity by political extremists, and bomb attacks have been made on transport including airline buses, travelling between the airport and the city. Two international airlines, West Germany’s Lufthansa and the Dutch line, K.L.M., have stopped services through Calcutta this year and a third is rumoured to be following suit in November.