RICH PAKISTANIS RESTRICTED

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32798, 24 December 1971, Page 13

RICH PAKISTANIS RESTRICTED

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—CopyrigM) RAWALPINDI, December 23. ~ President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, in a new rapid-fire series of edicts, has impounded the passports of the country’s 22 richest families.

Other orders issued by him on his third day in office yesterday since taking over from President Yahya Khan on Monday included an instruction to police not to stop traffic or line the roads when he goes by.

Mr Bhutto also dismissed the military governors—all lieutenant-generals—of West Pakistan’s four provinces and in their place put civilians — among them a cousin of his, Mr Mumtaz Ali Bhutto. The move against the 22 families was symbolic rather than real for in an edict issued two nights ago the 43-year-old President has banned foreign travel to all Pakistanis anyway. But the new institution conveyed to the public the impression that he intended to take action against that elite group of Pakistanis who possess the bulk of the nation’s wealth and to prevent them shifting their

riches to foreign banks. Mr Bhutto himself is a rich landowner and has said he will not draw his yearly Presidential salary of 65,000 rupees ($11,787).

Mr Bhutto also announced that new money was being printed—so quickly in fact that the notes would bear the signature of the State Bank Governor whom he has already sacked. The new governor did not have time to get his signature on the notes.

The swearing in of Mr Bhutto’s presidential - style Cabinet was at the same time delayed for a few days to allow some of the Ministers to get to Rawalpindi from the provinces. Earlier in the day Mr Bhutto freed the detained East Pakistani leader, Sheikh Mujibur, aged 51, from the West Pakistan prison he has been in for the last nine months and placed him under house arrest instead. It was not disclosed where Sheikh Mujibur was now confined.

Regarding the possibility of Sheikh Mujibur—brought to West Pakistan and tried for "Crimes against Pakistan” —being freed completely Mr Bhutto was quoted by Pakistan Radio as saying that the views of the people of Pakistan would have to be taken into account first Mr Bhutto also announced

yesterday that he would be going to Peking soon.

He was last in the Chinese capital only a month ago at the head of a special mission to seek Peking’s support in the confrontation against India.