U.S. to lift arms ban on Pakistan

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33777, 25 February 1975, Page 17

U.S. to lift arms ban on Pakistan

(By BERNARD GWERTZMAN of the "New York Times." through N.Z.PA.) WASHINGTON, February' 23. The United States will announce tomorrow the lifting of its 10-year arms embargo against Pakistan—a move sure to provoke sharp protests in India. State Department officials said today that the decision had been relayed to both India and Pakistan and was made primarily to bolster Pakistan’s sense of security. Nevertheless, because of the outcry expected in India, which has been strongly opposed to any new arms sales to Pakistan with whom the Indians have fought three wars in recent decades, instructions were sent to Mr William B. Saxbe, the new American Ambassador to India, to delay his arrival in New Delhi until after the decision had been made public.

Mr Saxbe, the former Attorney-General, had been due in New Delhi on Sunday and to present his credentials on Monday. But he has remained in Bangkok awaiting instructions. The State

Department wanted to avoid Mr Saxbe’s presenting his credentials on the same day the lifting of the arms embargo was announced, officials said. Mr Joseph J. Sisco, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, indirectly confirmed the decision when he said today on the National Broadcasting Company’s programme, “Meet the Press,” that he expected an announcement “very soon.” He justified the decision, made after a visit to Washington earlier this month by the Pakistan Prime Minister (Mr Zulfikar Ali Bhutto) as necessary to rectify “a rather anomalous situation.”

Mr Sisco said that India, also technically subject to an American embargo, had been receiving arms from the Soviet Union and had her own defence industry, while Pakistan, a formal ally of the United States, “has been denied this insofar as the United States is concerned.”

Although Indian officials have said publicly and privately that resumption of even limited arms sales to Pakistan would damage the improving state of relations between India and the United States, Mr Sisco said it should not have this effect.

“I think we have explained this quite thoroughly,” he said, “We are not trying to balance one side against the other. We think that it is as much in India’s interest to have a relatively secure Paki-

stan, to pursue the so-called Simla process, to peruse the process of negotiation, as it is in the interests of Pakistan itself.”

The Simla process refers to an agreement between Mr Bhutto and the Indian Prime Minister (Mrs Indira Gandhi) at the Indian city of Simla to renounce force against each other. It was understood that the American announcement, to be made at the State Department, will be explained as necessary to end the situation in which Pakistan, an ally, has been denied the right to buy arms to defend itself against possible threats from India and Afghanistan. The State Department intends to stress that military sales will be studied to ensure that they do not contribute to fueling an arms race in south Asia. The United States also will pledge not to seek a change in the current strategic balance in the area in which India is pre-eminent, and that it would continue to encourage the process of reconciliation in the area. The actual decision was made during Mr Bhutto’s visit, but was delayed to allow time to check with members of Congress and to let the Indians know about it. But Indian public opinion has been rising in anger against the decision ever since reports began to emanate from Washington on the likelihood of the embargos being lifted.