740 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ চতুর্দশ খন্ড শিরোনাম সূত্র তারিখ ২৮৭ দূতাবাস কর্মচারী বিনিময়ে সুইস দি ষ্টেটসম্যান ১৫ মে, ১৯৭১ প্রস্তাব প্রত্যাখাত THE STATESMAN, MAY 15, 1971 PINDI SHIFTS STAND AGAIN SWISS MEDIATION OFFER REJECTED From Our Special Representative New Delhi, May 14. -The rejection by Pakistan of the Swiss offer of good offices to help resolve the dispute with India over the repatriation of diplomatic personnel from Dacca and Calcutta has taken Government sources here by surprise. Islamabad's move of rejection came late last night. Coming within a day of the acceptance by the Pakistan Government of the proposal that Mr. Mahdi Masud, the former Deputy High Commissioner at Calcutta, meet Mr. Hossain Ali and the East Bengali staff in the presence of a Swiss representative, the latest turnabout is seen as further evidence of the off-again onagain diplomacy being pursued by that country. The contradiction between the two statements made by the Pakistan Government spokesman, one accepting the principle of meetings between Mr. Masud and his Bengali staff in a Swiss representative's presence and the other rejecting the proposition in to is too obvious to need any elucidation, it is pointed out. What is, however, causing surprise is that Pakistan, which initially sought Swiss intervention should have gone back on its word so soon. The obvious intention appears to keep the diplomatic tussle alive so that international attention is diverted from the reign of terror let loose by the Pakistani Army in Bangladesh as also from the vast multitude of East Bengalis seeking refuge in India. Official sources here seemed extremely reluctant to get embroiled in the latest Pakistani manoeuvre. Having got the Swiss involved in the matter, it was for them and the Swiss to sort their affairs out. India, for her part, would be prepared to cooperate with any constructive moves made by the Swiss in consultation with the Pakistanis. This was also borne out by India's readiness to continue to talk to Mr. Fritz Real, the Swiss Ambassador, when he called at the Foreign Office today for talks with Mr. S. K. Banerjee, Secretary' (East). The meeting took place after the Pakistani rejection of Swiss good offices had been announced. Delicate Issue What is causing concern, however, is that Pakistan should "play ducks and drakes" with such a delicate and potentially explosive issue. To begin with. Pakistan had shown
