ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড After the Presidency of President Ayub Khan, Martial Law was again declared by the present President when he came to power in March, 1969. But the declared aim of President Yahya Khan has been the early (transfer of power to a civilian democratic regime. Last November I had the opportunity of meeting the President during the visit I paid to Pakistan immediately after the cyclone in the Ganges delta, and my Right Hon. Friend the Prime Minister, as the House Knows, held discussions with him during his visit to Pakistan last January. I was convinced then-and I remain convinced today—that the President was wholly sincere in his desire to establish a civilian democratic government. But the President insisted then, and has insisted since, that it was essential to maintain the unitary Islamic State of Pakistan. The results of the elections, which were the first in Pakistan to be based on universal suffrage, were clear-cut. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's Awami League won an overwhelming victory in East Pakistan and an overall majority in the Constituent Assembly. Sheikh Mujib and the League had long campaigned on the basis of a programme calling among other things, for a large degree of autonomy in East Pakistan with a relatively weak central government controlling only defense and foreign affairs. As the House knows, after those elections there were preliminary talks between the President, Sheikh Mujib and Mr. Bhutto, the leader of the majority party in West Pakistan. As the House also knows, agreement unfortunately could not be reached, and after a long series of talks in Dacca, the President look military action towards the end of March. As the Hon. Member pointed out, there have been acts of brutality in East Pakistan committed-as he rightly said-by both sides in this dispute. This is the basis of our deep concern today at the loss of life and suffering in all sections of the East Pakistan community, in a country with which Britain and many people who live here have a great many ties, a country which is a fellow member of the Commonwealth and a country from which a great many people have come to live in Britain. It is because of these close ties, both past and present, that we tend to be more concerned with a country such as Pakistan than with other parts of the world. In the disturbed situation that existed at the end of March and the beginning of April, it became necessary for us to help our own nationals resident in East Pakistan to leave the country if they thought it necessary to do so on the ground of safety. About 800 British citizens left the country under these arrangements. The Right Hon. Member for Leeds. East (Mr. Healey) this week asked my Right Hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary about the safety of Sheikh Mujib, and my Right Hon. Friend omitted to answer and has asked me to apologies to the Right Hon. Gentleman and to do so. This question, among a great many others, is a matter about which he has been in touch with the President of Pakistan, and our latest information is that the Sheikh is in custody in West Pakistan and that it is likely that he will be brought to trial, but we have no confirmation of reports that he has been flown back to East Pakistan. I doubt whether there will be any substantial difference among us today about what is the immediate necessity in Pakistan, although I am perfectly clear that there will probably
