safety and comfort especially in coming to the aid of the people in their hours of extreme distress and danger was deeply appreciated by them. To say that I was trying to sacrifice loyalty and devotion at the altar of personal popularity or that I tried to gain popularity through 'financial indiscipline' is not only a grave injustice to me but a hard blow to the sentiments and prestige of the people of East Pakistan. There can be no greater ignominy inflicted on them than to say that they could be bribed into shedding tears for me or that the anti-Pakistan elements were able to exploit their sentiments for the purpose of loosening discipline in East Pakistan to jeopardize national interest.
At no time was that part of Pakistan closer to the Centre than it was during my tenure. In the interest of national unity and prosperity, the sincere and selfless work that I have put in those two years cannot be denied by you or anybody else as the whole nation is witness to it.
I shall conclude by saying let my God and my nation be my judge. Individual opinion can never be regarded as reliable, no matter how highly placed the individual may be.
It is not a pleasure to me to recount these facts but your letter has left me no alternative and in fairness to myself I cannot leave these serious allegations in your letter dated 7th June 1962 unanswered.
