PAKISTANIS FEEL YAHYA’S APPLECART WILL TOPPLE Report by Sunder Kabadi from London
THE DAILY AMRITA BAZAR PATRIKA (Calcutta) September 23, 1971
West Pakistani supporters of Yahya Khan are dismayed to learn that Bhutto has stated that Pakistani Army com¬mitted genocide in Bangladesh. That is the interpretation they have put on Bhutto’s statement that he would not give opportunity to Yahya Khan to kill people in West Pakistan as he did in Bangladesh. They have also noted that since he started his dialogue with the President, Bhutto has avoided 'criticizing Awami Leaguers of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In fact, he has gone out of his way to offend Pakistani President by stating that he appointed his stooge, Dr. Malik as the civilian governor who has no claim to represent the people of Bangladesh.
It is also recalled that earlier in the year when Yahya Khan opened dialogue with him and Sheikh Mujibur, it is Bhutto who suggested that he should be allow¬ed to rule over West Pakistan and Sheikh Mujibur should be given control of East Bengal. These West Pakistanis main¬tain Bhutto had thus conceded the right of East Bengal to secede.
These West Pakistanis blame Yahya Khan for allowing Bhutto to grow into a monster. They fear unless their President curbed Bhutto’s activities West Pakistan will soon be¬come a cauldron which may shake the military junta. It may not be of same dimension as the one which has resulted in creation of Bangladesh as a separate nation. But its repercussions might finally result in break up of even that part of West Pakistan with its regions wanting to be autonomous.
One West Pakistani who is here for medical treatment for the past three months commented, “we are on the edge of yet another volcano. It may erupt any moment and it may swallow in its strides both Yahya Khan and Bhutto.”
To my query how Yahya Khan can avoid the coming storm, his reply was emphatic. He asked me to read Peter Shore’s views who have stated that Pakistanis are now desperate men and may find escape in having a war against India.
My knowledgeable informant thinks Pakistan’s military clique is deluding itself in believing that if Pakistan declared war on India she will receive every possible aid from China. Whatever China might have said publicly to encourage Pakistan to believe that she can count on her support he has fairly good knowledge about working of the Chinese mind. He had been to Peking as well as to Moscow and he is convinced that in the last analysis neither Mao Tungsten nor Chou En-lai would like to draw chestnuts out of fire for the 23 families which control economy of Pakistan and the fate of the people of Pakistan in their hands. Moreover, if past experience is any guide to assess Chinese mind leaders in Peking; have not much trust in the competence of West Pakistan to wage war against India. They are not convinced that Pakis¬tan did not cry halt without reason of self preservation last, time when Indian forces were at the gates of Lahore. And even if Chinese leadership intervened on the side of Pakistan there is no sure guarantee that Yahya will not be another Ayub to submit himself to another Tashkent.
This West Pakistani recalled with pride his early days in Uttar Pradesh where he and Indira Gandhi had played hide and seek. He said, “She is really good at this game. The treaty with Soviet Union is a master stroke and it will yield useful dividend”.
I asked him how long he proposes to stay in Britain and his reply was cryptic: “as long as Allah desires me to be here to see you and other friends from India.” From his chat it was obvious to me that no useful purpose would be served by his return home so long as the grip of Pakistani militarists had not been eased. In his own way he is trying to assist that process in Britain and it seems that in next two or three months the world of Yahya Khan will crash. He agrees with Peter Shore that by his stupidity Yahya Khan himself has destroy¬ed Pakistan which Jinnah created. He would not blame the people of Bangladesh or any other external force for the eventual disappearance of the so-called Islamic State.
West Pakistani supporters of Yahya Khan are dismayed to learn that Bhutto has stated that Pakistani Army com¬mitted genocide in Bangladesh. That is the interpretation they have put on Bhutto’s statement that he would not give opportunity to Yahya Khan to kill people in West Pakistan as he did in Bangladesh. They have also noted that since he started his dialogue with the President, Bhutto has avoided 'criticizing Awami Leaguers of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. In fact, he has gone out of his way to offend Pakistani President by stating that he appointed his stooge, Dr. Malik as the civilian governor who has no claim to represent the people of Bangladesh.
It is also recalled that earlier in the year when Yahya Khan opened dialogue with him and Sheikh Mujibur, it is Bhutto who suggested that he should be allow¬ed to rule over West Pakistan and Sheikh Mujibur should be given control of East Bengal. These West Pakistanis main¬tain Bhutto had thus conceded the right of East Bengal to secede.
These West Pakistanis blame Yahya Khan for allowing Bhutto to grow into a monster. They fear unless their President curbed Bhutto’s activities West Pakistan will soon be¬come a cauldron which may shake the military junta. It may not be of same dimension as the one which has resulted in creation of Bangladesh as a separate nation. But its repercussions might finally result in break up of even that part of West Pakistan with its regions wanting to be autonomous.
One West Pakistani who is here for medical treatment for the past three months commented, “we are on the edge of yet another volcano. It may erupt any moment and it may swallow in its strides both Yahya Khan and Bhutto.”
To my query how Yahya Khan can avoid the coming storm, his reply was emphatic. He asked me to read Peter Shore’s views who have stated that Pakistanis are now desperate men and may find escape in having a war against India.
My knowledgeable informant thinks Pakistan’s military clique is deluding itself in believing that if Pakistan declared war on India she will receive every possible aid from China. Whatever China might have said publicly to encourage Pakistan to believe that she can count on her support he has fairly good knowledge about working of the Chinese mind. He had been to Peking as well as to Moscow and he is convinced that in the last analysis neither Mao Tungsten nor Chou En-lai would like to draw chestnuts out of fire for the 23 families which control economy of Pakistan and the fate of the people of Pakistan in their hands. Moreover, if past experience is any guide to assess Chinese mind leaders in Peking; have not much trust in the competence of West Pakistan to wage war against India. They are not convinced that Pakis¬tan did not cry halt without reason of self preservation last, time when Indian forces were at the gates of Lahore. And even if Chinese leadership intervened on the side of Pakistan there is no sure guarantee that Yahya will not be another Ayub to submit himself to another Tashkent.
This West Pakistani recalled with pride his early days in Uttar Pradesh where he and Indira Gandhi had played hide and seek. He said, “She is really good at this game. The treaty with Soviet Union is a master stroke and it will yield useful dividend”.
I asked him how long he proposes to stay in Britain and his reply was cryptic: “as long as Allah desires me to be here to see you and other friends from India.” From his chat it was obvious to me that no useful purpose would be served by his return home so long as the grip of Pakistani militarists had not been eased. In his own way he is trying to assist that process in Britain and it seems that in next two or three months the world of Yahya Khan will crash. He agrees with Peter Shore that by his stupidity Yahya Khan himself has destroy¬ed Pakistan which Jinnah created. He would not blame the people of Bangladesh or any other external force for the eventual disappearance of the so-called Islamic State.
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