Department of State

 

TELEGRAM

 

SECRET 602

 

ISLAMA 11278 02 OF 02 171008Z 12

ACTION NEA-11

INFO      : OCT-01 RSR-01 EUR-14 10-12 SR-02 ORM-03 CIAE-00 DODE-00 PM-06 H-

              02 INR-06 L-03 NSAE-00 NSC-10 P-03 RSC-01 PRS-01 SS-14 USIA-12 AID- 

              20 E-11/133W

                                                      ………115421

R 121210Z NOV 71 ZEL

FM         : AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD

TO          : SECSTATE WASHDC 1471

INFO   : AMCONSUL BOMBAY

AMCONSUL CALCUTTA

AMCONSUL DACCA

AMEMBASSY KABUL

AMCONSUL KARACHI

AMCONSUL LAHORE

AMEMBASSY LONDON

AMCONSUL MADRAS

AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI

AMEMBASSY TEHRAN

USMISSION USUN NEW YORK

 

SECRET SECTION 2 OF 2 ISLAMABAD 11278

 

CORRECTED COPY (CALCUTTA ADDED AS INFO ADDEE) X

SUBJ      : ATTITUDES REGARDING ROLE OF MUJIBUR RAHMAN IN POLITICAL

                 SETTLEMENT IN EAST PAKISTAN CONFLICT

REF        : ISLAMABAD 10861

 

8. Based on very limited available information, appears junior officers in particular hold very strong views on Mujib-that as person responsible for April massacres of Biharis and of army personnel and their families, and for subsequent military casualities he merits treatment as traitor. Passage of time with additional casualities may further harden this attitude.

 

9. Regime faced with situation where public attitude in West towards Mujib may soften over time in wake of mounting economic and political difficulties, but with views among influential elements within military services stiffening as result Bengali inflicted losses.

 

10. It possible Yahya was testing public sentiment by his widely publicized remarks to Newsweek to effect that Mujib would be released if public opinion demanded his freedom. Media reaction has been almost universally critical with only pro-Moscow Lahore Daily Azad among press endorsing President's stand, press has, however, been relatively muted. Pro-PPP New Times, for example, editorially treated Mujib's fate as matter for law courts to decide although paper clearly indicated it though Mujib guilty of treason. Pak Times, which presumes to speak for government, drew from Yahya's comment the interpretation that he was not actually advocation Mujib's release but merely emphasizing that Mujib's future was of legitimate concern only to Pak people and not to foreigners. Only other reactions of note were Bhutto's restrained comment doubting that popular opinion would demand Mujib release and joint statement calling for Mujib's immediate release by retired Air Marshal Asghar Khan and 43 Lahore citizens mostly of radical or pro-Moscow bent. Yahya's statement has evidently had dual effect of creating more uncertainty a about GOP's current position on Mujib and of inducing relatively restrained and unemotionl, although generally unenthusiastic, reaction to possibility that Mujib could be freed.

 

11. In sum, we conclude that regime at present is under constraint in possible dealings with Mujib in that Mujib would have to agree to accept unified Pakistan before regime could overtly renew discussions with him looking towards political solution. Only such overt talks would stand chance of having appreciable effect curtailing insurgent activities in East Pakistan. This constraint will probably carry over to civilian government scheduled to be installed around year-end. 12. As to Mujib's own position, Dacca reports that his

 

NOTE: DOCUMENT INCOMPLETE. PAGES MISSING FROM ORIGINAL DOCUMENT

 

 

Source:  The American Papers – Secret and Confidential India.Pakistan.Bangladesh Documents 1965-1973, University Press Limited, p.711-712