Telegram
from the Consulate General in
/1/
Source: National Archives, RG 59, Central Files 1970-73, POL 27-14 INDIA-PAK. Secret; Flash; Exdis. Repeated to
5637.
Subject: Niazi Cease-Fire Proposal.
1. Lt.
Gen. Niazi telephoned me at 1720 hours today to ask
that I receive him urgently in my office. He appeared in company of Major
General Rao Farman Ali and
said that bombing of Dacca city this afternoon had convinced him that the
fighting must be stopped immediately to prevent further bloodshed, even though,
he said, his troops were still in good positions and were not in danger at the
moment.
2. General
Farman Ali had in his possession a rough draft of a
proposal he wished me to transmit to
"In
order to save future loss of innocent human lives which would inevitably result
from further hostilities in the major cities like Dacca, I request you to
arrange for an immediate cease-fire under the following conditions:
(A)
Regrouping of
(B) To
guarantee the safety of all military and paramilitary forces;
(C) Safety
of all those who had settled in
(D) No
reprisals against those who helped the administration since March 1971.
In those
conditions, the
I would
further abide by any resolutions which the Security Council of the United
Nations may pass for the permanent settlement of the present dispute.
I make
this proposal with full authority vested in me by virtue of my position as
martial law administrator of Zone B (
4. Niazi asked that I indicate in my transmittal message that
he was prepared to name a representative immediately to discuss the details of
his offer with an Indian counterpart, and he hoped that the Indian commander
would do the same immediately, so that negotiations could begin at once.
5.
Generals Niazi and Farman
still wish to avoid use of word "surrender".
6. You
will note that Niazi states that he has full
authority to take above action. When I questioned him specifically whether any
concurrence was required by President Yahya or anyone
else in
7. Niazi will send his ADC to my office in about two hours
from now, when he hopes some sort of reaction will be available. He is very
anxious that some progress be made before daylight tomorrow, when he fears a
resumption of bombing in
8. In
regard to Niazi's authority to act, I should also
point out that Governor A.M. Malik has left the
governor's house and has placed himself under the protection of the
International Red Cross, thus abdicating any governmental function. General Farman Ali said that Malik had
submitted a letter of resignation./2/
/2/ In telegram 224441 to
Source: Document 300, volume XI,