Department of State

TELEGRAM

SECRET 593

1 FEB 1971

ISLAMA 00944 021112Z

10

ACTION SS - 45

INFO OCT-01 /046 W 000153

R 011235Z FEB 71

FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD

TO SECSTATE WASHDC 6741

SECRET ISLAMABAD 0944

EXDIS

CORRECTED COPY

EYES ONLY FOR ASSISTANT SECRETARY SISCO

SUBJ : POSSIBILITY OF EAST/WEST PAKISTAN SPLIT - CHINA'S ROLE

REF : ISLAMABAD 930

1. During my lengthy conversation with President Yahya (Reftel) he worried aloud about the possibility of a split-up of the two wings. He said that such an action, to him, was the most disturbing element in the current formulation of the constitution, and in the political processes which might adversely flow there-from. He said that he had no intention of giving his official sanction to a constitution which had inherent within it factors which would bring about dissolution of Pakistan: A united country was a national goal which he cherished. Paraphrasing the words of Ayub Khan, he said he did not intend to preside over the dissolution of Pakistan.

2. I recalled that I had carefully explained to him during our first meeting that it was the policy of the United States to respect the unity and integrity of Pakistan, and that I had publicly reiterated this policy on every occasion. Further, I said that propaganda to the contrary had been spread by those whose interests were inimicable to the interests of the United States. That the United States was covertly attempting to

divide the two wings was not only false and fallacious but that it was contrary to the most

NOTE: DOCUMENT INCOMPLETE. PAGES MISSING FROM ORIGINAL DOCUMENT.

Source: The American Papers- Secret and Confidential India.Pakistan.Bangladesh Documents 1965-1973, The University Press Limited, p.466