Department of State

 

TELEGRAM

 

SECRET 329

 

 

 

 

 

ISLAMA 08185 111410Z

52

ACTION NEA - 11

INFO      : OCT-01 EUR-14 CIAE-00 DODE-00 PM-06 H-02 INR-06 L-03 NSC-10 P-03 RSC-01

PRS-01 SS-14 USIA-12 NSA-05 AID-20 SR-02 ORM-03 10-11 RSR-01 / 126W

033722

R 111235 Z AUG 71

FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD

TO SECSTATE WASHDC 035

INFO AMCONSUL CALCUTTA

AMCONSUL DACCA

AMCONSUL LAHORE

AMCONSUL KARACHI

AMEMBASSY LONDON

AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI

SECRET ISLAMABAD 8185

SUB: CONVERSATION WITH PAK ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF: EAST PAK SITUATION

 

 

1. Summary: Gen. Hamid acknowledges insurgency activity in East Pakistan is continuing at fairly active pace. He admits to crucial importance of successful political reconciliation but declined to express opinion on prospects. He acknowledges uncertainty on number of persons elected under Awami League ticket last December who will actually come forward to claim their seats in National Assembly. End summary

 

2. I had one hour of frank and friendly conversation August 11 with Gen. Abdul Hamid Khan Chief of Staff Pak Army and Deputy Chief Martial Law Administrator (second only to Pres. Yahya in ruling hierarchy). Discussion covered situation in East Pakistan, relief effort and refugees and Indo-Pak tensions. This message covers situation in East Pakistan, including efforts toward political reconciliation: Other subjects septels.

 

3. I asked Hamid how he assessed current situation in East Pakistan, noting we had had reports of increase in insurgent activity. He acknowledged that situation is keeping Pak forces busy. Two successive batches of insurgents have now completed training in India and have boosted number and quality of infiltrators. Number of Mukti Bahini have received training at Dehra Dun and been commissioned as officers. Additional numbers are now in training at various Indian centers. Meanwhile extremist elements including Naxalites have taken advantage of opportunity to step up their

own activity, on the other hand, Hamid said, Mukti Bahini are not so successful as they would like to have people believe. Several months ago they were spreading word that they would mount major actions when monsoon came: Then major action ^, was threatened, beginning August 2: Those moves did not develop, and now they are talking about major moves at some future date. This is psychological warfare supported by radio and political propaganda from Indian side which, Hamid admitted, has an effect on East Pak population. On other hand, population has also seen over past months that Mukti Bahini propaganda not borne out on the ground, and improvement ha been noted in population's acceptance of Pak Army forces.

 

4. Hamid said he was rather pleased with performance of "Razakars", recruits (mainly Bengalis) from local population who have been given brief training and then put on armed duty mainly in static defense of bridges and other key structures. Some Razakars have panickd and fled in face of attack, but others have stood their ground and expended their ammunition.

 

5. My impression from this portion of conversation was that Hamid was making no effort to minimize insurgency problem but that he wanted at least give impression that his forces could cope with it.

 

6. We agreed that success of Pres. Yahya' efforts to achieve political reconciliation was crucial to entire situation in East Pakistan. Hamid was cautious about making predictions and shrugged his shoulders in response my query on prospects for political settlement that would have support of bulk of East Pak hipulation. I said it seemed to me that events were moving swiftly and that prospects would decline if they did not soon improve. Hamid's reference to recent publication of list of 88 Awami League MNAs-elect, who now cleared to take their seats, gave me opening to stress need for maximum magnanimity and speed by GOP in encouraging MNAs to come forward. I said frankly I was disappointed that list was as small as it was inasmuch as I had understood that only small percentage of those elected last December would be disqualified. Hamid said he had personally not played active role in sorting out who were acceptable among MNAs-elect, and noted that list of MPAs-elect still to appear. lie agreed that very few if any of MNA-elect not on cleared list would dare attempt to clear themselves before MLA. He also acknowledged that there would be great pressures, including intimidation, inhibiting persons on cleared list from coming forward. For example, those now in India might well face physical rederaint if they indicate desire to take their dhats in Assembly.

 

7. Discussion concerning Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in septel.

 

GP-3

Sober

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: The American Papers (Secret and confidential India, Pakistan and Bangladesh Documents; page no – 636-637, The University Press.