RAWALPINDI: Pointing out some glaring contradictions in the Indian attitude towards its neighbours, the Foreign Minister, Mr Z.A. Bhutto, told the National Assembly today [Aug 21] that India was pushing into East Pakistan its Muslim citizens by arbitrarily dubbing them as infiltrators and was refusing to negotiate the question of referring the issue even to an international tribunal for deciding the status of the evictees.

On other hand, India wanted that the Tamils in Ceylon should not be thrown out. It suggested that Ceylon could at the most declare Tamils as Stateless subjects. The nationality of Muslim evictees, Mr Bhutto said, could be determined by ascertaining facts but India was not willing to do so. Mr Bhutto said all efforts by Pakistan on the question of Muslim eviction had failed to evoke a response from India. Pushing into East Pakistan of innocent Muslims, he said, amounted to economic aggression against Pakistan. He warned against the consequences of such an attitude.

Mr Bhutto said a time might come when Pakistan may have to resort to eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. Mr Bhutto cited the case of Burma also with which India’s relations were similarly deteriorating.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2014