LARKANA: Foreign Minister Z.A. Bhutto received a big ovation when he arrived here from Karachi early this morning [Feb 20]. Admirers of Mr Bhutto thronged the Larkana Railway Station and as the train carrying him arrived they burst into thunderous slogans of Zindabad. Later the Foreign Minister was taken in a big procession through the main streets from the Railway Station to “Al-Murtuza”, his Larkana residence. This unprecedented enthusiasm was a demonstration of pleasure on the victory of the Muslim League nominee, Mr Mumtaz Ali Bhutto, who has been elected to the National Assembly from Larkana uncontested. As the procession terminated at the residence of the Foreign Minister, Mr Bhutto thanked the people for their love and affection to him and his Party. He was sure that Mr Mumtaz Ali Bhutto — as Larkana representative in the National Assembly — would carry out his duties and responsibilities in the best interests of the people. “In case he fails in discharging his duties, he will have no right to represent them in future”, Mr Z. A. Bhutto said. Mr Mumtaz Ali Bhutto also thanked the people for electing him uncontested and assured them that he would serve them to the best of his ability under the guidance of Z. A. Bhutto.

[Meanwhile, as reported by our correspondent from London], a plea for racial toleration towards Pakistani and other Commonwealth immigrants in Britain was made by the High Commissioner Agha Hilaly to Conservative MPs. The Pakistan envoy’s speech was apparently designed to forestall fresh moves by a number of Conservative MPs led by Sir Cyril Osborne, an old and outspoken opponent of immigration, to exploit this issue for political purposes in a manner [prejudicial] to good race relations in this country. Sir Cyril, who intends to introduce a bill in the House of Commons which will bar all prospective immigrants, has also called upon the Government to set up a pound 140 million fund to repatriate West Indian and Asian immigrants to their countries of origin.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2015

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