DACCA: The people of East Pakistan have demonstrated that they do not support the movement of the Awami League and have no sympathy with its six-point programme, Sardar Mohammad Aslam Khan, Secretary General of Pakistan Muslim League, said here today [June 19].

Sardar Aslam, who has been here since June 16, said he had freely moved around the city and met a number of Muslim League leaders and others during the past three days and found life going on quite normally in spite of the call of the Awami League to observe “Anti-repression Days” on June 17, 18 and 19.

He added that from his talk with a cross-section of the people here he was convinced that the incidents which took place on June 7, were due to coercion and intimidation by a few persons and street urchins who were mainly hirelings. The people generally had appreciated the firm action taken by the Provincial Government to put down the lawlessness.

[Meanwhile, as reported by agencies from Rawalpindi,] the following statement has been issued by the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Mr Nurul Amin.

“The policy of repression and oppression that has been unleashed in East Pakistan reached its zenith when Mr Tafazzal Hossain, editor of the “Ittefaq” was detained in custody and the New Nation Press from where the “Ittefaq”, a popular Bengali daily, and a weekly named “Dacca Times” used to be printed and published, was forfeited under the Defence of Pakistan Rules.

“The forfeiture of the Press resulting in the stoppage of a powerful daily in Bengali ventilating the opposition view is a blow to the freedom of the Press.

“While strongly condemning the action of the Government I urge upon the Government to change its policy and release the political detenus and restore the New Nation Press and save the situation from further deterioration.”

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2016