DACCA: President Mohammad Ayub Khan said here today [Feb 6] that there was “no great difficulty” in lifting the state of Emergency except for some legal complications. The President, who was talking to newsmen on his arrival here from Lahore, told a questioner that the Government itself had been thinking of lifting the Emergency. Some actions touching property and people were taken during the Emergency for which legal cover had to be given before lifting it, the President said, and added if there was no question of these laws, there would not have been any great difficulty in lifting the Emergency.

President Ayub said that he had asked the Law Minister to explain to the nation through a Press conference the problems involved in it. Law Minister S.M. Zafar later told newsmen that he would address the Press tomorrow on the question of Emergency. The President was asked to comment on the reported statement of Nawabzada Nasrullah laying certain preconditions for the projected talks, including the lifting of Emergency. When the President was asked whether his offer for talks with the Opposition was meant for DAC parties only, he replied that he had addressed a letter to Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan, who was the Convenor of DAC. If others wanted to join they were also most welcome, he added. — Correspondent

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2019