LAHORE: Top leaders of five political parties, who held a series of informal meetings … have decided to convene a national conference of like-minded political parties to discuss ways and means of forging a broader unity in the ranks.

This unity is considered by them to be vital in view of the grave situation facing the country. … Leaders attending … were: Mr Fazlul Quader Chowdhry (Conventional Muslim League), Mian Mumtaz Mohammad Khan Daultana (Council Muslim League), Mr Mohammad Yusuf Khattak (Qayyum Muslim League), Mian Tufail Mohammad (Jamaat-i-Islami) and Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan (Pakistan Democratic Party). — News agencies

[Meanwhile, as reported by the newspaper’s staff correspondent in Peshawar,] Mr Z. A. Bhutto today [Oct 13] warned the Punjab Government to stop playing with fire on the Indus water issue and adopt a reasonable attitude of justice and fairplay with both Sind and Punjab. He was addressing party workers.

…[H]e said the issue could result in an “internal war” between Sind and Punjab and that would least serve the national interest at a time when the country was faced with a threat from India. He said he had cabled to the two Governors of Punjab and Sind … asking them to … thrash out the issue.

Published in Dawn, October 14th, 2021