NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Jagjivan Ram disclosed today [March 24] that two Pakistani prisoners-of-war had escaped and a third was killed in a recent escape attempt at a POW camp. … Earlier in the month, the Government anno­u­nced that 12 Pakistani soldiers were killed by guards during “disturbance” at a camp in Bihar.

In Islamabad … the Foreign Office spokesman tonight condemned the inhuman and brutal treatment meted out to Pakistani POWs detained in India. He said that the latest incident was one more example of the Indian Government violating Geneva Conventions and all the civilised norms relating to the treatment of POWs. The Indian authorities were deliberately using force against unarmed prisoners-of-war and then offering the excuse that they were trying to escape, he said. — News agencies

[Meanwhile, according to news agencies from London,] Britain today [March 24] ended 51 years of Protestant rule in Northern Ireland and decided to impose direct Government from London for at least a year for a province on the brink of civil war. Prime Minister Edward Heath announced the historic decision to a tense packed House of Commons after days of trying to hammer out a compromise plan for bringing peace to the strife-crippled province.

Published in Dawn, March 25th, 2022