RAWALPINDI: The Soviet Government has revived its offer of assistance for the proposed steel mill in Pakistan, a Foreign Office spokesman said here today [Aug 3]. Denying a foreign Press report that the Russians have withdrawn their offer, the spokesman said, the project is “very much on and the Russians have expressed interest in resuming it”. However, he added, a few things had yet to be sorted out and the Government of Pakistan was now awaiting a report from the Russian experts.

He said a Russian delegation was expected here shortly for selecting a new site for the mill, as views had been expressed that the site originally selected was not suitable. — Special representative

[Meanwhile, as reported by news agencies in New Delhi,] In her second major speech in three days, the Indian Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi, told Rajya Sabha ... that peace for India was no longer ideal; it was a necessity as without it she cannot hope to overcome economic backwardness, her biggest enemy. …

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2022