BELFAST: The British Government announced ... it plans to hold a plebiscite in Northern Ireland soon to determine whether the people want to unite with the Irish Republic or remain tied to Britain. Mr William Whitelaw, Britain’s administrator for the province, told the House of Commons in London the Government would undertake the polls after the House approved enabling legislation. Mr Whitelaw gave no date for the plebiscite... . The canvass of public opinion has been demanded by Ulster’s one million Protestants, most of whom want to remain British subjects. Opinion among the half million Roman Catholics in the minority generally favours uniting with the Republic and its overwhelmingly Catholic population. Whitelaw told the Commons it would be advisable to hold a plebiscite “as soon as it reasonably can be done” — News agencies

[Meanwhile, as reported by news agencies in Islamabad,] The Simla Agreement, signed by President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Premier Indira Gandhi, has come into force with the receipt here tonight [Aug 4] of the instruments of ratification from New Delhi. Pakistan had ratified the Indo-Pakistan accord on the midnight of July 14 after an intensive five-day debate in the National Assembly.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2022