NEW DELHI: The Pakistani delegation, led by Mr Aziz Ahmad, today [Aug 21] held a 75-minute meeting with the Indian Premier, Mrs Indira Gandhi, at her residence in a bid to find a way out of the stalemate over ... two ticklish issues. The fact that the two sides are meeting again tomorrow … suggests that they have not given up their efforts and continue to grapple with the knotty issues of trial of prisoners of war and determination of the number of Pakistanis in Bangladesh. ... [I]ndications are that the Pakistan delegation is in constant touch with Islamabad and some suggestions and counter-suggestions [are] being exchanged between the two sides. The fate of the talks continues to be anybody’s guess but both sides are maintaining cautious optimism. — Correspondent

[Meanwhile, as reported by news agencies from Quetta,] the Baluchistan Police have since yesterday [Aug 20] arrested 23 college students and some “goonda elements” “for provoking” students in the educational institutions of Quetta to resort to total strike and damaging public property. The Superin­tendent of Police ... said … that [the arrested] … included some student leaders belonging to the Baluch Students Organisation.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2023