LONDON: Several army officials and civilians have been arrested in Afghanistan on charges of conspiracy against the present Afghan Government headed by Gen Mohammad Daud. … Former Afghan Premier Mohammad Hashim Maiwandwal … [is] among those arrested. … [T]he BBC Urdu Service quoted Radio Kabul as alleging that Pakistan had a hidden hand in the plot.

A Government statement broadcast by Radio Kabul warned Pakistan “not to interfere in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, which may disturb peace in the region”. The other day, Kabul Radio … termed the Pakistan protest about interference in her (Pakistan’s) internal affairs as baseless. — News agencies

[Meanwhile, as reported by news agencies from Dacca,] about 1,000 Bengalis and 900 non-Bengalis have been repatriated to their respective countries till today, the All-India Radio reported. … The Radio … said that today [Sept 21] 236 Bengalis were repatriated to Bangladesh, and 300 Pakistani nationals reached Pakistan by the Boeing chartered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The Radio said that 1,400 stranded Pakistanis were brought to Dacca from Chittagong for repatriation… .

Published in Dawn, September 22th, 2023