BANGKOK: Pakistan officially ended its membership in the South-East Asia Treaty Organisation yesterday [Nov 7] 19 years after the founding of the pact. A SEATO spokesman said the departure date of Nov 7 marked the completion of the official one-year notification time. Prime Minister Bhutto on Nov 7 last year when he was President made a formal declaration of the intention to withdraw stating the secession of East Pakistan as the reason. Pakistan retains its membership in the CENTO and the bilateral military pact of 1959 with the US. The spokesman said the last Pakistani official left the SEATO headquarters about three months ago. — News agencies

[Meanwhile, as reported by news agencies from Riyadh,] visiting US Secretary of State Dr Henry Kissinger, coming from discussions in Cairo and Amman, conferred here tonight [Nov 8] with King Faisal, acting Foreign Minister Omar Sakkaf and other Saudi personalities in what was described as “a certain atmosphere of relaxation”. Informed sources said the Saudi side had made it clear to Dr Kissinger that tension in the Middle East could be removed and a flare-up of war prevented only if Israel withdraws its troops to the cease-fire lines of Oct 22.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2023