NEW DELHI: The Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh had two long sessions today [April 7], the third day of their tripartite meeting, with no indication available as to the progress of their deliberations. A spokesman … said after this evening’s session that the three Ministers would meet again tomorrow morning. He said he had no idea of the subjects under discussion. …

Indian sources said [Foreign Minister] Mr Swaran Singh, who was scheduled to leave for New York tomorrow for the UN session, was keeping his schedule flexible in order to be available here. … Pakistani sources declined to comment on Indian Press reports … that Dacca wanted an international agency to decide on the eligibility for repatriation of the “several lakhs waiting in Bangladesh to go to Pakistan”. They also would not comment on reports … that the tripartite talks “remained deadlocked over the issues of the Pakistani optees in Bangladesh and the 195 POWs listed for war crimes trial. …” Earlier, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Agha Shahi replying to … queries said:

“We have come to grips with the central issue and the three Ministers are now meeting.”

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2024