LONDON: Mr Liaquat Ali Khan, Prime Minister of Pakistan, in an interview to the ‘The Times’ Cairo correspondent emphasised the importance of the role of the Muslim world ‘vis-a-vis’ the gulf that at present divides the Communist and non-Communist countries. “Whether they like it or not,” declared Mr Liaquat Ali Khan, “the countries of the world are divided into those who favour Communism and those who are opposed to Communists. The Muslim countries between Cairo and Karachi have an important role to play. At present the strongest Power in the Near East is Turkey, behind which lie the Arab lands with Egypt as their head. … Pakistan, with its 80 million Muslims, is standing by the Middle East Islamic countries. … [”]

[Meanwhile, according to news agencies from Lahore,] The publication of the ‘Civil and Military Gazette’, Lahore, was today [May 13] suspended for three months under Section 6 of the West Punjab Public Safety Act for the publication, in their issue of May 5, of a news item from the New Delhi correspondent, which dealt with an alleged plan to partition Kashmir.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2024