RAWALPINDI: President Bhutto today [April 21] offered to release all Indian Prisoners of War without any conditions if the Indian Prime Minister made a request. Addressing a mass rally at the Rawalpindi Race Course this evening, the President declared that this was “the demand of justice” and he was willing to take the Indian POWs to the Hussainiwala and Wagha borders “tomorrow” if the Indian government asked for it.

… The President said among the external problems facing Pakistan, the most important related to relations with India and since assuming office his whole effort had been to see that all problems with India were solved equitably. … [T]here were many problems which needed to be sorted out: but the most important of them related to the issue of the Prisoners-of-War. — Newspaper’s special representative

[Special representative adds,] Watched by lakhs of people at a colourful mass rally, President Bhutto … took the oath of office as President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan under the new Constitution. Addressing the people from a dais under the blazing sun, the President paid glowing tributes to the people of Pakistan who had made possible the return of democracy to the country.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2022