NEW DELHI: An interesting controversy over the status granted by the Government of India to the Provisional Government of Algeria (GPRA) and the Government of Israel, which cropped up in some newspapers, has culminated in a disclosure by the ‘Consulate of Israel’ in India that “Israel had, of course, been fully recognised by India — not only a de facto but de jure recognition also”.

The Arab League representative in India, Clovis Maksoud, on the other hand, has insisted that India should not treat the GPRA at par with Israel. In fact, Mr Maksoud’s appreciation of the “Principle of assessment of the situation by India of Arab-Zionist conflict which was manifested in (India’s) non de-jure recognition of Israel” led to this disclosure by the ‘Israel Consulate’.

The same day, Mrs Indira Gandhi, daughter of Indian Premier Nehru, was reported to have impliedly confirmed India’s de facto and de jure recognition of Israel.

The controversy was originally raised in an article in The Times of India on the “issue of recognising Algeria’s Provisional Government and Israel”. —Delhi Correspondent

Art, but not at cost of Islam: Ayub RAWALPINDI: President Ayub Khan said yesterday that he wants true art, including classical music, to prosper in Pakistan, but that should not be at the cost of any Islamic value. —Agencies