পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (চতুর্দশ খণ্ড).pdf/৫৭৯

547 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ চতুর্দশ খন্ড high seas and be able to attack Karachi and other Pakistani ports more or less at will. As viewed from here, and it must be emphasized as viewed from here things took pretty bleak for Pakistan., Sማ ! DESPATCH FROM DACCA 11th December, 1971 by Ronald Robson More people are now seen pushing carts with their few belongings in the streets of Dacca as families move either from areas which have attracted the attention of Indian strike aircraft or from riverside areas such as Narayanganj where they think there will be fighting in an advance on Dacca. The Dacca townspeople remain remarkably calm during the airraids. The Commander of the Pakistan Army in the East, General Niazi, has been seen in Dacca, which should scotch rumours which had been circulated that he had slipped out of East Pakistan. ᏚᏖᎹ ! DESPATCH FROM RAWALPINDI 15th December, 1971 by Harold Briley As the people of Pakistan anxiously look for some signs that the peace moves are making progress at the United Nations, the armed forces are briefing themselves for what looks like being the decisive battle for East Pakistan the defense of its capital Dacca. Harold Briley reports from Rawalpindi: Pakistani forces in the East have been engaged in extensive regrouping in order as their spokesman put it to defend the eastern province in the most effective manner. They declined to give details. "That is just what the enemy would like to know" a senior army officer told me, "They will have to spend a lot of time finding out and I hope suffer a lot of casualties". Taking them at their word the military who are the elite of the Pakistan nation are ready to turn the teeming streets of Dacca into a Stalingrad Day after day the stiering declarations are made and the message is always the same: we'll fight to the last man. The Pakistani ground forces are regrouping to take account of repeated penetrations behind their positions by Indian paratroops and helicopter landings in force. Indian mastery of the air in the East allows them to do this virtually without interference until they hit the ground that is and then the Pakistanis say the airborn invaders have been given a mauling and have made no headway. The meager Pakistani air force in the East long ago ceased to function. A spent force with nowhere to operate from. Its only base Dacca Airport out of action from constant air attack. Whatever the stark realities of the situation, the spirit of the Pakistani people in the West anyway shows no sign of weakening.