পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৩২

ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড শিরোনাম সূত্র তারিখ বাংলাদেশে সাময়িক শক্তি প্রয়োগের সমালোচনাঃ | কমনস সভার কার্যবিবরণী ৫ এপ্রিল, ১৯৭১ পররাষ্ট্র সচিব হিউম-এর বিবৃতি ও বাংলাদেশের সামগ্রিক পরিস্থিতি সম্পর্কে বিতর্ক PAKISTAN The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Sir Alec Douglas-Home): With your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House, I wish to make a further statement about the situation in Pakistan. Since I last reported to the House, the conflict in East Pakistan has continued, Our information about what has taken place is still not complete, but there can be no doubt that many lives have been lost. The whole House and country will join me in urging an end to the strife, a start on reconciliation and on the task of bringing relief to the injured and the homeless. Over the past weeks, we followed with anxiety the course of political negotiations in Pakistan, and my Right Hon. Friend the Prime Minister had expressed to President Yahya Khan his concern that political differences should be settled by agreement. We were aware of the endeavors of the President to achieve this end, and we hoped that he would be successful. We feared that violence would do permanent damage to the constitutional fabric of Pakistan. To our great regret, negotiations collapsed and military force was used. We are deeply concerned at the loss of life and suffering of all sections of the Pakistan community and welcome the President's statement that his aim remains the transfer of power to the elected representatives of the people. It is our earnest hope that this objective will be achieved, Her Majesty's Government have no intention of interfering in Pakistan's internal affairs, and I wish again to emphasize that this is our position. It is the people of Pakistan themselves who must decide their own destinies, and intervention from outside will only complicate a very difficult and distressing situation. The British Government and public gave dramatic evidence of their deep compassion for the East Pakistanis who suffered in the cyclone last year. We again stand ready to play our part in an international effort to help in mitigating suffering in East Pakistan, should we be asked to do so. The House will wish to know that we have still received no report of injury or damage to British subjects or property in East Pakistan, apart from the attack on the British Council premises in Dacca which I reported in my earlier statement. It has, however, not been possible to contact some British subjects known to be in outlying areas. In these circumstances the Deputy High Commissioner advised that women and children and those