পাতা:বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্র (ত্রয়োদশ খণ্ড).pdf/৯৩৯

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9| 1 ংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ ত্রয়োদশ খন্ড auspices of the United Nations. India has persistently refused to implement that agreement. The strain thus caused in relations between India and Pakistan has never been relaxed during the last 23 years for the simple reason that while the rest of the world may at times forget the Kashmir dispute, neither the people of Kashmir themselves nor their brethren the people of Pakistan can ever be oblivious to it, even if the disputes nothing but a manifestation of India's chauvinism and its refusal to arrive at an equitable settlement with Pakistan that would establish good neighborly relations between the two counties' on a lasting basis. The root cause of the hostilities between India and Pakistan is therefore not the occurrences of this year, but the policy so far pursued by Indian rulers-the policy of denying Pakistan's international rights and refusing to resolve out-standing issues between the two countries according to the recognized means of pacific settlement. Normalcy in relations between the two neighbors in South Asia will come not by waving a magic wand, nor with declarations, nor with No War pacts, but with the readiness of both parties to resolve situations of friction and to settle disputes in the only way that can be done-namely, employing the means listed in Article 33 of the Charter of the United Nations. How anxious Pakistan has been to avert the eruption of hostilities is amply borne out by the fact that the Government of Pakistan responded affirmatively to every proposal that would bring about the peaceful resolution of the present India-Pakistan situation. The President of Pakistan some months ago declared his readiness to meet with the Prime Minister of India anywhere anytime. The response from India was totally negative. On 20th November, the President of Pakistan extended his hand of friendship to India. India's answer was the major armed attack on Pakistan launched the next day. Lastly, the Security Council is aware that on 20th October, the Secretary-General addressed a letter to the President of Pakistan and the Prime Minister of India in which he said: "In this potentially very dangerous situation, I feel that it is my duty as SecretaryGeneral to do all that I can to assist the Governments immediately concerned in avoiding any development which might led to disaster. I wish Your Excellency to know, therefore, that my good offices are entirely at your disposal if you believe that they could be helpful at any time." The President of Pakistan promptly welcomed the offer, and invited the Secretary-General to visit India and Pakistan to discuss ways and means for the withdrawal of forces of both sides; from their borders. But what was India's response? The Prime Minister of India answered the Secretary-General's letter on 16th November, 27 days later a situation of daily increasing tension, and in her letter made the allegation that Pakistan was "seriously preparing to launch a large-scale conflict with India". Now, if that allegation were correct it would have been all the more reason for India to invite the Secretary-General to visit the sub-continent and help to defuse the situation. But the Prime Minister of India laid such conditions on the exercise of his good offices