He said he would not stand in the way of maximum autonomy for the people of East Pakistan. He said he would rather encourage it so that people of East Pakistan could have “full charge of their destiny, planning and utilization of its resources” within the “concept of Pakistan”.
He said although East Pakistan was one of the five provinces, because of its geographical distance of over thousand miles from the other wing it must have maximum autonomy to run her own affairs within the overall framework of one Pakistan. “After all 1 do not want to have five Pakistans”.
The President was asked to comment on Six-Point Programme and the correspondent wanted to know if it would finally lead to separation between the two wings of Pakistan.
The President said he was not concerned with six or any other points. What was imperative was that people of East Pakistan have a lot more say in their affairs than they had so far.
Replying to a question by another foreign correspondent the President said he did not believe there was any tendency of separatism in East Pakistan. They are the majority. How can a majority separate from a minority, he asked.
When the correspondent referred to criticism of West Pakistan in this province, and said he could interpret this as a tendency for separatism the President “if you would have heard anything as such, this would not be the voice of my people”. He said the people of East Pakistan were emotionally hurt because of the disaster which was only normal.
When a correspondent asked if the criticism of West Pakistan in East Pakistan did not put the continuing unity of the country to danger, the President said: I hope it is not. He said he did not want to defend the people of West Pakistan. But the fact was that there was an emotional upsurge there over this terrible disaster in East Pakistan.
He said he knew of one instance in which a weeping old woman had donated her life's savings made for performing the hajj towards the relief of the cyclone-affected people. He said even small children were moving throughout the days to raise donations for the victims of the catastrophe. East Pakistan were aware of this. He said he knew that vast majority of the people of this brotherly feeling that the people of West Pakistan had for them. It was only those who had lust for power who talked of such things.
He appealed to such leaders to have a broad national view. Nobody should take political advantage from such a situation.
Replying to a question on the Constitution, the President made if clear that Martial Law would continue if the proposed Constitution was not framed in conformity with the five basic principles contained in the Legal Framework Order.
The President said the general elections were being held under LFO an instrument of Martial Law and all political parties are taking part in the elections after its acceptance.
