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To be kept in personal custody and return to Sir. Munir Hosain, Deputy Secretary to cabinet immediately after the Conference is over.
SECRET
GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN
MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS
NOTE FOR GOVERNORS' CONFERENCE
SUBJECT: The poster campaign in East Pakistan.
The discovery, from time to time, of posters, leaflets and other material in East Pakistan advocating overthrow of the Martial Law regime, the assassination of its leaders, the establishment of an independent and an autonomous state of East Pakistan with its own army, air force and navy, the breaking of connection with West Pakistan, the announcement of the deadline after which violence must be resorted to and other war crics, has naturally, given rise to serious misgivings and fears. What reinforces these fears is that there is no cessation of this activity and new leaflets with new slogans couched in even stronger language continue to be discovered. Bitter and strong language is the keynote of these posters and if they truly represent the state of mind of the people or even a part of it, their appearance is ominous and full of evil forebodings. The purpose of this study is to assess their real strength and to analyze the danger which they present.
Posters ominous
Before we proceed with the study, it is pertinent to point out that even in normal and healthy societies and countries, there is criticism of the Government and the ruling class and misgivings expressed against it, laws are broken and gloomy pundits make disquieting sermons about the future. They are of little significance if with all its faults and differences the social order is generally accepted as a going concern and not one which is vicious and must, therefore, be destroyed and replaced by some other system. Posters against the regime and its leaders have been found in West Pakistan. and two conspiracies to overthrow the regime by causing violent commotion unearthed and action taken under the Martial Law. Nevertheless, they made little impact upon the mind of the general public and were not taken serious notice of; on the other hand, they were dismissed as the individual pranks of megalomaniacs and fools. In West Pakistan, the attack was against this or that individual or this or that policy of the Government. In no poster or conspiracy was the idea of Pakistan attacked. In East Pakistan. the posters reflect a more uncompromising and fundamentally different note: they cut across the very concept of Pakistan. They make a plea for an independent East Pakistan completely separated from West Pakistan. To one who believes in the ideology of Pakistan and fears that the Muslim peoples will find it difficult to survive otherwise, the idea is abhorrent. An independent East Pakistan will be as vulnerable to Hindu attack as West Pakistan and
