an immediate meeting with Yahya. They told Yahya that in the present circumstances provision should only be made for transfer of power in the provinces.
In the meantime, an exhaustive written opinion was formulated and signed by Brohi. This was delivered to Col. Hassan. The Pakistan Government White Paper is therefore guilty of blatant falsehood in asserting that Awami League failed to produce a Constitutional Expert to support point regarding the legal validity of the draft Proclamation.
On 21 March a draft Presidential Proclamation said to be prepared by Col. Ilassn was ready and a person was sent to collect it. This draft was examined by the Awami League team. It had obviously been prepared hurriedly. Interestingly enough, it had provided for Members from the Eastern wing to sit as a separate committee to frame provided for Members provisions relating to that wing and similarly for Members from the Western wing to sit as a separate committcc. It provided that the proclamation of Martial Law would stand revoked from the day on which Ministers of the provincial governments took oath. Upon scrutiny of this draft, the Awami League team found that the draft was incomplete in many respects and imprecise in a number of formulations. First of all, it was their view that the revocation should be more prompt and should not be a long-drawn out process taking effect on the taking of oath by Provincial Ministers, a process which could be protracted, given the fact that five provinces would be involved. It was felt that the proclamation should take effect more promptly. The Awami League team suggested a formula whereby the proclamation would take effect on appointment of Provincial Governors or on expiry of 7 days from promulgation, whichever was carlier.
Bhutto, in the meantime, had arrived on the afternoon of 21 March. I remember when the revised draft was presented; Cornelius had been moved to say that this was indeed an improved and more complete draft. I immediately stated that this should not be described as the Awami League draft. The entire task of drafting should be regarded as a joint exercise. A clausc by clause reading of the amended draft proclamation then began. Peerzada mentioned that he would be meeting Bhutto's advisers and had earlier indicated that a copy of the revised draft had been sent to Bhutto.
In Bhutto's own language the position on his arrival was as follows:
At 7.30 that evening I met President Yahya Khan, at President House. The President informed me of the series of meeting he had held with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had addressed a press Conference on the 18 in which he said that progress had been achieved. As a result, the experts of the Awami League and of the President also held discussions on the proposed Constitutional arrangements. The President proceeded to inform me about the proposal made by the Awami League leader.
The salient features of the proposal were that Martial Law be withdrawn immediately and power transferred in the five provinces without affecting a similar transfer in the Central Government. According to this proposal the President would continue running the Central Government as was being done at the time or, if he so chose with
