Politically, India cultivated the belief among the displaced persons that they would go back not to Pakistan as constituted but to a new sovereignty in East Pakistan. There are on record numerous statements to this effect made by Minister of the Indian Central Government. Diplomatically, India made use of the refugee situation for its campaign to secure the stoppage of all economic assistance to Pakistan.
Sixthly, whatever the nature of the crisis in Pakistan, it posed on military threat to India. But India immediately massed a force of over five divisions on or near the borders of East Pakistan Soon after the internal crisis broke out. What other motive than that of intimidating Pakistan and encouraging saboteurs and subversionists could have moved India to make this demonstration of its military might at the time that the garrisons in East Pakistan were hard pressed in overcoming armed insurgency?
This is a mere summary of India's interference in Pakistan's internal affairs, which has now culminated in aggression on Pakistan territory. i here is only one result of the internal crisis in Pakistan which is truly international in its nature and we readily acknowledge it to be so. That is the problem of a large number of people who left East Pakistan and are at present on Indian soil. But this problem, while international in nature, is not political. It would have been a political problem if Pakistan were to deny the right of these uprooted people to return to their homes, to be restored their properties and to live in their own country in perfect security of life and honor. Since, far from envying their right. Pakistan is most anxious to receive them back, since Pakistan has welcomed the assistance of the United Nations in facilitating their voluntary repatriation, since Pakistan is anxious to arrange this rehabilitation as speedily as possible; the problem is purely a humanitarian one. It is a problem which can be solved with compassion and understanding. It is a problem whose solution demands co-operation between India and Pakistan and of both countries with the United Nations. Of all problems it is the one with which playing politics is totally indefensible.
But that is what India did. In fact, by blocking the return of the displaced persons to Pakistan as constituted, India tried to link the fate of this mass of human beings with the dismemberment of Pakistan.
It is being said that a climate of confidence is necessary for the return of the displaced persons. The statement is unexceptionable, if the phrase “a climate of confidence" is understood in its normal sense. The Government of Pakistan has done its utmost to restore such a climate. Would these efforts not have been much more effective if India also had co-operated? Would India's co-operation with the United Nations not have greatly strengthened the Organization and its presence in East Pakistan? Would this not have furnished another element of reassurance and thus itself contributed to restoring the climate conducive to the repatriation of the refugees? I leave it to the Members of the Security Council to judge how vastly different the present situation would have been but for India's intransigence.
In short, the present situation, now gravely threatening international peace and security, is nothing but an outcome of India's sustained hostility to Pakistan. This hostility did not begin with Pakistan's internal crisis. It merely found in that crisis a
