Yahya agreed to pullback military unilaterally
November 2, 1971
FARLAND'S TELEGRAM
The US ambassador in Pakistan, Joseph Farland, in a telegram sent today to the US State Department, informed that Pak president Yahya Khan had agreed to unilaterally withdraw military units from the India-Pakistan border as the first step in defusing explosive situation in the subcontinent. Farland called on the president today and had an hour-long discussion.
Yahya, according to Farland, said, "this doesn't mean that I would pull the troops back into the barracks but I will gladly promise to make the first move back from a forward military position."
PAKISTAN BARS 53 ELECTION CONTESTS
The Pakistan government announced today that 53 of the National Assembly seats taken away from the members of the Awami League in East Pakistan would be filled without contest. That meant only 25 vacated seats would be contested in the special by elections in December 1971.
ON THE WAR FRONT
Mukti Bahini today raided Bhayadanga under Sreebardi Police Station in Sherpur district, killing 10 occupation soldiers. Another group of Mukti Bahini raided Chatlapur area of Mymensingh district killing 6 enemy soldiers. A freedom fighter was wounded in this action. In another encounter with the occupation troops, Mukti Bahini killed 8 enemy soldiers in Anandapur.
Mukti Bahini launched a mortar attack on occupation troops in Kaimpur of Cumilla district. During this action, 2 enemy soldiers were killed and four injured.
Mukti Bahini today attacked occupation troops in Tunirhat of Dinajpur district and inflicted 10 casualties on the enemy.
In the Rangpur-Dinajpur-Rajshahi sector, Mukti Bahini today ambushed a mixed Pak patrol near Shyampur and killed two occupation soldiers and one irregular on November 2. The same day, freedom fighters ambushed another mixed Pak patrol near Akilpur and killed seven irregulars.
PAKISTANIS IN INDIA BEAT BANGALEE AIDES
West Pakistani employees of Pakistan's diplomatic mission in New Delhi beat Bangalee employees with sticks and iron bars today as they were trying to leave the mission and join the Bangladesh independence movement.
Forty‐three Bangalee men, women and children got out. Some of the women and children were manhandled, the New York Times reported, but the men received the worst beatings. Several were treated at hospitals and discharged, but one badly beaten man was hospitalised.
Wali-ur Rahman, second secretary of the Pakistani embassy in Berne, announced today that he had resigned because of the events in East Pakistan and was seeking asylum in Switzerland.
PAKISTAN BANS TWO PRO-BANGLA BOOKS
The Pakistan government proscribed two pro-Bangladesh books – "Bangladesh Ki Sachhi Kahani" and "The Truth". The books were published in Lahore recently.
Shamsuddoza Sajen is a journalist and researcher. He can be contacted at [email protected]
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