§ 3.49 p.m.
§ THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIANMy Lords, I should like to repeat a Statement made by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonweath Affairs. The Statement is as follows:
"The whole House will join me in regretting the loss of life in Pakistan, a fellow member of the Commonwealth, and in hoping for a restoration of normal conditions. As the House will appreciate, this is an internal matter, affecting relations between two parts of a sovereign country and I will not be expected to speculate on political matters which are the concern of the Pakistan Government. Her Majesty's Government are however watching the situation very closely and we remain in constant touch with the Pakistan authorities.
"A fortnight ago, on the advice of the Deputy High Commission in Dacca, some 200 United Kingdom and Commonwealth women and children were evacuated from East Pakistan. In the past few days of disturbances we have had no reports of any injury to members of the British Community in East Pakistan, who now number about 700. The British Council offices and library in Dacca were attacked in the course of 1091 operations on the night of March 25 in the area of the University; the damage cannot yet be properly assessed, but no member of the Council staff was hurt. There are no other reports of damage to British property, but as communications from East Pakistan have been restricted and communications between Dacca and other parts of the province disrupted, the House will appreciate that our information may not be complete."
§ My Lords, that is the Statement.
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Marquess for repeating that Statement. We on this side of the House share with Her Majesty's Government their deep concern and sympathy with the Government and people of Pakistan in their hour of great difficulty. I am glad that the noble Marquess stresses that this is an internal matter. If I may, I would applaud the words of the Indian Prime Minister, Mrs. Gandhi, when yesterday she called for restraint within her own country. I am glad that so far British subjects have not been involved, and I have complete confidence that Her Majesty's Government will ensure, if it is necessary to bring out our people, that steps will be taken.
May I make two points? First of all, we have no knowledge of the extent of damage, loss of life or effect upon the Pakistan community. However, I hope that if relief is called for Her Majesty's Government will be one of the first to offer relief to the people of East Pakistan. My second point I make with a degree of caution. I hope that Her Majesty's Government will make it clear to the Government of Pakistan that it is very much in their own interests that knowledge and information should be made available to their friends within the Commonwealth, because I have a feeling that at the present moment some of our newspaper and radio reports could be well misunderstood in Pakistan and could well make things even more difficult there. Therefore, I hope that Her Majesty's Government will in the most friendly way, put forward the suggestion to the Government of Pakistan that it is very much in their interests that information is made available.
§ THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIANMy Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, and I will certainly consider what he said. I entirely agree with him on his point about information, and I am quite certain that action will be taken in the way he suggests, as it will be if it becomes necessary to contribute anything in the form of international aid.
§ LORD BALOGHNevertheless, my Lords, I do not think that this occasion ought to pass without somebody in this House protesting against the destruction of democracy in East Pakistan.