New York Post

Having inflicted civil ruin on East Pakistan, West Pakistani officials are now hinting at a return to civil rule there—in a vain attempt to evade further condemnation for their own martial lawlessness.
According to the latest reports in this connection, the plan is to name Dr. A. M. Malik, special assistant to West Pakistan President Yahya Khan, as civilian governor of the Bengalis, although there are no special assurances that this administrative change would actually restrain the barbarous repressions of the military boss now in charge.
Malik is not the duly elected leader of the East Pakistanis, nor has he any claim on that office. The only man who qualifies on both counts is Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, head of the Awami League, whose party was the overwhelming victor in East Pakistan's first elections late last year. The sheikh is now the defendant in a secret trial being staged by the Yahya regime.
In Washington yesterday, Pakistani Ambassador Aga Hilaly protested plaintively against demands from Americans in general and Congress in particular that all U. S. military and economic aid be suspended; "cutting this [economic assistance] off won't cure the problems in my country," he insisted.
Perhaps not. It is still obvious that no "cure" will be found by any dictatorship that can rely on a steady supply of U. S. funds. Consequently, glib State Dept. announcements last week that Pakistan is "trying to develop new criteria for development programs" arouse a certain skepticism. The Yahya government has long since forfeited any claim to American support, financial or moral; its half-hearted commitments to "reform" are fresh indications of its capacity for fraud.