1971-02-16
Page: 6
From Our Correspondent
Rawalpindi. Feb. 15
Mr. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. the chairman of the People's Party in West Pakistan, today announced that he would boycott the National Assembly session to be held at Dacca on March 3.
He told journalists in Peshawar that he was taking the action because Shaikh Mujibur Rahman, chief of the Awami Party in East Pakistan, had refused to make any compromise over a new constitution.
Mr. Bhutto said that his party bad gone as far as they could go on Shaikh Mujibur's six-point plan to ensure a viable constitution for Pakistan.
Mr. Bhutto's party secured 83 of the 138 West Pakistan seats in the elections last December.
His decision to boycott the National Assembly could create a dilemma for other political parties in West Pakistan. The Awami League, headed by Shaikh Mujibur, with 161 seats in the new Constituent Assembly of 300 members commands an absolute majority.
Referring to the draft constitution prepared by the Awami League, Mr. Bhutto said: "We are being called to Dacca not to frame a constitution but to accept a constitution".
The draft constitution is based on six points providing the maximum degree of autonomy to the provinces and leaving the central Government with only three responsibilities - defence, foreign affairs and currency.
West Pakistan political leaders believe that the six points would make the central authority quite ineffectual.
Lahore. Feb. 15.-After Mr. Bhutto had announced that he would boycott the National Assembly meeting. Shaikh Mujibur said in Dacca that he would not change his stance on the constitution issue -not even at gunpoint.
Today's statements by the two political leaders further frustrate President Yahya Khan's efforts to draw the two sides together in order to achieve an elected constitution and end martial law. -Reuter.