Karachi. Oct 10.—President Yahya Khan of Pakistan has lifted the ban on political activity in Pakistan from today while imposing stringent curbs on the conduct of parties and politicians.

The ban had been imposed when government troops crushed secessionist moves in East Pakistan in March.

The new rules, promulgated yesterday, by President Yahya Khan as Chief Administrator of martial law, allow parties and individuals to engage in politics from today.

They set limits on permitted activities, however, banning views “prejudicial to the ideology or integrity of Pakistan” or conflicting with the legal Framework Order issued early last year by the President as rules for the restoration of democratic government.

The regulations specifically ban political pressure on schools, colleges and newspaper offices and presses.

Party propaganda must not “transgress the limits of decent and fair criticism of any other political party or its members”, or obstruct the “holding of byelections to the National or Provincial Assembly”. People engaged in politics face a maximum of three years’ detention if they violate the new rules.

The Awami League, strongest in East Pakistan until it was banned on March 26. remains illegal.

Polling begins in nine weeks time in East Pakistan to fill 78 National Assembly seats made vacant by the disqualification of members of the Awami League, which swept the polls in the general elections of last December. The election commission has announced that polling for the seats will be spread over 12 days until December 23.

A detailed list of constituencies involved shows that the Dacca seat won by Shaikh Mujibur Rahman, the leader of the Awami League now on trial in West Pakistan for “waging war against Pakistan”, is not among the seats declared vacant.

The neighbouring seat held by Shaikh Mujib’s constitutional expert, Dr Kamal Hossain, is also not left open. The two men are the only senior Awami League leaders in custody.

A revival of political processions is expected, but deputy commissioners are empowered under the new regulations to require written advance notice of the date, place and route and will be responsible for avoiding any clash of rival parties.—Reuter.

Moscow, Oct 10.—The Soviet party newspaper Pravda today said that the Soviet people demanded the release of Shaikh Mujib and a political settlement in East Pakistan taking into account the wishes, rights and legal interests of its people. They also demanded the safe return to their homes of the nine million East Bengalis who fled io India

Simla, Oct 10.— Mrs Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister, today called for an urgent solution of the civil war in East Pakistan and said that India could no longer bear the burden of millions of refugees.

Speaking at a public meeting, Mrs Gandhi said that the world community was giving “only lip sympathy” to the refugees and India. “How long can this sympathy sustain these refugees?”