| Vol. IV, No. 6 2 Aswin 2007, September 18, 1950 Annas Four – Air Mail-/4/6 |
Mr. Ghulam Mohammed, the Pakistan Finance Minister, on the eve of his departure for Europe to attend the meetings of the World Bank and I.M.F. told the Press Correspondents at Karachi who questioned him about the rumours devaluation of Pakistan rupee that the question of devaluation should not be looked into from the political angle. He added, “In Pakistan there is a dearth of informal opinion which can study economic questions such as the ratio of Pakistan rupee in the detached manner.”
This has brought a hornets’ nest on him. The Pakistan jingos who felt flattered by the non-devalution of Pakistan rupee and the Muslims from U.P. controlling Pakistan’s trade who have really benefitted by it have been blowing hot and cold against their pet G.M. since then. “Dawn” has come out with a bitter editorial against him and is giving most prominent publicity to statements and resolutions of merchant bodies against the expected devaluation. But inspite of all this press propaganda it is now generally believed in Pakistan that devaluation of Pakistan rupee has become a certainty.
| Justice – Not Mercy The Facts: The entire Hindu population of West Pakistan—over 6o Lacs—was forced out. More than 10 lac families left behind property worth over Rs. 1,500 crores. Will government explain why it has asked the displaced persons to file their claims for a second time —and that for a fee? Does it know that with only a fortnight to go, only 25,00o persons have filed claims—the rest having despaired of any assistances from the Government? We Demand: What does the government mean by “compensation to the extent possible”? The displaced persons want justice, not mercy. They must get about what they have lost. If Muslims have not left behind enough to pay for Hindu losses in Pakistan, the government must consider ways and means of augmenting the pool of distribuend property. We Suggest: We suggest suitable measures for the peaceful transfer of known Pakistanis here, to Pakistan. Let unrepentent League leaders go to the state of their making and make room for the victims of their criminal activities. Displaced persons must not hang between life and death while their displacers bask in the sun of misconceived secularism. |
Pakistan was not invited to send her teams or participate in any other way in the Afghanistan Independence Day celebrations—Jashan as they are called—this eat. This seems to have further bittered the Pakistanis against their Muslim neighbour. Pakistan’s disappointment over the failure of Dixon to give them Kashmir is evident from the fresh spate of anti-Bharat propaganda in the Pakistani press. Efforts are being made to rouse the Muslim masses and the tribals once again to a fit of frenzy by provocative articles. At the same time efforts are being made to woo America by clever propaganda abroad about Bharat's leanings towards Russia and Pakistan’s determination to go whole hog with the Western world.
Pakistan has named a Pakistani—Maj. General Ayub—to be the first Pakistani Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan army from March next. The first thing he has said after this announcement about his promotion is that he will try to be impartial towards his officers. It may mean that partiality and nepotism has been ramaut in Pakistan’s Armed Forces so far. The comments of the Pakistan Press over Shri Tandon’s election to the Congress Presidentship are revealing of the Pakistani mentality. All of them have dubbed him as a Mahasabhaite and an enemy of Muslims.
Floods in Ravi which sub-merged a part of Lahore and surrounding areas in water during the last week enabled the Muslim goondas whom the Muslim League government and press had encouraged to loot the Hindus property during the partition days, to give a proof of the old adage—“those who sow the wind must reap the whirlwind.” These goondas are reported to have indulged in wide-spread looting of their Muslim brethren in distress so much so that Pakistan authorities had to give shoot at sight orders to their police and army. By An Exile
