Address at a Public meeting in Dera Ismail Khan on November 23, 1972
Addressing a big public meeting at the Polo Ground, President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto said that unless Pakistan’s territory was vacated and the POWs released, the question of Bangladesh’s admission to the United Nations could make no progress. He said it would make no difference even if the General Assembly voted in favor of the admission by a big majority as the matter would ultimately have to go the Security council. There, he said amidst cheers, it will continue to be vetoed by China as long as Pakistan’s conditions were not met.
Referring to the Yugoslav resolution on the subject, scheduled to come up in the General Assembly on Monday, the President said the purpose of such a move could be nothing but to create hurdles in the way of a dialogue between the two Muslim brothers. He said he failed to understand why an unnecessary interference was being made in our affairs.
The President said while a lot had been done in different sectors during past 10 months, much more remained to be done. He assured the people that no area would now remain neglected.
Regarding distribution of the Indus waters, he said the rights of all the provinces would be safeguarded; no province would be allowed to suffer. He said pending a final decision, a temporary arrangement could be made and for that purpose the Governors, Chief Ministers and engineers of all the provinces will have to sit and thrash out the issue.
The President said arrangements would be made to provide electricity for the 300 tube-wells which at present were out of operation in D. I. Khan. Besides, he said, an irrigation project had also been sanctioned, while a meeting would soon be held to go into the question of power rates.
He also told the Dera citizens that construction of a bridge over the Indus was under consideration.
He declared amidst cheers that every inch of D.I. Khan would be brought under cultivation and he was prepared even to give his blood if it were needed.
About the Chashma Right bank Canal, he said it was an old scheme for which the N.W.F.P. Government had allocated Rs.2.2 crore. According to the engineers 10.720 cusecs of water from the project would irrigate 3.5 lakh acres, while about the Gomal Zam it was stated that 550 cusecs would irrigate 1.5 lakh acres. That, he pointed out, was a major contradiction and must be looked into. The scheme must be prepared in accordance with the requirements.