NEW DELHI, Dec. 25 (Reuters) — Foreign Minister Singh said today that President ‘Bhutto would be making a grievous mistake if he believed the eastern region was still part of Pakistan.

“If he clings to the shadow of Bangladesh as part of Pakistan, he will be committing a grievous mistake and will prevent the return of normalcy to the subcontinent,” Mr. Singh said.

The Foreign Minister was speaking on his return from London after attending meetings of the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council in New York.

In a sympathetic reference to President Bhutto, Mr. Singh said: “We should allow him to discover his real position and need not take too much notice of what he says at present. He has inherited a difficult task and I have sympathy for him and not anger against him.”