Karachi, May 5
The chief of Pakistan's military intelligence service today portrayed his nation as facing an enormous array of Indian forces along the frontier of the two countries in East Pakistan, and said that he could not discount the possibility of an imminent war.
Major-General Mohammad Akbar Khan told a group of foreign correspondents that India had moved two and a half divisions (a division has about 35,000 troops); mountain and airborne brigades; fighter, bomber and air transport units; and its navy to supplement the Indian forces which were already close to Pakistan's border. He said that the Indian Army strength in the area was now more than five divisions, with a sixth in readiness not far away.

Yesterday, the Indian Air Force had put on alert six flying fields near East Pakistan and Pakistan had responded by ordering an alert of its own. "We think this is just a manoeuvre on their part," General Akbar Khan said, "but at times like this such things have a way of escalating".

West Pakistan, which is separated from the eastern wing by some 1,000 miles of Indian territory, continues to face Indian obstacles to the movement of men and equipment Pakistan was denied the right to fly over Indian territory in March, and civilian and military aircraft must fly south of the Indian subcontinent, far out of their way.

A new unit of Soviet-built ground-to-air missiles operating at Trumba, on India's southern tip, had begun practice-firing to a range of 125 miles from the coast, the general said. This had forced Pakistan aircraft to fly even farther south to stay out of the range of the missiles.

General Akbar Khan said that, according to his estimate, at least 10 battalions of Indian border security troops had infiltrated into East Pakistan, in cooperation with separatist forces opposing the Government. These troops were the most immediate threat.

The present Pakistan crisis begat on March 25, when Bengal separatists proclaimed the independence of East Pakistan. India has consistently expressed its support for the separatists.

General Akbar Khan said that, "short of open war. India has taken every possible step available to it against us. We cannot rule out the possibility of war now, although we have no wish for it. In any case, we are ready."

He identified the Indian divisions threatening East Pakistan as the 9th, 23rd, 27th (mountain), 20th. 57th (mountain) and 8th (mountain). In addition to artillery, airborne and other units.

The Indian Air Force units recently moved close to the border, the general said, included British Hawker Hunter jet fighters and transport aircraft, supplementing existing forces of Canberra jet bombers and MiG 21 and Gnat fighters.
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He said that the majority of the East Pakistan paramilitary forces, police and officials had joined the secessionist fight. and admitted that about 10 per cent of the East Pakistanis serving in the regular army had defected to the rebels. However, he claimed that resistance had virtually disappeared and that the main danger now was continued Indian military infiltration into East Pakistan.

The general denied charges by the separatists that the Pakistan Army had killed large numbers of women and children. The Government had no estimate of the total casualties in the fighting in East Pakistan, he said. but the military casualties were believed to be in the hundreds, not thousands. —New York Times News Service.


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Delhi, May 5.—India today expressed its "grave concern" to Pakistan over the "highly provocative activities" of the Pakistan Army on India's eastern border. A Note delivered to the Pakistan High Commission here claimed that the Pakistan Army had shelled the Radhikapur area of India last Saturday and warned Pakistan of "serious consequences" should such incidents recur.

Pakistan soldiers had intruded into Indian territory on the same day, the Note went on, and as a result of indiscriminate firing "there had been many casualties. Drawing Pakistan's attention to earlier protests against "aggressive and provocative" activities, the Note said that the Pakistan Government had not taken adequate action to prevent their recurrence.—Agence France Presse.

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Washington, May 5.--The State Department has privately expressed concern to the Pakistan Government over the reported use of American weapons in the fighting in East Pakistan, it was learnt today.

The approaches to Pakistan were mentioned in a letter sent to several senators who oppose the use of United States military equipment by the Pakistan Government against civilians in East Pakistan.

Mr. David Abshire, Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations. wrote to the senators: "The department shares your concern that American arms have been used by Pakistan in this situation.

"Since military action began on March 25 department spokesmen have expressed our concern over the reported use of American weapons, and we have done so privately to the Pakistan Government . . ."—Reuter.