From a Special Correspondent
Karachi, Aug 20.—A leading constitutional lawyer was named by the Pakistan Government today to defend Shaikh Mujibur Rahman, the imprisoned Bengali leader, currently on trial for treason.

Radio Pakistan announced tonight that Mr A. K. Brohi would act as Shaikh Mujibs lawyer and that he had left Karachi tonight for Rawalpindi for his first meeting with his client. The broadcast did not say that the trial was being conducted in Rawalpindi.

Tonight's statement was the first made publicly in Pakistan since an announcement two weeks ago that Shaikh Mujib's trial would begin an August 11. Earlier this week a Government spokesman confirmed that the trial had actually begun. It is being held in camera and the site has not been disclosed.

Shaikh Mu jib was arrested by troops at his home in Dacca on March 26 on charges of “waging war against Pakistan”.

In Pakistan's first free general election last December 7. the Shaikh's Awami League won a commanding majority of seats in the new National Assembly, but the Assembly was never convened by President Yahya Khan. Against a background of mounting unrest in East Pakistan, the Army occupied the province from March 25 onward with heavy loss of life.

Most leaders of the now outlawed Awami League went underground or fled to India but Shaikh Mujib chose to remain at his home awaiting arrest. It is generally believed here he will be given a death sentence.—New York Times News Service.


Philadelphia, Aug 20.—The United States Government today gave six East Pakistani seamen permission to stay in America for a year “in view of circumstances currently prevailing in East Pakistan.” The 'men left the cargo ship Al Ahmadi on Tuesday, saying they had been threatened with death and beaten while on hoard the vessel whose crew is mainly from West Pakistan.—Reuter.