Moscow, Sept 28
Mr Kosygin, the Soviet Prime Minister today called on President Yahya Khan of Pakistan to take “the most effective steps” to reduce the tension between his country and India, and attacked his Government for its actions in East Pakistan.

At a luncheon for Mrs Indira Gandhi, the Indian Prime Minister, Mr Kosygin said the situation in the sub-continent was arousing the anxiety of the Soviet Government.

Mrs Gandhi, who is on a short visit to the Soviet Union, said in reply that she welcomed the Soviet leadership's advice to Pakistan.

Mrs Gandhi today had two sessions of talks with Soviet leaders, including Mr Brezhnev, head of the Communist Party, who returned yesterday from his visit to the Balkans. Also present were Mr Kosygin and President Podgorny.

Mr Kosygin said at the luncheon that the talks showed Russia and India would “continue pooling their efforts” to maintain peace and prevent an armed conflict in the sub-continent.

The Soviet Prime Minister’s remarks on the Pakistan situation were the strongest any Soviet leader has pronounced on this subject, “It is impossible to justify the actions of the Pakistan authorities which have compelled over eight million people to leave their country, land, property, and seek shelter in neighbouring India”, he said.

“The wholesale flight of the population from East Pakistan— and eight million people is the population of 3 medium-sized European country—can only be explained by unbearable living conditions created for them there.” Mr Kosygin went on: “It is necessary, above all. to offer an opportunity to the refugees of returning home, to give them a full guarantee on the part of the Pakistan authorities that the refugees will not be persecuted and will have an opportunity of calmly living and working in East Pakistan.

“Peaceable opinion of all countries, all friends of India and Pakistan, expect from the Pakistan authorities an early political settlement in East Pakistan which would consider the legitimate interests of its population, would safeguard its normal development and eliminate the threat of further aggravation of Pakistan-Indian relations.”

Mrs Gandhi said: “The growing agony of the people in east Bengal does not seem to have moved many governments. Our restraint has been appreciated only in words. The basic issues involved and the real threat to peace and stability in Asia are being largely ignored.”

She welcomed the recent signing of the treaty of “peace friendship and cooperation” between India and Russia as helping “the evolution of a saner, more peaceful international situation”