Karachi, March 19. President Yahya Khan and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the East Pakistan leader, who started their round of talks in Dacca today, have softened the rigid attitudes they have so far adopted on the present constitutional crisis in the country. It was announced that three of the Sheikh’s advisers, Dr. Kamal Hussain, Mr. Tajuddin Ahmad and Mr. Syed Nazrul Islam, would hold discussion tonight with the President’s aides.

The Sheikh said that when he met the President again tomorrow, he would have with him six of his Awami League supporters. As he spoke to reporters, he appeared more relaxed than at any time since his talks with President Yahya began on Tuesday. In Karachi last night, Mr. Z.A. Bhutto, the West Pakistan leader who has refused to join in the Dacca talks between the President and the Sheikh, gave a warning that his People’s Party would launch a civil disobedience campaign similar to the one now disrupting life in the eastern wing, “If West Pakistan’s interests are compromised in Dacca.”

He told journalists that his party was the “custodian” of the will of the people of Pakistan and that any arrangement which robbed the people of West Pakistan of their rights would be unacceptable. “If the strength of the masses can be tested in East Pakistan, it can surely also be done in West Pakistan in the hour of our trial,” he said. Sources close to President Yahya today revealed that three proposals by the President have provided the basis for his discussions with Sheikh Mujibur. It would appear, however, that none of the proposals would be acceptable to either the eastern or western wing.

Under the first proposal, power would be restored to provincial governments of both wings while Army would continue to administer the country’s central affairs until a constitution could be framed. The Sheikh would be unlikely to accept any interim constitution which did not make provision for East Pakistan’s six point programme for ultimate autonomy. As an alternative to this proposal, President Yahya has asked the leaders of both wings to form an interim government at the centre under the auspices of the martial law administration until a constitution is framed by the National Assembly.

To avoid any controversy over the question of autonomy, the President suggested that the provincial governments should not be framed until the constitution was framed. President has asked the two leaders to form an interim government and if they do so, he has indicated that he would be willing to restore power to the provinces immediately. On the face of it, it would appear that the leaders would jump at such a face-saving formula, but the difficulty is that they interpret the proposals in different ways.

The Sheikh has indicated that he would accept the proposal only after the President conceded other preconditions, but in any event the Sheikh is adamant that he will request an interim government with the support of the minority parties in the western wing who support his party’s policies. In other words, there would be no place for Mr. Bhutto and his People’s Party (which holds 84 of the 313 seats in the Assembly). In such a condition and the impulsive western leader would find himself in the opposition. The Sheikh would then form the interim government with the support of regional parties from the North-West Frontier, Baluchistan and the Sind. Such an alliance would tend to isolate Mr. Bhutto and his stronghold, the Punjab. Not surprisingly, Mr. Bhutto has rejected such a proposal and is insisting on a formula under which the two majority parties of both wings would form the interim government.