Survival as a nation of the remainder of Pakistan after the excision of what has become Bangladesh now depends on the emergence in the West of strong, clear-headed leadership accepted by the embittered and disillusioned populace. On this depends also the uneasy hopes of restoring some kind of stable balance in the subcontinent after the upheaval in the East and the unleashing there of so many incalculable domestic and international forces. Every hour that goes by without a settlement with India by the representative Pakistani Government while the troops of the two countries confront each other and straddle the frontier is most dangerous. Every hour wasted before the release of Mujib by West Pakistan - assuming, as we hope, that he is still alive and well - to take up his rightful role in the East, prolongs the chaos and bloodshed there, strengthens the assorted extremists, and, wily nili, deepens the imprint of Indian tutelage.

President Yahya, who showed courage and statesmanship in accepting the cease-fire, and is now an object of general execration, is to resign. The only candidate for political leadership, in this dark hour seems to be Mr. Bhutto, who does not inspire the onlooker with great confidence. He won last year’s elections in the West with a combination of anti-Indianism and suspect Socialism. But, by refusing to co-operate with Sheikh Mujib, who won an absolute majority in Pakistan as a whole, he was largely responsible for the fatal split with the East.

Last month, Mr. Bhutto failed to persuade the cautious Chinese to pledge support to Pakistan on a par with Russia’s defence pact with India. Before leaving the United States to return home, Mr. Bhutto saw President Nixon, whose recent support for Pakistan and moral criticism of Mrs. Gandhi has caused a crisis in American-Indian relations and further sweetened Russia’s calculated love-fest with India. Mr. Nixon no doubt promised the devious and excitable Mr. Bhutto all reasonable diplomatic and economic aid if he set about his difficult job at home and abroad soberly and realistically. If his point went home, we should all be grateful - including Mrs. Gandhi.