Rawalpindi, Dec. 21. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the imprisoned East Pakistan leader, will be released soon and put under some form of house arrest, President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto said tonight. The newly installed President told foreign correspondents at a reception in Rawalpindi that Sheikh Mujib would be allowed to live somewhere in the country. He declined to say where, this might be or where he was now imprisoned.

Sheikh Mujib, leader of the banned Awami League, was arrested in March when the Pakistan Army moved against the secessionist elements in the eastern wing of the country. Brought to West Pakistan, he has since been on trial for “crimes against Pakistan”. The trial has ended but no verdict has been announced. He is an idol to the masses of East Bengal, who used him as the rallying point for their aspirations to convert East Pakistan into an independent Bangladesh. Reuters.

Our Diplomatic Correspondent writes : The view of the British Government is that the sooner Sheikh Mujib can return to East Pakistan the better, but Mr. Bhutto may well feel that he cannot agree to this immediately. The fact that Sheikh Mujib is in West Pakistan hands remains one of the few West Pakistan bargaining counters. There is no change as yet in British policy over the recognition - that it is still too soon to recognise Bangladesh. The release of Sheikh Mujib was among the matters discussed, though briefly, between Mr. Bhutto and Sir Alec Douglas- Home, the Foreign Secretary, when they met at London Airport recently. Sir Alec was leaving for the Bermuda conference. Mr Bhutto was returning from the United Nations to Karachi.

Reports reaching London from Dacca said that the Indian Army is opening more check points and that the Mukti Bahini appear to be making efforts to stop looting. The Indians hope that air services from Calcutta will be resumed within a week. The Dacca-London telephone link has apparently been restored. Some shipping services are operating again but the banks are still closed.

General Aurora, the Indian Commander-in-Chief, has said that his force will not stay longer than required for their task of restoring law and order, communications, and the movement of supplies and for the resettlement of refugees.

David Housego writes from Rawalpindi: The new-style Pakistan leadership emerged last night when Mr. Bhutto made his first radio broadcast as President. He spoke impromptu “because I want to speak from my heart” for nearly an hour and then answered questions at a press conference. Describing himself as a servant of the people, he pleaded with them to give him cooperation and time. “I am a fallible individual and without your cooperation I sincerely cannot succeed”, he said, “But with your cooperation and with your support I am taller than the Himalayas.”

The President also appealed to foreigners to be sympathetic to his country. When pressed on whether he would be willing to open discussions with Sheikh Mujib, he said “Stop bashing us, kicking us in the teeth. Look at us sympathetically.” Among the first measures that he announced was the dismissal of the group of generals who were close to President Yahya Khan and who are held responsible for the defeat in East Pakistan. They include General S. M. Pirzada, who acted as an unofficial Prime Minister, General Abdul Hamid, the Army Chief of Staff, and General Umer, the head of the national security council.

President Bhutto referred to them as the “fat and flabby generals”. To the key post of commander in chief, he has appointed General Gul Hassan, the former Chief of the General Staff. He is a close friend of Mr Bhutto, widely respected for his military knowledge and known to have Pro-China and socialist sympathies. He will be expected to provide the Army backing that the new government will need. The President has retained in his own hands the posts of Minister of Defence and Minister for Foreign Affairs. He said last night that he wanted to abolish martial law as soon as possible and to restore democracy but he would not commit himself to a timetable. He added that the National Assembly could not meet until negotiations had taken place with the genuine representatives of East Pakistan about the structure of the country.