Scotsman (Edinburgh)

Karachi: Pakistani newspapers predicted today that Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the detained Bengali leader, would be released on parole soon to visit his ailing parents in East Pakistan. Sheikh Mujibur was arrested in the East Pakistani capital of Dacca on March 26 when the Pakistani Army moved to crush the Bengali separatist movement there. He is facing a secret military trial on charges of “waging war against Pakistan”. There has been persistent speculation here during the last two weeks that Sheikh Mujibur would be freed as part of a political settlement of the East Pakistan problem. Significantly, the Government have not censored such speculation in the Press and have not denied or otherwise discouraged it. Last week, Sheikh Mujibur’s wife called on East Pakistan’s new civilian Governor, Dr. A.M. Malik. Without citing sources, newspapers said that she was expected to visit Rawalpindi soon to present a petition to President Yahya Khan asking him to spare her husband’s life “on humanitarian grounds”.