QUETTA: President Mohammad Ayub Khan said here today [June 1] that Pakistan`s external policy was based on the high principle of establishing closer contacts with all countries, irrespective of ideological differences, in the larger interest of world peace.

Pakistan,headded,wasparticularlyinterested in having better relations with Muslim countries.

He was addressing a largely attended tribal darbar held in the shamiana covered lawns of Quetta Residency this morning.

President Ayub pointed out that in keeping with her policy of having friendly relations with neighbouringcountries,Pakistanhadestablished ties with `our great neighbours, China, Russia, Afghanistan and Burma`. Cultural and economic relations with these countries were gaining strength day by day, he added. Quetta Correspondent [Meanwhile, as reported by Our Staff Correspondent,] President Ayub Khan said yesterday that the Government was fully alive to the food situation in East Pakistan and it had already decided that the food grain reserve should not be less than 3 lakh tons at any time.

In his first-of-the-month broadcast last evening, the President pointed out that today the East Pakistan food reserve was more than 4 lakh tons and another 4 lakh tons of food grains were being despatched to the province.

He said that compulsory rationing in the cities and revised rationing in the rest of the province has been enforced. The inferior rice is selling at the rate of Rs 32 per maund and medium quality at Rs 35 per maund.

The President stated that the Government had taken a number of measures to permanently remove food scarcity from the country. New proposals were also under consideration.

He said: `Some time ago grave concern was expressed in certain quarters over the food situation in East Pakistan. I regret to say there was less of sympathy and more of politics in this concern.

He said that food was a problem which should not be made a play-thing of politics.