TASHKENT: A bold plan has been put forward by President Ayub Khan for proportionate reduction of Indian and Pakistani defence expenditure during his talks at Tashkent with Soviet and Indian leaders alongside a st atesmanlike proposal outlined by him for the peaceful settlement of the protracted and costly Kashmir dispute.
In putting forward the plan, the Pakistani President has been motivated by a sincere desire to eliminate arms race between India and Pakistan and promote genuine detente between the two countries. If the Kashmir issue can be resolved peacefully as a result of the Tashkent meeting, the arms race now going on between India and Pakistan must also be brought to a halt.
President Ayub Khan`s twin proposals for an effective machinery to settle the Kashmir dispute and promote reduction of Indian and Pakistani defence expenditure constitute better ingredients for a genuine and enduring IndoPalcistan peace than the illusory no-war pact which Premier Shastri has proposed.
In Pakistan`s view, an Indo-Pakistan no-war pact, to be effective, must be allied to the solution of the Kashmir dispute and the removal of the costly arms race between India and Pakistan.
The Indian economy is particularly in a bad way and this fact has not been concealed by the Indians now present in Tashkent. Special Representative [Meanwhile, as reported by agencies from Tashkent,] the President of Ghana, Dr. Nkrumah, has placed his services at the disposal of Soviet Premier Kosygin to make the latter`s efforts for bringing peace between Pakistan and India successful.
A Soviet Government spokesman told newsmen here tonight [Jan 6J that President Nkrumah has sent a telegram to Premier Kosygin welcoming efforts being made by him to bring peace and amity between India and Pakistan. President Nkrumah has expressed the hope that Mr.
