LAHORE: The Sikhs would have got a homeland within Pakistan if they had desired an amicable settlement with the Muslim League, said Khan Iftikhar Hussain Khan of Mamdot, President of the Punjab Muslim League in an interview with the Associated Press of India today [June 8].

He added: The Sikhs would have also got complete religious and cultural freedom but now by siding with the Hindu Congress they have carried things too far. Asked of his reactions to the new India Plan the Khan of Mamdot said: `This plan is decidedly better than the Cabinet Mission`s scheme of May 16, 1946, as under the new plan the Muslims have achieved their cherished goalofPakistan a sovereignindependent state.` Referring to the proposed partition of the Punjab he criticised the British for putting together all non-Muslims as against the Muslims for the purpose of partitioning the Punjab.

[Meanwhile, as reported from Patna,] Mr.

Altaf Husain, Editor, `Dawn`, appeared today [June 7] before the District Magistrate ... in connection with a defamation case filed against the paper by the Commissioner of the Patna Division for publishing a news item during the days of the Bihar carnage headlined as `Commissioner or a criminal,` and was granted bail. Dawn Delhi