All but one of the 65 staff members of the former Pakistan Deputy High Commission in Calcutta, who had switched over their allegiance to the Bangla Desh Government, stuck to their decision at their “screening” held to-day [Calcutta, July 18] at the instance of Dr. Bonard, Counsellor in the Swiss Embassy in Delhi. The interviews, which lasted about two and a half hours from 10-30 a.m. clears the way for the repatriation of Indian and Pakistani diplomats from Dacca and Calcutta, where the two countries closed their respective Deputy High Commissions in April. Mr. Ashok Roy, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, and Mr. Mehdi Masud, former Pakistani Deputy High Commissioner in Calcutta, were witnesses to the interview. Mr. Hossain Ali, head of the Bangla Desh Mission in Calcutta, who was not present at the interview held in a school in a posh locality of South Calcutta, met Dr. Bonard, Mr. Roy and Mr. Masud at a separate house. All the three officials later visited the Park Circus residence of Mr. Maksoud Ali, Assistant Press Attache to the Bangla Desh Mission, who could not attend the interview as he is down with chicken pox.
