From the Archives (September 15, 1971): Two Pak. diplomats shift allegiance

Manila, Sept. 14: Two Pakistani diplomats defected yesterday to the Bangla Desh Government. One of them was the Pakistani Ambassador to the Phillipines Mr. Khurram Panni and the other the 34-year-old Pakistani diplomat in Lagos, Mr. Mohiuddin Ahmed Jaigirdar. Mr. Khurram Panni (49), is the first diplomat of ambassadorial rank to defect to the Bangla Desh cause. He came to Manila as Ambassador last year — and his tenure of duty is not scheduled to end until late next month.Mr. Panni, a native of Bengal, said he would ask the Philippines or India for political asylum “if it comes to that”. He said: “I hope the Bangla Desh Government will be recognised.” Mr. Mohiuddin Ahmed Jaigirdar, Pakistani diplomat in Nigeria, quietly left Lagos last Saturday with his family — wife and three children — and arrived in London where he contacted the Bangla Desh mission.