From Easwar Sagar
Washington, Sept. 20.
The Pakistan Prime Minister, Mr. Z. A. Bhutto, left Washington this morning, after two days of talks with the U.S. President, Mr. Nixon, his principal objective in coming here apparently unfulfilled.
Mr. Bhutto received assurances of continued American economic assistance and further emergency flood relief, (though not the one million tonnes of foodgrains he was seeking), but he was understood to have been told, as politely as possible, that the U.S. had no plans now to lift its existing embargo on lethal arms supplies.
Making an effort to appear reconciled to this negative response, and anxious to avoid giving the impression that this might lead to a cooling of relations with the U.S., Mr. Bhutto told a National Press Club luncheon audience yesterday that he had not really sought to change U.S. policy with regard to arms supplies to Pakistan. “I am aware of the mood of Congress, and I am aware of the mood of the American people and, therefore, I don’t want to do anything that would complicate your policies.”
But Mr. Bhutto did note that American leaders like Dulles (former Secretary of State) and Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy had sworn to go to Pakistan’s aid in the event of aggression from any quarter.
