Indo- Pak relations will improve, hopes Ayub

KARACHI: President Ayub Khan today voiced the hope that relations between India and pakistan would improve and “things will start moving in the right direction.”

In his first- of- the- month broadcast, President Ayub said, “the Kashmir problem awaits a fair and honourable settlement. Once this has been resolved, it should be possible to usher in an era of mutual collaboration, assistance and friendship.”

He added, “this will prove of immense benefit to the people on both sides, particularly to our neighbours in India, who are being unnecessarily subjected to the consequences of an expensive and wasteful confronta- tion.”

In a reference to the control of floods in East Pakistan, the President said Pakistan might have to seek the co- operation of India in this task.

He said, “the Indian Union has the same problems and an exchange of technical data and plans would help the administrations on both sides to control floods. I hope it will be possible to come to some reasonable arrangement with India.”

The President devoted a major part of his broadcast to the forthcoming Pakistani elections to the National and Provincial assemblies and to the office of President. He said these elections symbolised a “great opportunity and a great challenge.”