RAWALPINDI: The President, Gen A.M. Yahya Khan, has decided that the National Assembly, when summoned, will first meet in Dacca, it was officially stated here today [Dec 30]. The announcement did not say as to when the Assembly will be summoned, but it was believed that it will meet in the East Pakistan Assembly building some time in February next.

The Assembly, which has been elected on the basis of adult franchise, will be entrusted with the important task of framing the constitution of the country within a specified period of 120 days, failing which it will be dissolved. Meanwhile, elected members and their parties are busy in making mutual consultations on the basic fundamentals of the constitution.

Two hundred and ninety members of the Assembly were elected in Dec 7 elections. Seven seats subsequently fell vacant following the resignation from extra seats by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Mr Z.A. Bhutto and Khan Abdul Qayyum Khan, who were returned from two, five and three constituencies respectively. — Agency

[Meanwhile, as reported by an agency in Beirut,] The Syrian strongman, Gen Hafez Al-Assad, has arrested eight more leaders of the Marxist regime he overthrew six weeks ago, a spokesman reported here on Wednesday [Dec 30].

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2020