CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY RAWALPINDI.
·
TELEGRAM NUMBER 581.
CONFIDENTIAL
TO FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE.
3 JULY 1969.
10
CONFIDENTIAL.
FOLLOWING RECEIVED FROM RAWALPINDI
TOP COPY
ADDRESSED TO F C O TELEGRAM NO 581 OF 2 JULY RFI TO HONG KONG AND
DELHI AND SAVING TO PEKING.
HONG KONG TEL NO 519 TO YOU AND MY TEL NO 574..
IMMIGRATION OF COMMONWEALTH CITIZENS.
THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL POINTS OCCUR TO ME
REPATRIATION.
RIGIT
- 4 JUL 1969
HKK 18/27
2. THE DEPUTY LEGAL ADVISER AT THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TOLD A MEMBER OF MY STAFF, IN THE CONTEXT OF THE RECENT ATTACK IN KARACHI ON AN ETHIOPIAN AIRLINER BY THREE MEMBERS OF THE ERITREAN LIBERATION MOVEMENT, THAT PAKISTAN CONSIDERED THAT THE ERITREANS COULD NOT BE DEPORTED BECAUSE WHATEVER THEY HAD DONE ON PAKISTANI TERRITORY, THEIR ENTRY INTO PAKISTAN HAD BEEN PERFECTLY LEGAL. IT SEEMS QUITE LIKELY THEREFORE THAT THE PAKISTAN GOVERNMENT MAY BE UNSYMPATHETIC OVER THE REPATRIATION OF THEIR NATIONALS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN ALLOWED OVER THE BORDER'' EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY TECHNICALLY HAVE BEEN REFUSED PERMISSION TO ENTER.
3. PAYMENT FOR REPATRIATION.
PRESUMABLY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL MEET THE COST OF REPATRIATION: PIA DOES NOT OPERATE FROM HONG KONG: IN ANY CASE THE IMMIGRANTS WILL HAVE LEFT PIA'S CONTACT BY CONTINUING THEIR JOURNEY BY ROAD OR RAIL FROM CANTON TO HONG KONG. AS THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG WILL KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN TRYING SINCE 1962 TO SECURE THE TRANSFER TO HONG KONG OF RUPEES 14,528, BEING THE RUPEE EQUIVALENT OF THE COST OF REPATRIATION OF A PAKISTANI NATIONAL (CAPTAIN Z N MIRZA) AND HIS FAMILY. THE STATE BANK HAVE FIRMLY REFUSED TO SANCTION THE REFUND OF REPATRIATION COSTS, EVEN THOUGH THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNED HAS BEEN WILLING TO PAY, ON THE GROUNDS THAT NO CITIZEN OF PAKISTAN CAN INCUR A DEBT ABROAD INVOLVING REPAYMENT IN FOREIGN EXCHANGE WITHOUT THE PRIOR AUTHORITY OF THE
STATE BANK.
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