Pakistan Affirms Agreement on Troop Withdrawals

KARACHI, Pakistan, Aug. 24 —The Pakistani Government announced today that withdrawals would take place as scheduled from territories occupied by Indian and Pakistani troops since the December war that created Bangladesh.

India is scheduled to give up 5,000 square miles of Pakistani territory in exchange for Pakistan's return of 70 square miles of Indian territory. The deadline set for the withdrawals is Sept. 4.

The announcement, coming on the eve of the departure of Pakistan's chief negotiator for New Delhi for “special talks” with Indian officials, was portrayed here as an assurance that Pakistan was not attempting to undermine her July agreement with India at Simla.

Although both sides have I moved toward carrying out the written Simla accord on withdrawing troops and fixing cease‐fire line in Kashmir, Indian officials have voiced concern that Pakistan's President, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, is eroding the spirit of the agreement.

China. Threat of Veto Cited

There have been minor differences in delineating the Dec. 17 cease‐fire line in Kashmir. Another factor was the repeated threats by China to veto the entry of Bangladesh into the United Nations.

This move has been portrayed by India as one away from Pakistan's agreement at Simla to settle issues through negotiations between the two countries. Pakistani officials contend however, that the Bangladesh recognition question, along with the question of Bangladesh's entry into the United Nations, fall outside the purview of the Simla accord.

The projected schedule of moves toward a “lasting peace on the subcontinental suggested by both Indian and Pakistani officials after Simla, was based on the view that both Pakistan and Bangladesh would compromise and evolve a formula to begin talks. The Pakistani National Assembly was’ expected to recognize Bangladesh when it convened 10 days ago. President Bhutto had carefully prepared the groundwork for recognition to avoid serious domestic repercussions.

But Pakistani officials say that this schedule broke down because Sheik Mujibur Rahman, Prime Minister of Bangladesh refused to move toward a com promise. Before announcing China's veto threat, President Bhutto said that all his Government's approaches to the Bangladesh Government had failed.

A Pakistani Foreign Ministry official said today that the meeting scheduled to begin in New Delhi tomorrow was quickly arranged after an exchange of notes between the two countries. He said it was not be be confused with the envisaged official talks that would prepare the way for another meeting between President Bhutto and Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The official talks will have to come later, he said, adding that he thought they might come soon. President Bhutto has said that the remodeling of his official guesthouse is under way for Mrs. Gandhi's arrival for a second session.