Forum Pakistan

The Conference was held on 18-24 April in Indonesia on the initiative of Indonesia, Burma, India, Pakistan, and Ceylon (since 1972, Sri Lanka) and was attended by state, government, and territorial representatives. The Conference took place against the background of de-colonization and the Cold War, in which the AfroAsian world became a focal field of the East-West confrontation. The documents adopted by the Conference-the Concluding Communique and the Declaration-set down the principles of solidarity, unity of action, and co-operation among Afro-Asian countries despite differences in their economic and political systems.

The declaration on promoting universal peace and co-operation included a clause in support of the principles of respect for basic human rights. Also noted was the support for the goals and principles of the United Nations Charter, the principle of selfdetermination for peoples and nations, recognition of equality of all races and nations, advice to refrain from exercising external pressure on any country, nonintervention or interference in the internal affairs of other nations, not to promote agreements on collective defence in the interests of any of the great powers, respect for the right of all countries to individual or collective security in accordance with the United Nations Charter, settlement of all international disputes by peaceful means, and respect for justice and international obligations. The Communique appealed to all states to lend their support for disarmament, and proposed a ban on nuclear weapons.

The Bandung Conference acquired importance in the achieving of mutual understanding among the countries of Asia and Africa concerning the process of decolonisation and strengthening of the foundations of peace and security. Its decisions paved the way for the founding and consolidating of the Non-Aligned Movement, and the emergence of the movement for solidarity between the social forces of Asia and Africa.

Pakistan was represented at the Conference by Prime Minister Mohammad Ali *Bogra who had a verbal confrontation with Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru accused Pakistan of being an American stooge. Bogra retaliated by calling India a Soviet stooge. In the Bandung Conference. M.A. Bogra established a rapport with Zhou EnLai, the Chinese Premier, who conceded that Pakistan's membership of SEATO was not motivated by hostility against China.

PUBLICATION: 'Bandung Conference, 1955, Selected Documents', No.9, 1955.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Qutbuddin Aziz. 'Exciting Stories to Remember', Karachi 1995.