From The Past Pages Of Dawn: 1972: Fifty Years Ago: Recognise BD, says Wali.

LAHORE -- The Chief of the National Awami Party, Khan Abdul Wali Khan, expressed the view today [Nov 12] that Pakistan should accord de jure recognition to Bangladesh and start negotiation for sorting out mutual issues, as a stalemate over the question would not help this country. If countries like the United States and China, with a long period of hostility to each other, could agree to sort issues out '[then] could we not discuss our problems with our brethren', he added. ... Maintaining that his party's stand on Bangladesh question was very clear, Mr Wali Khan said the factual position was that Pakistan had accorded de facto recognition...