307. Editorial Note
On April 28, Finance Minister Syed Amjad Ali arrived in Washington for a series of discussions with U.S. officials on matters of mutual concern. He was accompanied by General Mohammed Ayub Khan, Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Army, and Air Vice Marshal Mohammed Asghar Khan, Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Air Force.
In a conversation with Ambassador Langley on April 14, President Mirza explained that the decision to send Amjad Ali, Ayub Khan, and Asghar Khan to the United States was made at a Pakistani defense conference, presided over by him and attended by Noon, Amjad Ali, and the heads of the military services. Mirza noted that the three Pakistani representatives would seek to undo the great damage which they believed Noon’s March 8 speech had done to Pakistan’s image in the United States. “Mirza said that at conference Amjad stressed fact discontent with Pakistan widespread across America,” Langley reported, “and service chiefs echoed their great disturbance at reactions in US to Noon speech.” (Telegram 2540 from Karachi, April 14; Department of State, Central Files, 790D.5–MSP/4–1458)