Dhaka, Dec. 16 -- Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman, has said that the 1971 Liberation War became inevitable because of what he described as the "obstinacy" of Pakistan's ruling authorities.

Speaking on Victory Day at the inauguration of a youth marathon at Dhaka's Suhrawardy Udyan, Shafiqul said the people of then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) had faced discrimination under Pakistani rule, which led to widespread unrest.

"The Pakistani ruling group treated us in a discriminatory manner. As a result, the people of this country rose up against them. Through the mass uprising of 1969, the general election of 1970 was held.

"After that election, because of the obstinacy of the Pakistani ruling group, the elected party and representat...