Pakistan's Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto arrived in Bonn on Wednesday (18 February) to start a 12-day goodwill tour that will take him on his first official visits to West Germany, Sweden and Canada.

He was greeted on arrival by Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and Mrs. Schmidt. Official sources say the trip is part of Mr. Bhutto's bid to strengthen Pakistan's international standing through summit-level diplomacy.

In his talks with the Bonn government, Mr. Bhutto and his delegation are expected to urge increased development aid to Pakistan and press West Germany to boost imports to rectify an unfavourable trade balance.

West Germany is Pakistan's second biggest western aid donor behind the united States and has promised about 86-million U.S. dollars (GBP40-million sterling) in financial assistance for 1975-76.

Trade between the two countries ran to 210-million U.S. dollars (GBP100-million sterling) in 1974-75, but was almost 64-million U.S. dollars (GBP30-million sterling) in West Germany's favour.

Prime Minister Bhutto is being accompanied on the tour by an entourage of about 80, including his wife Begum Nusrat Bhutto and some 30 journalists.

Opposition circles have criticised the size of the party claiming that the Prime Minister was taking along too many hand-picked political allies.