11021948 Text of the Speech made by Sir Mohammed ZafruUah Khan (Pakistan) in the Security Council Meeting No. 244 held on 11 February 1948
11021948 Text of the Speech made by Sir Mohammed ZafruUah Khan (Pakistan) in the Security Council Meeting No. 244 held on 11 February 1948
In deference to what the President has just ruled, I shall as soon as I finish this quotation, bring my whole speech to a conclusion.
Sir Chimanial H. Setalvad went on to say:
"The 'Provisional Government' was formed and functioned for some days in Bombay with the avowed object of overthrowing by force the established Government in Junagadh. The Government of Bombay was, I venture to say, bound not to allow the 'Provisional Government' to start its hostile activities against a State which is at peace with the Government of Bombay and with the Government of India, who are at peace with Pakistan to which Junagadh had acceded. Their permitting this to be done amounts to an unfriendly and hostile act against Junagadh and Pakistan.
"The Government of India should not have allowed passage over its railways to a body proceeding to Rajkot with the proclaimed object of raising a volunteer army to overthrow the establishment of Junagadh.
"The Government of Rajkot should not have given asylum to a body that was raising an army to overthrow the Junagadh Government.
"It is most surprising that the Government of Rajkot should have tolerated the seizure by force of Junagadh State property within its territory.
"Legally and constitutionally, the Governments of Bombay and India and those of the Kathiawar States are bound to stop and prohibit all activities within their territories of the 'Provisional Government*. The consequences of their inaction would be very serious."
Then, in his letter of 3 November, Sir Chimanlal H. Setalvad said:
- appeal made by you in your letter this morning for reason and common sense are very opportune. Recent unfortunate events have so frayed the nerves of those in the Governments of the two Dominions that indulgence in charges and counter-charges and attributing motives has become the order of the day and has widened the gulf between the two Dominions.
"It is hoped for the welfare of the whole country that reason and common sense will take the place of the present temper on both sides. Pandit Nehru in his broadcast has rightly asked the Pakistan Government how and why the invaders of Kashmir came across the Frontier Province or West Punjab, and how they came to be fully armed. He charges the Pakistan Government with violation of international law and an unfriendly act towards India. He alleges that the Pakistan Government was either too weak to prevent the invaders of Kashmir from marching across its territory or that it was willing that this should happen.
"Exactly the same poser can be put to the Indian Dominion' with regard to Junagadh. The so-called 'Provisional Government Of Junagadh was openly formed in Bombay,-and for days it proclaimed its intention of marching to Junagadh to overthrow the Junagadh Government as by law established. The leaders of that's Provisional Government' have openly raised a volunteer army and have captured several villages in Junagadh territory. Junagadh House in Rajkot was forcibly seized by the 'Provisional Government, and Rajkot State, which has acceded to India, and the Indian Government themselves have remained passive spectators of all unfriendly, and hostile acts against a Slate which is, together with the Dominion to which it has acceded, at peace with India.
"Undoubtedly, Junagadh's action in acceding to Pakistan is unwise from all points of view and deserves condemnation, but that cannot justify the action that has been taken against it. The Indian Dominion may well be asked the self-same questions that Pandit Nehru has put to Pakistan. Was the Government of India too weak to prevent the armies of the 'Provisional Government' from invading Junagadh territory, or was it willing that this should happen?"
Since the Junagadh State has been occupied by the armed forces of India, and it is in accession with Pakistan, a very delicate, grave and urgent problem is raised. Had it not been for the restraint of Pakistan in not sending its armed forces into Junagadh to expel the forces of the Government of India, there would have been a direct clash between the two Dominions. We have held our hand; we are continuing to hold our hand, but the problem is as urgent as the problem of Kashmir.
I have raised the problem this morning merely to stress its urgency and to request that, if the delegation of India is under the necessity with reference to the problem of Kashmir, as their instructions specifically show, to go back for personal consultations with their Government—and as they must be ready to deal with these matters, having regard to their declaration that they would be ready within a few days of 22 January—it would result not only in the saving of the Security Council's time, but , also in some progress towards a settlement of another of these very grave and delicate problems, if the next item on the agenda could, in the meantime, be taken up.
The system of consecutive interpretation was resumed at this point.