20111957 Text of the speech made by Mr. Noon (Pakistan) in the Security Council meeting No, 804 held on 20 November 1957.

20111957 Text of the speech made by Mr. Noon (Pakistan) in the Security Council meeting No, 804 held on 20 November 1957.

Before I proceed, I would like to say a word about the Slanderous attacks made on me personally by the representative of India in his various interventions, and particularly during his speech at the 803rd meeting of the Security Council. I strongly object to his observations. I can pay him back in his own coin, but I do not wish to convert the Security Council into an arena for personal abuse and recrimination. I shall certainly answer him fully elsewhere. Here all I wish to do is to express the hope that debates in the Security Council will be kept within the bounds of decency, sobriety and good sense.

My delegation has carefully studied the draft resolution before the Council [S/3911] and has listened with great attention made by its sponsors. I am constrained to express the profound regret of my delegation that a reference should have been made in the draft resolution to part I of the Commission's resolution. of 13 August 1948.

As I have already explained in my previous statements, part I has been fully and faithfully implemented. This fact has been certified by the United Nations representative for India and Pakistan, not only in paragraph 29 of his third report [S/2611 and Corr. 1] but also in paragraph 44 of his fifth report [S/2967). As I said before, Mr. Jarring, in paragraph 16 of his report [S/3821], does not assert that part I has not been implemented. The finding given by the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan, in our considered view, is not open to further discussion, and there was, therefore, no reason to reopen any issue that was already closed.

I have repeatedly submitted earlier that there has been no augmentation whatsoever, so far as Pakistan is concerned, of the military potential in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. On the contrary, the evidence adduced by me in my previous statements shows that there has been a reduction, and indeed the facts given by the Indian representative himself confirm this conclusion. The fact that a substantial reduction has been made in the armed forces on the Pakistan side of the cease-fire line has also been certified by the United Nations representative.

Regarding part I, paragraph E of the resolution of 13 August 1948, I have already stated that repeated appeals have been made by my Government to promote an atmosphere which would permit the peaceful holding of a plebiscite in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. I reaffirm that my Government has made every effort to maintain, and has succeeded in maintaining, a peaceful atmosphere throughout "Azad" Kashmir as well as in Pakistan. I need hardly assure the members of the Security Council of our sincere and earnest efforts in this direction. Despite provocative propaganda emanating from the other side, we have done, and shall continue to do, our best to maintain a peaceful atmosphere favourable to the promotion of further negotiations.

In view of what I have stated, I cannot but regard it as a matter of profound disappointment that a reference to part I of the 1948 resolution should have been included in the draft resolution. As I have said before, less than justice has been done to Pakistan by some members of the Security Council in their assessment of where the blame lies for the non-fulfilment of accepted obligations.

In the draft resolution, the importance of demilitarization in the State of Jammu and Kashmir as a necessary prerequisite to the holding of a free and impartial plebiscite has been recognized, even though the procedure suggested for the achievement of demilitarization is Tardy. It is the considered view of my delegation that it is only through speedy demilitarization that progress can be made towards full implementation of the two resolutions by which both the Governments of India and Pakistan are bound. As stated by the representative of Iraq, My Government still considers that the most practical solution of the problem of demilitarization is to send a United Nations force to Kashmir to hold the cease-fire line and to call upon the parties to withdraw their armed forces.

We note that Mr. Frank P. Graham is being asked to enter into negotiations with the two Governments, in order to implement part II of the 1948 resolution and, in particular, to reach an agreement on the reduction of forces on each side of the cease-fire line. Mr. Graham is held in great respect as a highly principled negotiator of great integrity, wisdom and sincerity of mind; and we welcome his selection to discharge this important assignment. We note that the Security Council has called upon the Governments of India and Pakistan to cooperate with Mr. Graham in order to formulate an early agreement on demilitarization procedures. We, on our part, will not fail to give our fullest cooperation to him in the discharge of his responsibilities, and we very much hope that Mr. Graham will be successful in this mission.

I would add that we earnestly hope that the expression "as soon as possible" in operative paragraph 5 of the draft resolution will be interpreted in its literal sense, and that the United Nations representative will be able to report back to the Security Council within a reasonably short period. We trust that no impediments will be placed in the way of the United Nations representative, nor co-operation withheld from him. We shall certainly do whatever we can to enable him to report to the Security Council at the earliest opportunity on the completion of his task.

The Kashmir dispute has now been before the Security Council for ten long years. It is in the interests of India and Pakistan, as well as in the interests of international harmony generally, that the dispute be settled amicably principles and without further delay. I seek the assistance of the Security Council in this happy result; and in particular I on agreed request the representative of the Soviet Union to let the processes of United Nations conciliation take effect as speedily as possible.

In conclusion, I submit that my Government, in accord with its constant desire to assist the Security Council in a peaceful settlement of the Kashmir dispute, will, in spite of its serious objection to some aspects of the draft resolution, receive the United Nations representative, Dr. Graham, and accord him all courtesies and co-operation in carrying out the mission assigned to him.