14081948 .Notes on the meeting of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan with three members of the Commission (S/AC.12/40) Held at Karachi on Saturday, 14 August 1948 at 5.30 p.m.

14081948 .Notes on the meeting of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan with three members of the Commission (S/AC.12/40) Held at Karachi on Saturday, 14 August 1948 at 5.30 p.m.

Chairman: Mr. Lozano (Colombia).

Present

Government of Pakistan. Sir Mohammed Zafrullah Khan (Minister for Foreign Affairs), Mr. Mohammad Ali (Secretary General), Mr. M. Ayub (Deputy Secretary).

Members of the Commission. Mr. Lozano (Colombia), Mr. Siri (Argentina), Mr. Oakes (United States of America), Mr. Bloch (Secretariat).

At 5.30 p.m. on Saturday, 14 August, Sir Mohammed Zafrullah Khan received Mr. Lozano, Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Siri, representative of Argentina, Mr. Oakes, alternate representative of the United States of America, and Mr. Bloch of the Secretariat. Mr. Mohammad Ali and Mr. Ayub were also present.

The Chairman presented the cease-fire proposal with a statement that the Commission had given most careful consideration to the points of view of the Governments concerned, and was aware of its responsibilities in submitting this document as a set of principles which should be used as a basis for the formulation of a truce agreement. He also emphasized the responsibility of the Governments before which the proposals were placed. He hoped that this agreement would be accepted and then a new stage of deliberation could be reached whereby extensive time would be given to both parties and others concerned so that fair and equitable conditions might be established to ascertain the free expression of the will of the people in the State of Jammu and Kashmir. He said he felt that the cease-fire was essential to clear the atmosphere for such further talks. The Chairman added that the Vice-Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Korbel, was simultaneously submitting a proposal to the Prime Minister and Minister for External Affairs of the Government of India.

Sir Mohammed Zafrullah Khan said that he appreciated the delicacy and vital importance of the Chairman's task. Although he would have liked to submit additional material to the Commission and regretted that he could not have done so, he would not be deterred by this fact from giving the proposal the serious consideration which it deserved.

The Chairman assured him that no final solution would be reached without extensive hearings for all the parties concerned. He added that the group present at this meeting would have to join the rest of the Commission in New Delhi probably by 18 August, and he would greatly appreciate it if the Pakistan Government would find it possible to give an answer by that time.

Sir Mohammed Zafrullah Khan assured the Chairman that prompt consideration would be given to the proposal and that he would try to meet the deadline desired by the Chairman. However, he pointed out that such a proposal might involve three authorities: i.c., the authorities in Karachi, the Chief of State in Quetta, and the Army Headquarters in Rawalpindi, Consultations under these conditions might protract the matter to a certain extent. He pointed out that the period of time needed to come to a conclusion would, of course, depend upon the nature of the proposal.

The Chairman said that he did not wish to set a rigid time-limit for a reply on a matter of such importance. The Commission would receive the reply after the Governments had given the matter ample consideration.