18101947 Telegram dated October 18, 1947 from the Prime Minister of Kashmir to the Governor-General of Pakistan
18101947 Telegram dated October 18, 1947 from the Prime Minister of Kashmir to the Governor-General of Pakistan
"Ever since August fifteenth in spite of agreement to observe Standstill Agreement on matters on which agreement existed on August 14 with British India, increasing difficulties have been felt not only with regard to supplies from West Punjab of petrol, oils, food, salt, sugar and cloth but also in the working of the postal system which has teen most detrimental to the people as well as the administration. Saving Bank accounts refused to be operated. Postal certificates not cashed. Cheques by branches here of West Punjab Banks not honoured. Even Imperial Bank branches out hard to meet obligations owing to the failure of remittances from the Lahore Currency Officer. Motor vehicles registered in the State have been held at Rawalpindi. Railway traffic from Sialkot to Jammu has been discontinued. While the State has offered safe passage to about one lakh Muslim refugees from Pathankot to Sialkot, the Rawalpindi people have murdered and wounded in cold blood over 180 out of a party of 220 Kashmir nationals being conveyed to Kohala at State request. People armed with modern Jong-range firearms have infiltrated in thousands in Poonch and committed horrors on non-Muslims, murdering, maiming and looting them and burning their houses as well as kidnapping women. Instead cooperation asked for through every possible local as well as provincial authorities and Central authority, paper promises have been made, actually followed by more rigorous action than before. Press and Radio of Pakistan appear actually to have been licensed to pour volumes of fallacious, libellous and false propaganda. Smaller feudatory States have been prompted to threaten even armed interference into the State. Even private people in Pakistan are allowed to wire unbearable threats without any checks by the Pakistan Dominion post offices. To crown it all, the State is being blamed for acts which actually are being committed by Pakistan people. Villages are being raided from Sialkot and in addition to actual infiltration in Poonch. The Government cannot bur*" conclude :it all is being done with the knowledge and connivance of local authorities. The Government also trusts that it would be admitted that these acts are extremely unfriendly if not actually bordering on inimical. Finally the Government wishes to make it plain that it is not possible to tolerate this attitude longer without grave consequences to the life, property of people which it is sacredly bound to defend at all costs. The Government even now hopes that you would personally look into the matter and put a stop to all the iniquities which are being perpetrated. If, unfortunately, this request is not heeded, the Government fully hopes that you would agree that it would be justified in asking for friendly assistance and oppose trespass on its fundamental rights" (copy telegraphed to the Pakistan Prime Minister also).