Documents

19111947 The Text of Telegram dated November 19, 1947 from the Prime Minister of Pakistan to the Prime Minister of India "Your telegram PRIMIN-338 dated November 13th regarding Kashmir. If you will see a document which you state was placed


19111947 The Text of Telegram dated November 19, 1947 from the Prime Minister of Pakistan to the Prime Minister of India "Your telegram PRIMIN-338 dated November 13th regarding Kashmir. If you will see a document which you state was placed

before you, you will find that it is headed 'Draft Agreement.* This draft agreement was prepared by Lord Tsmay, Menon and Mohammed AH and represented conclusions of a solution even though ail or any of them might have doubts whether two Governments would accept it. Since you do not agree with it there is nothing more to be said about it.

You have mentioned certain instances of destruction of life and property. No one could condemn them more severely or regret them more than I do. Such acts must be condemned by every right thinking man wherever they occur. But I am pained to see that you appear to have taken no action regarding atrocities which are being perpetrated on Mushlims of Jammu and Poonch. I have drawn your attention repeatedly to large-scale massacres of Muslims and to abduction of women. The brutality and cold-blooded murders and crimes against women of which Dogra troops of Indian Union have been guilty in Jammu and Poonch of the most heinous kind. The thousands of Muslims who are pouring into Pakistan from Jammu and Poonch tell tales of woe too horrid to be repeated. Your Government appears to be completely indifferent to this murder, rape, abduction, loot and arson, the only purpose of which is to liquidate entirely the Muslim population of the State.

I repudiate emphatically the insinuation in your telegram that Pakistan Army authorities are giving help to so-called raiders into Kashmir. On the contrary, we have plenty of evidence that soldiers of Indian Union and of States that have acceded to Indian Union have been engaged in raids into Pakistan territory. I suggest you might appropriately have an enquiry into the conduct of these soldiers.

I notice that you are not prepared to have a discussion until those whom you call raiders have been driven out of Kashmir, and also that anything relating to Kashmir must have the approval and consent of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. This is hardly a constructive approach to the Kashmir problem. In view of the stand you have taken I see no other way to a peaceful settlement except a reference of the whole question to U.N.O. I sent you a copy of Press statement I issued on November 16th in which I have made this proposal. I hope you will agree that

in the present circumstances this is the only fair and peaceful solution."