KASHMIR AND PALESTINE

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25735, 22 February 1949, Page 5

KASHMIR AND PALESTINE

PAKISTAN MOSLEMS’ - DECISIONS PARTITION OPPOSED (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) KARACHI, Feb. 21. The Council of the Pakistan Moslem League, the major political party in Pakistan, unanimously adouted a resolution opposing any partition of Kashmir ana favouring a free impartial plebiscite. It also protested against the partition of Palestine. ' The Prime Minister of Pakistan (Liaqat Ali Khan) in a foreign policy statement said that India and Pakistan must co-operate more closely. “We must go forward shoulder to shoulder,” he said. Liaqat Ali Khan said that relations with India were the key to Pakistan’s foreign affairs. The relationship between the two countries had been bad because of Kashmir, but a just solution for Kashmir could be found if both the Indian and Pakistan Governments honestly adhered to their obligations. Pakistan would always strive to strengthen and better her relations with India.

He said'that the future of Palestine should have been decided by a plebiscite of the Palestinian people, and not by Security Council resolutions. Palestine belonged to the Arabs and no other people had a right to it. He claimed that Indonesia should be given full independence. “With the new awakening in Asia, the time for colonialism has ended. Whatever we can do to help the Indonesian people we shall do,” he said.

Reviewing Pakistan’s defences Liaqat Ali Khan said: "Our armed strength is such that if we are a’ttacked we shall not b® destroyed without destroying our enemy.” Pakistan’s defensive preparations Were not planned for aggressive designs. He said that before the partition in 1947 Britain had given Pakistan, only two months to form a Government. He added: "If the British were thrown out of London and had to establish an administration in two months, I am sure they could not have done it. We accepted their challenge and we succeeded.”