INDIAN PROBLEMS: PATHANS WANT SEPARATE STATE

Evening Star, Issue 26137, 26 June 1947, Page 7

INDIAN PROBLEMS: PATHANS WANT SEPARATE STATE

(ttee. 9 a.m.) LAHORE, June 26. Kahn Abdul Ghaffar, leader of the North-west Frontier Province Congress Party, announced that his party, would boycott the referendum in the province to decide whether it would join Hindustan or Pakistan, but the congress would not boycott the issue of Pathanistan (separate Pathan State) versus Pakistan. The boycott means that, when 3,000,000 Pathans of the province vote, only the votes for Pakistan may be recorded. Khan Ghaffar, who has been campaigning for an independent Pathanistan since partition was announced, said he had failed to secure an agreement from Mr Jinnah. “ Not only the Pathans’ liberty is at stake, but their very existence. I call on all Pathans who love their motherland to unite apd work for our goal,” said Ghaffar. He alleged that the Moslem League was trying to arouse religious passions and prevent thousands of refugees from voting. Ghaffar declared that the religious passions of unsophiscated Pathans were being inflamed by describing the issue as hetween- Islatns and infidels. DISTURBANCES AT LAHORE (Rec. 9.30 a.m.) LAHORE, June 25. Processions of carts laden with household possessions left the walled city yesterday, as for the fifth successive day stabbing, bombing, and fire-raising went on. Hindus and Sikhs queued outsido the banks to withdraw their money. Congress, Moslem League, and Sikh leaders issued fervent appeals for the abandonment of disturbances during the partition peiod and during the elections beginning on July 4. MONTGOMERY SURVEYS POSITION (Rec. 9.30 a.m.) NEW DELHI, June 25. Lord Montgomery left by plane for Ceylon in continuation of his journey to Australia. During his two days’ stay he familiarised himself with the strategic implications of the transfer of power in India to Pakistan and Hindustan. INDIAN WOMAN AS MOSCOW AMBASSADOR (Rec. 10.30 a.m.) NEW DELHI, June 25. It is officially announced that Mrs Vijayalakshmi Pandit, sister of Mr Nehru, has. been appointed as India’s first ambassador, to Moscow.