PAKISTAN WILL NOT LEAVE THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH

Wanganui Chronicle, 16 April 1949, Page 8

PAKISTAN WILL NOT LEAVE THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH

AUCKLAND, April 11 (PA).— “Pakistan has no intention of leaving the British Commonwealth,” said Mr. K. 11. Rahmon, Pakistan Trade Commissioner in Australia, now on his first official visit to New Zealand. The Moslem ideology on which the constitution of. Pakistan was being based conformed to the principles of democracy and to the ideals of the British Commonwealth. including liberty, equality and fraternity. It was a malicious lie to infer that. Pakistan was remaining a member of the British family of nations purely for economic advantages. Actually, Pakistan could supply the world with jute and long-stapled cotton and could gain much more economically by trading with hard currency countries. Also, she could get machinery delivered quicker from the United States than from Britain. Mr. Rahman said his mission in New Zealand was to explore possibilities for increased reciprocal trade. Pakistan, with her population of 80,000,000, was interested to getting New Zealand butter and ghee (butte r from which the moisture has been extracted), evaporated and dried milk, woollen textiles, leather ware, tanned leather and possibly timber products. Pakistan exports which would probably be welcome here included raw jute, raw cotton, sports gear and surgical instruments. Tea was another commodity Pakistan could supply in bulk.