Azad Kashmir Government’s invitation to UNCIP and Memorandum

Azad Kashmir Government formally reconstituted itself on 24 October 1947. “The
Provisional” declaration admits that it is a consequence of the “The Provisional Azad
Government, which the people of Jammu and Kashmir have set up few weeks ago with the
object of ending intolerable Dogra tyrannies and securing to the people of the State, including
Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs, the right of free self-Government has now established its rule
over a major portion of the State territory and hopes to liberate the remaining pockets of
Dogra rule very soon.” The announcement of 4 October 1947 establishing Azad Kashmir
Government is acknowledged and carried forward.

After this re-constitution, Azad Kashmir Government expressed itself for the first time as a
“free self-Government” and its President addressed a letter dated 8 July 1948 to the Chairman
of the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan. It expressed its regrets that the
Security Council gave India, Pakistan and Head of the Emergency Administration Sheik
Mohammed Abdullah a “very full hearing” and allowing no opportunity to the Representative
of Azad Kashmir Government, to place its point of view before the United Nations”.

Azad Kashmir Government invited members of the UNCIP to visit Azad Kashmir at the
earliest, “to see with your own eyes the havoc wrought by the Indian Army and the heroic
struggle of our people, and to discuss with our representative ways and means to bring to a
speedy end this tragic state of affairs”.

Azad Kashmir Government set out 8 conditions, in order to be able to agree to “participate in
the plebiscite and be bound by its results”.

In para 11 the letter stated “We will be glad to discuss with the Commission the conditions on
which the Azad Kashmir Government could agree to participate in the plebiscite and be
bound by its results. Some of these have already been mentioned in the statements made from
time to time by the Quaid-i-Millat Chowdhury Ghulam Abbas, myself and my colleagues.
Others would have to be worked out in the light of the conditions now obtaining and future
developments. The principal conditions are, however, enumerated below”:

a. The Indian Armed forces, and the Sikh and R.S.S assassins must be completely withdrawn.
b. Military and police forces required for internal security and the maintenance of law
and order should be raised locally, and be under the control of the Plebiscite
Administrator until the plebiscite is over.
c. A Provisional Government should be set up which should reflect the will of the
majority of the people. As the Muslim Conference enjoys the confidence of the vast
majority of Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir, who constitute nearly 78% of the State’s
population, it should assume the main responsibility for forming the Provisional
Government, and should provide the Prime Minister. We would welcome the co-
operation of other political parties, but I would like to make it perfectly clear that,
under no circumstances, would the representatives of the Muslim Conference and the
Azad Kashmir Government agree to the continuance as Prime Minister of Sheikh
Abdullah, who has been playing the role of a Quisling and is a traitor to his own
country.

d. If a popular Government cannot be immediately established, we would agree to the
setting up of a completely neutral administration under the supervision and control of
the United Nations’ Commission until the plebiscite is over.
e. All political prisoners must be released and all political parties granted the fullest
freedom to propagate their views and ideas.
f. All State employees who have been dismissed since 15 August 1947 because of their
alleged sympathies for Pakistan should be re-instated.
g. The Commission should ensure the restoration and rehabilitation of all residents of
Jammu and Kashmir who have left, or who have been compelled to leave the State
since August 1947.
h. The Plebiscite Administrator should have under its full and effective control, not only
the armed forces and the police stationed within the country, but also the
administrative and judicial machinery, and should thus be in a position to ensure a
free and impartial plebiscite.
i. The future constitution of the State should be decided by its own people, in
accordance with recognised democratic methods.

“The Azad Kashmir Government feel that these are the minimum conditions which must
be satisfied before they could commit themselves and their people to the solution
proposed by the Security Council.”
UNCIP accepted the invitation from Azad Kashmir Government and visited Azad Kashmir
on 4 September 1948.

Dr Syed Nazir Gilani

Dr-nazirgilani@jkchr.com