On July 8, 1948, the President of the Azad Kashmir Government, Sardar Mohammad Ibrahim
Khan, lodged a formal protest with the Chairman of the United Nations Commission for India
and Pakistan (UNCIP). He highlighted that the Azad Kashmir Government was not given an
opportunity to present its perspective during the UN debates on Jammu and Kashmir from
January to April 1948.
The protest letter emphasized that “the failure of the Security Council to grant a hearing to
the Representative of the Azad Kashmir Government was a serious injustice to the people of
Jammu and Kashmir.” It urged the UNCIP to visit Azad Kashmir at the earliest opportunity.
The UNCIP Chairman accepted the invitation from the Azad Kashmir Government, and the
Commission visited Azad Kashmir in September 1948. On September 4, the Commission met
informally with representatives of the Azad Movement, including Chaudri Ghulam Abbas,
Supreme Head, and Sardar Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, President.
Mr. Abbas argued that Part III of the Resolution should have been the first step, although he
did not object to Parts I and II. He believed that once the conditions for a plebiscite were
agreed upon, implementing a cease-fire agreement would be straightforward. Sardar Ibrahim
emphasized that the Resolution did not ensure India’s complete acceptance of the specific
conditions for a plebiscite, the fairness and impartiality of which could be determined by the
Commission. He stated that an unconditional cease-fire was unacceptable.
Following this, the Commission formed an investigating sub-committee. On September 14,
1948, this group, led by Mr. Huddle (United States) and including Mr. E. Graeffe and Mr. H.
Graeffe (Belgium), Major Smith (United States), and two members of the Secretariat, visited
various localities in Azad Kashmir. They held discussions with key figures of the Azad
Government. The group returned to Srinagar on September 18 and provided a detailed report
to the Commission.
On September 19, the Commission convened its 62nd meeting in Srinagar, where it approved
the text of a reply to a letter from Sir Zafrullah Khan dated September 6.
The Government of India submitted to the Commission that “The evacuated territories
situated outside the fixed line should be provisionally administered by existing local
authorities, or, if necessary, by local authorities designated by the Commission. They should
be supervised by observers of the Commission but remain under the sovereignty of the state
of Jammu and Kashmir until the final settlement of the dispute between India and Pakistan.”
In September 1948, the Government of Azad Kashmir established a working relationship
with the UNCIP, marking a significant diplomatic milestone in its international relations.
