There was no issue of the paper on Oct 12, 1949, on account of a token Pressmen’s strike. The excerpt below is taken from the previous day’s edition.

KARACHI: “The Government of Pakistan have decided … not to compromise on the Ka­­shmir issue short of a fair and impartial plebiscite,” said Sardar Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, President of the Azad Kashmir Government … on Monday … [Oct 10]. He also expressed his doubts whether any tangible good could come out of the efforts of the United Nations through the UNCIP. Addressing a meeting of over 15,000 people organised by the Karachi Mus­lim League workers at Arambagh, Sardar Ibra­him exhorted the audience to be well prepared for “all eventualities”. “We will rather fight for hundreds of years than accept Indian domination in Kashmir,” he added.

Mr Nehru who thought himself to be an internationalist, the speaker continued, has turned down the request of the British Prime Minister … and President Truman for settling the Kashmir issue peacefully by arbitration … because he knew that she could not win the proposed plebiscite.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2024