WASHINGTON: President Truman said today [Feb 16] that the United States doors were always open to peace negotiations, but the next meeting with Marshal Stalin would have to take place in Washington. The President was closely questioned at his Press conference about the possibility of a new approach to Marshal Stalin to end the “cold war”. He also declined to comment when questioned about Mr Winston Churchill’s proposal … that another talk with Marshal Stalin might help to end the cold war.

[Meanwhile, as reported by a staff corresp­ondent in Karachi,] Chaudhri Khaliquz­za­man, President of the Pakistan Muslim Lea­gue, … declared that Pakistan “soon” mi­­ght have to invoke the UNO for a final solution of the Muslim Minority problem in India.

The conditions of the Indian Muslims had become “too serious” to be allowed to deteriorate further, he added. … [He] stressed that Pakistan will never agree to a partial exchange of population… . “If there is to be an exchange, it should be all-out, under the supervision of the UNO, with additional living space for the Muslims, who far exceeded in number the Hindus in Pakistan,” he demanded.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2025