KARACHI: Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan, in an interview in Karachi on Tuesday [Feb 21], declared that “there can be no arbitration on a final settlement of the Kashmir question”. “That must be by a free and impartial plebiscite,” he added. … [He] said that in his reply to the “no-war” proposals of the Indian Prime Minister, he had suggested to Mr Nehru that, if negotiations failed in certain cases, the two countries should resort to arbitration. But arbitration, he emphasised, was not applicable to all cases. … He was now awaiting a reply from Mr Nehru, … [he] added. … Asked about his invitation to visit Moscow as guest of the Soviet Government, … [he] said that “no date has been fixed ... but the invitation still holds.”

[Meanwhile, as reported by a correspondent in Karachi,] the Government of Pakistan have sanctioned a loan of Rs. 16,00,000 to the Karachi Municipal Corporation for its “Cleaner Karachi” campaign. This was announced by the Chief Officer of the Corporation … on Tuesday evening [Feb 21]. The Committee decided that the loan should be drawn by the end of this month.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2025