17
PAKISTAN SHOWS ITS HAND

THE SAME DAY, Major Shah, a responsible officer of the Pakistan Government who had arrived in Srinagar a week or ten days before I took over, sought an interview with me. It seems he had had talks with the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. R. L. Batra and General Janak Singh on the question of accession but neither of the two could give him any satisfactory answer. Before the arrival of Major Shah, Pakistan had started an effective blockade of the State. Food, clothing, petrol. ammunition and other articles of necessity which had been bought by the State had been seized by the Pakistan authorities either at Sialkot or at Kohala and not a drop of petrol or an ounce of food was allowed to enter the State. The object of this blockade was to bring pressure on the Maharaja and to coerce him to accede to Pakistan. Major Shah armed with this weapon and with the threat of a tribal raid was there to negotiate the terms of accession. When he asked for an interview, I enquired about the purpose of his visit from the Deputy Prime Minister and he acquainted me with it. I had it conveyed to Major Shah that I had just taken charge of my office and had not had enough time to acquire a knowledge of its politics yet. I could not usefully discuss the question of accession with him just then. He said, however, he could not wait and I agreed to meet him. Major Shah had been known to me in Lahore as he was the son-in-law of Sir Abdul Rashid, Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court. We met and after exchange of the usual courtesies and an affectionate embrace, we sat down for a talk. Major Shah told me that he had been going about and meeting the State officials but he had not been able to get a suitable reply from anyone about the matter for which he was there.

To be continued....