Founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah spoke to BBC Correspondent Robert Stimson on 13th December 1947 at Governor-General’s House, Karachi where he talked about different issues like Palestine, Muslim League, Pakistan’s participation in Commonwealth and Kashmir Conflict. Jinnah’s statement about Kashmir in the same interview, which perfectly explains his stance on Kashmir and what he thought about how the issue could be resolved, has been reproduced hereunder;
“The India Government simultaneously with the accession of Kashmir to India landed their troops in Kashmir without consulting or informing or referring the matter to the Pakistan Dominion. We have already given our reasons for not accepting this accession because it is both morally and legally untenable. Nevertheless, if the Indian Government do not mean to perpetuate their occupation of Kashmir by bolstering up the present regime and administration, which is entirely opposed by an overwhelming majority of the people of Kashmir, 95% of whom are Musalmans, and genuinely desire to have the co-operation of Pakistan, then the first thing that must be agreed upon is that they should withdraw their troops simultaneously with the outsiders who are there.
The real battle of Kashmir is fought by a solid body of the people of Kashmir, and the Azad Force mainly consists of the people of Kashmir. Thousands of them are ex-servicemen who distinguished themselves in the last war, and lakhs of people are behind them and are supporting them. It is true that a certain number of tribesmen, by virtue of the fact that they are kith and kin of the people on the border, are taking part in the fight, and there are others who were provoked by the oppression and suppression practiced by the Dogra regime on the helpless masses of the State. But merely repeating the slogan “that the ‘tribesmen’ and ‘raiders’ who are there should be first driven out”, will not solve the problem. The only solution is that the Indian troops must be withdrawn simultaneously with the small number of outsiders who are undoubtedly there. The Pakistan Government cannot be expected to either accept the occupation of Kashmir by India or be a party to its perpetuation.
The next thing is· that the present administration is purely a creation, as part of the design, and merely a puppet administration of India Dominion. It is entirely unacceptable to the people as it does not represent them, and therefore, it must be replaced by a truly representative Government administration of Kashmir. Till then the question of a plebiscite cannot be discussed. It is merely a slogan to mislead the people.
Kashmir is historically, geographically, and economically a part of Pakistan, and it is unthinkable and it will be unnatural and artificial to contemplate·that it can accede to Hindustan. It is obvious that 95% of the Musalmans will never agree to it, and if by some maneuver and machinations and by suppression and oppression of the people some sort of an artificial verdict is obtained in favor of Hindustan, there will be no peace in Kashmir and so long as Kashmir does not join the Pakistan Dominion there will be no peace between the two Dominions and it will continue to be a menace not only to both the sister Dominions but to the world situation.
If Hindustan really means what they say that they went there merely to protect the people of Kashmir, that can be easily secured by setting up a popular, representative and genuine Government and administration by agreement between the two Dominions. It will then be for that government, as a properly constituted Government of Kashmir to take decisions.”
Excerpted from Muhammad Ali Jinnah Papers, Vol. XI, Pakistan: Battling Against Odds 1 October – 31 December 1947 (ed) Z.H. Zaidi.
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