UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan yesterday [April 25] urged the special session of the UN General Assembly to endorse an African-Pakistan proposal calling for speedy accession of South-West Africa to independence.

In his maiden speech before the UN body as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Nations Mr Agha Shahi declared that in Pakistan’s view that proposal represented the best means of translating the last Oct 27 General Assembly resolution on South-West Africa into action.

The African-Pakistan proposal first submitted in the UN ad hoc committee on South-West Africa, of which Pakistan is a member, provides for the creation of a United Nations machinery, including a Council and a Commissioner, which shall assume responsibility for the administration of South-West Africa until independence. The immediate task of the UN Council would be to establish, in consultation with the representatives of the people, a constituent assembly to draft a constitution and to set up an elected government. The proposal sets forth a firm implementation procedure which requires the Council to proceed to South-West Africa to take over the administration and ensure the withdrawal of the illegal South-African authority there.

If Pretoria refuses to abide by the UN decision, the African-Pakistan resolution would term it “an act of aggression” against South-West Africa and its people. In that event, the General Assembly would recommend to the Security Council action under Chapter VII of the UN Charter to compel South Africa to vacate the aggression. Furthermore, the plan would set a target date for the South-West African independence — June, 1968.

Published in Dawn, April 27th, 2017