KARACHI: The United Nations Represen­tative, Sir Owen Dixon … announced the failure of his mission to resolve the Kashmir dead-lock. Said he: “I shall, of course, report to the Security Council.” … In a 1,500-word statement the Australian jurist gave a resume of his activities during his 88-day stay in the Pakistan-Bharat sub-continent. “No purpose can be served by my remaining any longer in the sub-continent,” he said.

Sir Owen has clearly stated in his statement that his series of proposals covering the entire range of possibility of any agreement to enable the holding of a plebiscite, were not acceptable to Pandit Nehru. He also made it clear that Bharat would not accept the alternative proposed by him. Her adamant attitude made even the discussion of his plan impossible, and he had to drop the proposal and decide to return.

He said the Government of Pakistan continued to abide by the agreed resolutions of the UNCIP specifying an overall plebiscite as the manner of settlement. Bharat was prepared to “consider” settlement on a plan for plebiscite in a limited area and partition of the rest of the State.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2025