The Reminiscences of Zafrulla Khan — Page 165
149 REMINISCENCES OF SIR MUHAMMAD ZAFRULLA KHAN A Commission composed like that was bound to be dead-locked in the sense that they would not be able to make a unanimous or a majority report. So, in effect, Sir Cyril Radcliffe would have to determine the boundary in each case. When I arrived in Lahore - I believe it was a Monday evening - I was told that Sir Cyril Radcliffe was already in Lahore and that he had summoned the parties to meet him at 11 o'clock next morning. So we appeared before him, and he gave us directions, and set noon of the following Friday as the hour by which the parties should put in their written cases before the Commission. The following Monday arguments would start before the Commission. He himself would not sit with the Commission to hear arguments because according to him, he did not know whether his function as umpire would come into play at all or not. It was only when the Commission made a report that he would know whether he would have to function or not. But he would follow with great interest whatever was being urged before the Commission, as a transcript of the proceedings would be sent to him daily. The following evening Mr. Justice Din Muhammad came to see me. He was very agitated and said, "Whatever you have prepared or are going to prepare, whatever arguments may be addressed to us, I have come to tell you that I have a very strong suspicion that the boundary line has already been decided upon, and that all of us will be engaged in a farce. " I asked why he thought so. He said, "Yesterday, when you people left, Sir Cyril said that this morning he was going up for a flight to survey the area which might be in dispute and to see how the land lies. " I asked him how would we know what he had looked at and what impressions he had formed. We would be sitting here dealing with the matter, and he would have made a survey of which we would have no knowledge. This might prove awkward later on. Sir Cyril explained that the aircraft that had been placed at his disposal was a small one, but that two of us, one from each side, could go with him. It was decided that Mr. Justice Munir and Mr. Justice Teja Singh should go up with Sir Cyril this morning. This morning all of them assembled at an early hour at the Walton Airport from which they were to take off for the flight but there was a dust storm on and it was decided to abandon the flight. Just before leaving the airfield, Mr. Justice Munir asked the pilot where they were to go. The pilot put his hand in his pocket and brought out a slip of