The Reminiscences of Zafrulla Khan — Page 179
163 REMINISCENCES OF SIR MUHAMMAD ZAFRULLA KHAN Adviser to His Highness of Bhopal, except during the first two months or so, I was not able to spend much of my time in Bhopal. Towards the end of the year, when I was asked by Mr. Jinnah to join his Cabinet as Foreign Minister, I put the matter to His Highness and he very graciously agreed to let me go. He realized that for the Princes it was no longer a question of constitutional advice or the drawing up of treaties and agreements embodying safeguards. It was a direct conflict with Mr. Patel, who was determined to get rid of what he and his colleagues in the Government of India thought was an anachronistic system and to absorb the Princely states into India. So, when I put the matter to His Highness, he said, "Sir Zafrulla, we know the fate that is awaiting us. We shall try to make the best terms we can with the government of India, and I should not deprive Pakistan of your services if they are needed. " He not only very kindly let me go, he enquired how I proposed to travel to Pakistan from Bhopal. I told him I proposed to go down to Bombay by train, because it would be unsafe to travel through the troubled areas of East and West Punjab, and from Bombay I would either travel by sea or perhaps fly to Karachi. His Highness said he would not let me expose myself to any risk whatever. Even getting down to Bombay by train was not altogether safe. So he put his larger aircraft at my disposal. He asked me to take my wife and child and a couple of my servants with me, and as much of my personal effects and belongings as could be conveniently carried by air. He very kindly obtained a through-clearance from the Government of India so that the plane would not have to land at the border for clearance and could fly straight to Karachi. He kindly gave directions that the rest of my effects should be sent to Karachi via Bombay by sea. He was very helpful indeed in every way. I took over as Foreign Minister of Pakistan on the 26th of December, 1947. I had not been much in touch with His Highness on Indore. I visited him once or twice at Indore, but Mr. Patel and Lord Mountbatten proved too much for His Highness and he crumpled up at the very start and accepted without demur whatever they proposed. His Highness of Bhopal had also in the end to accept the arrangements they proposed, but perhaps he was able to make a better bargain. He was then the Chancellor of the Chamber of Princes, but I was not advising him in his capacity as Chancellor, but only in his capacity as Ruler of Bhopal.