The Reminiscences of Zafrulla Khan — Page 184
168 REMINISCENCES OF SIR MUHAMMAD ZAFRULLA KHAN Khan : It was actually the first seven years of Pakistan because I remained Foreign Minister of Pakistan from the 26th of December, 1947 until 7th of October, 1954. There were the administrative problems which all the ministers were facing in setting up their ministries in working order, because we had all to start from scratch. I had the additional problem of setting up a foreign service, because under the British, though some of us had received training in almost everything else - I myself had been a Cabinet Minister holding various portfolios from 1932 to 1941 - the foreign and political portfolios were the Viceroy's own reserve. There was very little material available from which we could put together a foreign service. We had to search for suitable personnel far and wide. That was, however, not so difficult as some of the external problems that overtook us immediately. I had already been to the United Nations, leading the first delegation of Pakistan when we were admitted to membership of the Organization in late September or early October, 1947. But even before I took over as Foreign Minister, we were overtaken by the Kashmir problem, which had been in ferment since August, 1947. On the first of January, 1948, the matter was taken by India to the Security Council. I was conscious that this was likely to happen the moment I took charge of my portfolio, but in the very first meeting of the Cabinet, on the 26th of December, in which I was sworn in, Mr. Jinnah directed that I should go to Rangoon to represent Pakistan in the Burmese independence celebrations. These were scheduled for the 4th and 5th of January. I suggested that if he should agree to sending Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar, who was in the Cabinet and had a much more presentable personality than I had and much more photogenic - a very handsome, strapping man - that would leave me time to get to learn something about the Kashmir problem, which if it was taken to the Security Council at an early date, would find me utterly unprepared. But Mr. Jinnah in his usual forthright manner laid down the law and said, "You are Foreign Minister; it is your business to represent the country in the independence celebrations of a neighbouring country, and you've got to go. You'll have plenty of time for the Kashmir question. " There was nothing more to be said about it. Off I went to Rangoon two or three days later.