§ The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Wilson)With permission, Mr. Speaker, I wish to make a statement about the action which Her Majesty's Government has taken in an attempt to be helpful to the Governments of India and Pakistan in resolving their difficulties over the Rann of Kutch.
The whole House will have followed with deep concern the situation in that area. I am in no position, nor would the House wish it, to express any opinion about responsibility for recent events. But I have been profoundly anxious about continuing fighting between the armed forces of two Commonwealth countries and, above all, about the dangers of the fighting spreading. I am sure that no responsible people in either country would want this to happen and I have been greatly reassured by statements which have been made about this matter by President Ayub and Mr. Shastri. But I am equally aware of the strong feelings which have been aroused on both sides.
On Monday, 26th April, I authorised our High Commissioners to express to President Ayub and Mr. Shastri the profound concern of the British Government, the hope that an early cease-fire 1360 could be achieved, and our readiness to help in any way we could. I followed this by a personal message to both Mr. Shastri and President Ayub Khan on 28th April.
Following a further series of exchanges, I received replies from both the President and Prime Minister, which have led to statements, which they have issued today, to the effect that neither side will take any action to aggravate the situation. There is good reason to think that the fighting has, in fact, come to a stop as a preliminary to a cease-fire and a settlement of this whole question.
I am still in close contact with President Ayub and Mr. Shastri and will, of course, report to the House if there are any further developments.
§ Sir Alec Douglas-HomeI think that the whole House shares the deep concern of the Prime Minister that two Commonwealth countries should, in this way, be at loggerheads and fighting each other. It is very good news which he has given today that the fighting has stopped. I hope that a cease-fire is achieved and that, by now, the difficulties and dangers of the last few weeks will have convinced both countries that a permanent settlement should be reached, in their interests and those of the whole world.
I have no doubt that the whole House will assist the Government in this direction if there is any help which can be given.
§ The Prime MinisterI thank the right hon. Gentleman for what he has said. He will understand, and will have shared, the concern not merely about aggravation of the fighting in that area, but about the danger of any fighting starting in another part of the border between the two countries.
Although the House may find it a little difficult, as I do, to understand or explain the difference between a decision not to fire and an actual cease-fire—I think that we may call this a de facto cease-fire—we are less concerned with semantics than with the fact that as things appear to us today there is not only an actual stopping of firing, but a general desire on the part of both Governments that nothing should be done to aggravate the situation.
1361 I should like to pay my tribute to the tremendous work of the two High Commissioners, who met for seven hours to try to sort out the difficulties. This may be a guide to further activity of that kind in the future. I would pay my tribute, also, to the Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations, who has been active in all these negotiations and dealings in the absence of the Secretary of State, who has been elsewhere.