89. Editorial Note
On January 11, 1962, Pakistan requested a meeting of the U.N. Security Council to consider further action concerning the dispute between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. In a letter to the President of the Security Council, Pakistan stated that it was forced to request the meeting because efforts to develop direct negotiations with India on the issue had failed, and recent public statements by Indian officials had exacerbated the dispute. (U.N. Document S/5058)
India responded, in a January 16 letter to the President of the Security Council, that the Council should refuse to comply with Pakistan’s request. India stated that, contrary to Pakistani allegations, avenues for direct negotiations concerning Kashmir were always open. Pakistan, India argued, was trying to exploit the Council as a propaganda forum on the eve of India’s general elections. (U.N. Document S/5060)
Pakistan repeated its request for a Security Council meeting in another letter to the President of the Security Council on January 29. (U.N. Document S/5068) The Security Council met in response to Pakistan’s requests on February 1. After listening to divergent statements on the Kashmir issue by Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and Chandra S. Jha, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, the Council decided to postpone further consideration of the problem until after the Indian general elections. (U.N. Document S/PV.990)