Page 200 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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would be glad to negotiate the purchase of the territory on the lines proposed, but
that they did not want to discuss the question of leasing it.(0H) The Sultan was
informed accordingly and told that it was the advice of Her Majesty’s Government
that he should sell Gwadur. He replied that for reasons of prestige he could never
agree to the sale of Gwadur but that he might be willing to consider its lease to
Her Majesty’s Government for sub-lease to Pakistan, especially if some outward
and visible sign of his sovereignty was retained there.(°9) This was passed on to
the Pakistan Government. Early in 1953 they returned to the charge. They
again expressed anxiety lest the Sultan might dispose of the territory to India
in view of his recent conclusion of a treaty with that country and also complained
of the smuggling of goods and the illegal entry of immigrants via Gwadur. The
whole matter was discussed with the Pakistan Prime Minister and other Pakistani
officials in London in June 1953. The Pakistanis maintained their legal right to
the possession of Gwadur but expressed their willingness to pay something to the
Sultan on the basis of a direct lease of the territory to Pakistan. It was agreed
that Her Majesty’s Government and the Pakistan Government should exchange
all documents in their possession bearing on the legal question, and that the
former should make a fresh review of it. It was also agreed that the Legal Adviser
on the United Kingdom side should prepare the draft of a document which, while
securing Pakistan’s requirements, would stand a chance of acceptance by the
Sultan.C0) The legal advisers held that there was no doubt that the Sultan had
acquired sovereignty over Gwadur by prescription and prepared a draft form of
lease. Their opinion and the draft were passed on to the Commonwealth Relations
Office for transmission to the Pakistan Government to whom it was to be suggested
that they should endeavour to acquire control of Gwadur by leasing the territory
direct from the Sultan. They were to be advised that Her Majesty’s Government
were-ready to lend their good offices in attempting to negotiate such a lease but
it was emphasised that they could not bring pressure to bear upon the Sultan.C1)
48. In 1953 the Pakistan Government extended their customs regime to
Pasni east of Gwadur on the Mekran coast and placed an official who had previously
been Director of Customs at Muscat in charge of customs there. A blockade was
instituted to prevent smuggling both into and out of Gwadur. It caused some
distress until ways and means had been found of evading it.

VI.—Boundaries

{a) With the Trucial States
49. The Sultan when asked to define his frontiers with the Trucial Shaikhdoms
usually refuses to co-operate and says that it is for others to state their claims and
for him then to say whether he accepts them or not.(73) So far as is known the
position is as follows: —
(a) The frontier of the Sultan’s territory in the Musandam peninsula begins at
Ras Sha im on the west side of the peninsula and ends at Dibah bay on
its east side. Between these points it has not been determined. The
Shaikh of Bakhah on the west side of the peninsula at one time claimed
to be independent but after the trouble between Bakhah and Sha’am in
1950 admitted himself to be a subject of the Sultan. The latter at the
same time claimed part of Sha’am as his territory on the ground that
the Shihuh who occupy it were his subjects but this claim was not
admitted by the Political Resident and was not seriously pressed.The :
Sultan complains from time to time of encroachments by Ras al
Khaimah in the vicinity of Khatt and it is desirable that the whole course
of the frontier should be determined.
(b) The western end of the northern frontier of the rest of the Sultanate with
the Trucial Shaikhdoms is difficult to define, and is in any case subject
to the result of the dispute with the Saudis. For present purposes the
starting point may be regarded as the crest of Jabal Hafit ridge, the !
('') C.R.O. £ F.O. SA.44/6/1 of May 16. 1952 (EA 1085/5 of 1952).
(..) t0 F O- 1034/14/52 of August 8. 1952 (EA 1085/6 of 1952).
( ) F.O. to P.R. 108 (EA 1082/8) of July 3. 1953.
(T1) F.O. toC.R.O. EA 1082/19 of October 21. 1953.
(”) 1.0. to F.O. P.Z. 7314/37 of November 1. 1937 (E 6690/12/91 of 1937).