Page 211 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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the Indian Ambassador at Tehran for the President of India and by Lieutenant-
Colonel Woods Ballard, Minister of Foreign Affairs, for the Sultan of Muscat.(m)
It reproduced much of the 1951 treaty between Muscat and the United Kingdom
and provides amongst other things for the appointment by each party of Consuls
in the other’s territories, but nothing further has yet been heard of any intention
of the Government of India to appoint a Consul to Muscat. It is to run for
five years from the date of ratification and after that is terminable on six months’
notice by either party. It had not been ratified by the end of I953.('*r)
{e) Pakistan
75. The Sultan has always regarded Pakistan with suspicion, possibly because
of her attitude towards Gwadur. He has also insisted on his relations with Pakistan
being conducted through Her Majesty’s Government on the ground that she is a
Dominion although he has more than once been informed that this is no obstacle
to direct relations. In 1949, however, he paid an official visit to Karachi, where
he was well received. In the same year a ship of the Royal Pakistan Navy visited
Muscat.
76. After partition the Sultan held that Pakistan was not a party to the 1939
Commercial Treaty and that if she wished to become one she must formally accede
to it. The Pakistanis held different views but the matter was never put to the
test. When negotiations were started for the new Treaty of 1951 the Pakistan
Government stated that they did not wish to be party to it and that they would
prefer to make their own arrangements. They accordingly proposed to send a
delegation to the Sultan in November 1951 to discuss the lines on which a
separate Treaty might be concluded. He refused to receive such a delegation
but promised to consider proposals lor a Treaty if they were submitted to him
through His Majesty’s Government. The Pakistan Government were notified
accordingly and informed that His Majesty’s Government were willing to act as
an intermediary in the manner proposed but nothing further has been heard on
the subject^12*)
77. Reference has been made elsewhere to the Pakistan Government’s desire
to obtain possession of Gwadur (paragraph 47 above) and to the Pakistani Post
Office at Gwadur (paragraph 100 below). In 1950 the Sultan granted permission
for the establishment of pilot balloon observatories by the Pakistan Government
at Matrah and Gwadur. These have not been established but some meteorological
data are supplied by Her Majesty’s Consulate at Muscat to the Pakistan
authorities. In 1950 a Pakistan anti-locust party was permitted to operate in
Gwadur.
78. The Pakistan Government have not yet raised the question of the
appointment of a Consul in Muscat and Her Majesty’s Consul-General is in charge
of their interests there. In 1951 they asked that their nationals should be excluded
from the arrangement whereby Her Majesty’s Consul-General exercises a limited
jurisdiction over nationals of Commonwealth countries (paragraph 85 below).

(/) United States of America
79. Reference has already been made (paragraph 15 above) to the failure of
the attempt to persuade the United States of America to agree to a modification of
their treaty with Muscat to facilitate an increase of the Muscat tariffs. No reports
have since been received of any American cargoes being landed in Muscat territory
but it seems unlikely that if they were, preferential treatment would be claimed for
them.
80. In March 1934 the United States Minister at Bagdad, accredited as
Minister Plenipotentiary and Envoy on special mission, paid a short visit to Muscat
to convey the felicitations of the President of the United States to the Sultan on

(paragraph 66 above). No business of importance was discussed but it is interesting
(i»*) pR to FO. Despatch 43 of May 7, 1953 (EA 10385/2 of 1953).
11^29. .95, <ea .086/21 «* .950.