CO537-6048 — Page 28

No.G/52. SECRET.

HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR UNITED KINGDOM,

PAKISTAN.

17th January, 1950.

31

You may perhaps recall that in May 1949, Hunt had a discussion with you about the regulations governing the entry of Pakistanis into Hong Kong.

2. As you know, under arrangements which were in force before partition, the Government of India were required to refer to the Government of Hong Kong all applications by Indian civilians to enter the Colony. No reference, however, was necessary in the case of V.I.Ps, personnel engaged for essential undertakings and important business men.

3.

In December, 1948, the Government of Hong Kong announced their intention of relaxing these rules to some extent and of allowing, without prior reference to the Government of Hong Kong, but subject to security screening in Pakistan, the entry of Pakistanis in the following categories into the Colony: -

4.

(1) Bona fide merchants with sufficient means who wish to join

established firms in Hong Kong.

(2) Bona fide business men with substantial backing who wish to

open up in Hong Kong, of a class better than petty trader.

(3) Visitors for short periods who have sufficient funds to maintain

themselves and are in possession of a return ticket, or a deposit therefor, to their port of origin.

(4) Artisans who have been guaranteed employment in Hong Kong and are

in possession of a contract which provides for a return passage on completion or if for any purpose the contract is broken.

You will remember that Hunt discussed the question of security screening in Pakistan with you, and you informally expressed the opinion that the Government of Pakistan would probably agree to conduct an effective security check on persons in these categories. You said that in the case of persons who do not hold passports, the machinery of passport issue was so elaborate and the enquiries made close enough to ensure that undesirable persons would not be granted a passport in the first place. In the case of persons already holding a passport, you suggested that it would be possible to have them vetted by the C.I.D. authorities to ensure that they were fit persons to secure entry into the Colony.

5. We have now been asked by the Commonwealth Relations Office to enter into a definite understanding with the Government of Pakistan in this matter of screening entrants to Hong Kong, and we should be grateful if you would confirm that effective arrangements of the type foreshadowed in your discussions with Hunt can now be implemented by the Government of Pakistan, so that we can pass a suitable assurance to the Governor of Hong Kong.

Yours sincerely,

R.R. BURNETT.

T.B. Creagh-Coen, Esq., CIE.,

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

and Commonwealth Relations Office, Government of Pakistan.

23 FED 1959

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