CO537-6048 — Page 81

No. S/55

TOP SECRET

OFFICE OF THE HIGH COMMISSIONER

FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM,

Chamber of Commerce Building,

Wood Street,

KARACHI.

30th May 1949.

·

Dear Cleobury,

Enclosed are copies of correspondence we have received from the Hong Kong Government about the entry of Fakistanis into the Colony.

2.

As you will see, the Hong Kong Government are proposing to relax the present system whereby prior reference to Hong Kong is necessary in all cases, except in regard to the entry of V.I.P.s, essential workers and important businessmen, and to allow the Fakistan Government to authorise admission, without reference, of the four categories of persons mentioned in their Savingram No:113 of the 20th December 1948, provided that "effective screening" is carried out in Pakistan.

3.

We discussed the proposal informally with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here, and asked them how the objective of effective screening could be achieved. They suggested to us that, in the case of persons who did not already hold passports, the machinery of passport issue involves such detailed enquiry about the antecedents of the applicant as to render any further screening unnecessary. Where a person already holds a passport, reference to the local C.I.D. could be made, in order to verify if anything is known against him. We believe that the Pakistan Government would be willing, if requested, to follow a procedure of this sort in respect of persons wishing to go to Hong Kong, and in the existing circumstances it is probably the best that could be decided. We presume that the screening process should be designed to exclude ex-Japanese collaborators as well as "fellow travellers" and Communist agents.

4. The Hong Kong Government have also asked us whether we are prepared to assist in the screening process; but we think we ought to make it clear that we are not able to render any assistance in this regard, and that such screening as is possible will be exclusively a Pakistan responsibility.

5. Before we reply to this effect to the Hong Kong Government, we should appreciate your observations on these views, since you are better placed than we are to observe the effectiveness or otherwise of the Pakistan passport machinery as it affects the movement of their nationals to other countries. We also consider that, should it be necessary for any request to be addressed to the Fakistan Government on the lines indicated in the Hong Kong Government's Savingram No.83 of the 9th May 1949, it might more conveniently emanate from the C.R.O., so that it can be in line with any previous correspondence you have had with them on this subject.

We are therefore informing Hong Kong that we shall send them a reply after consultation with you.

F. H. Cleobury, Esq., MBE., Commonwealth Relations Office, London, S.1.1.

Yours sincerely,

R.C.C. Hunt.

RCCH/mj/2