Pakistan's admission to the United Nations

Pakistan was admitted to the United Nations on September 30, 1947. Legally, independent India is seen as the successor state to British India, and Pakistan as the new creation. So India is seen as having participated in the founding of the United Nations.

After the Security Council unanimously recommended the admission of Yemen and Pakistan to the UN, the General Assembly took up the resolution; and Afghanistan was the only nay-sayer to Pakistan's admission. (The vote was 53-1-0).  India welcomed Pakistan's admission; and I don't know why that vote doesn't put to rest the perpetual Pakistani paranoia that the Congress-led  Government of India wanted to undo Partition.

The UN website carries details of the resolution and accompanying speeches.


The UN Resolution:

RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE FIRST COMMITTEE

108 (II). Admission of Yemen and Pakistan to membership in the United Nations.

The General Assembly,
Taking note of the applications for membership submitted to the United Nations by Pakistan and Yemen, and of the recommendation of the Security Council that the Assembly admit Pakistan and Yemen to membership,

Determines that Pakistan and Yemen, are, in its judgement, peace-loving States, within the meaning of Article 4 of the Charter, and are able and willing to carry out their obligations under the Charter, and consequently,

Decides to admit Pakistan and Yemen as Members of the United Nations.

Ninety-second plenary meeting, 30 September 1947.

The Afghan and Indian delegates in the General Assembly spoke thusly:

The PRESIDENT: I call upon the representative of Afghanistan.

Mr. HOSAYN AZIZ (Afghanistan): Afghanistan heartily shares in the rejoicing of the peoples of Pakistan in their freedom. We have profound respect for Pakistan. May Pakistan prosper.

The Afghanistan delegation does not wish to oppose the membership of Pakistan in this great Organization, but it is with the deepest regret hat we are unable at this time to vote for Pakistan. This unhappy circumstance is due to the fact that we cannot recognize the North~West Frontier as part of Pakistan so long as the people of the North-West Frontier have not been given an opportunity free from any kind of influence- and I repeat, free from any kind of influence- to determine for themselves whether they wish to be independent or to become a part of Pakistan.

The reasons which compel our present action will be given in a statement which I shall make at a later date to the General Assembly.

As the position of my delegation is different with respect to Yemen and to Pakistan, I propose that the application of each be voted upon separately.

.......

The PRESIDENT: I call upon the representative of India.

Mrs. PANDIT (India): It gives me pleasure to join in the welcome which this Assembly of the United Nations extends to Pakistan. It is a matter of gratification to us from India that our sister nation should take its legitimate place in the international community here, and make a contribution to the solution of the problems which face the world. In the case of Pakistan,  there was no dispute about its claim to membership in the United Nations,  and we have no doubt that, by its positive contribution to our deliberations and by its loyal adherence to the principles of the Charter, it will earn respect and honour among nations.

As part of the former Indian Empire, Pakistan has already been associated with the work of the United Nations, and in that sense Pakistan is not a newcomer among us. We are all aware of the position it holds in area, population and resources among the nations of Asia, and its association must therefore be a source of strength to us. We of the Indian delegation welcome Pakistan and wish it all success in its new responsibilities.

We also welcome to the United Nations the ancient State of Yemen, whose relations with my country have always been cordial and are of long standing. We wish it success in the new sphere it is entering, and extend, on behalf of India, our very good wishes.