Codification Division Publications: Reports of International Arbitral Awards

Last update: June 8, 2016

Volume XVII

Table of Contents				PDF
Foreword
Avant-propos
Case concerning the Indo-Pakistan Western boundary (Rann of Kutch) between India and Pakistan Tribunal constituted pursuant to Agreement of 30 June 1965
Introductory Note				3
Award				5
Chapter I: Introduction				7
	1. Constitution of the Tribunal Proceedings			7
	2. The Question of ex aequo et bono			11
	3. Submissions			11
	4. Pillars on the Claimed Boundary Lines			14
	5. The Main Arguments and Evidence of the Parties			15
	6. Relevant Dates			18
	7. Applicable Law Equity			19
Chapter II: The nature of the Rann, and the “Median Line” Concept				22
	1. The Nature of the Rann			22
	2. The “Median Line” Concept			25
Chapter III: Historical Background				31
	1. Kutch and Sind until the Advent of the British			31
		(a) Kutch		31
		(b) Sind		34
	2 The Advent of the British			39
	3. The Shape of British Rule in India			51
	4. The End of British Rule in India			59
Chapter IV: Boundaries within India under British Rule				64
Chapter V: Surveys and maps				83
	1. Maps as Evidence			83
	2. The Authority of the Survey of India			88
	3. The Distribution of Maps			96
	4. Pre-Survey Maps			98
	5. The Survey of Sind in 1855–70 (Macdonald)			105
	6. The Survey of Kutch in 1879–86 (Pullan)			116
	7. The Survey of Parts of Sind in 1904–05 (Erskine)			122
	8. The Survey of Parts of Sind in 1937–38 (Osmaston)			131
		The Eastern-Most Triangle		143
	9. Atlas and Degree Sheets and Maps of Western India States Agency			147
	10. The 32-Mile Map of India			155
Mr. Bebler’s presentation of Sections 4 to 10 of Chapter V: Surveys and Maps				166
	4A. Pre-Survey Maps			166
	5A. The Survey of Sind in 1855–70 (Macdonald)			171
	6A. The Survey of Kutch in 1879–86 (Pullan)			185
	7A. The Survey of Parts of Sind in 1904–05 (Erskine)			192
	8A. The Survey of Parts of Sind and Parts of the States of Western India in 1937–38 (Osmaston)			198
	9A. The Indian Atlas Series			202
	10A. The 32-Mile Map of India			207
Chapter VI: The Issue of Rights in Parts of Rann				218
	1. The Enquiry of Miles (1823)			218
	2. The Keswala Bet Decision (1860)			220
	3. The Poong Bet Decision (1867)			222
	4. The Nara Bet Decision (1897)			225
	5. The Kennedy “Valuation Judgment” (1898)			230
	6. The Nara Bet after 1897 and the North-Eastern Rann			235
	7. Maps Which Show Boundaries in the Rann			242
	8. Other References to Possessions of Indian States in the Rann			243
	9. Summary and General Argument			245
Chapter VII: Certain Non-Cartographical Evidence				252
	1. Introduction			252
	2. The Rann as an Entity Separating Sind and Kutch			252
	3. The Rann as an Entity Bounding Kutch			258
	4. The Rann as an Entity Bounding Sind			261
	5. The 24th Degree of North Latitude as the Limit of Kutch			263
		(a) Kutch Administration Reports		263
		(b) Bombay Administration Reports		263
		(c) Gazetteers		265
		(d) Other Documents		266
	6. The 24th Degree of North Latitude as the Limit of Sind			267
	7. The Entire Rann Belonged to Kutch			268
		(a) Statistical Abstracts		268
		(b) Kutch Administration Reports		271
		(c) Bombay Administration Reports		279
		(d) Gazetteers		284
		(e) Aitchison’s Treaties		292
		(f) Some Published Works		293
		(g) Memoranda on Native States in India		296
		(h) Brief Notes etc., on Kutch		296
		(i) Miscellaneous References		298
	8. The Northern Edge of the Rann as the Limit of Sind			303
	9. Sind and Kutch Conterminous along the Northern Edge of the Rann			308
	10. Sind and Kutch Conterminous in the Western Sector			312
	11.	A: The Boundary of Kutch as Passing Through Particular Places		315
		B: The Boundary of Sind as Passing Through Particular Places		315
	12. Miscellaneous			317
	13. The Rann as “No Man’s Land”			321
Chapter VIII: The Sind-Kutch Boundary as an Issue in British Times				324
	1. The 1876 Resolution			324
	2. The 1885 Resolutions			330
	3. The 1914 Resolution and the Erection of Pillars in 1924			336
		(a) The Resolution		336
		(b) The Erection of the Pillars		346
	4. The Creation of Sind as a Governor’s Province in 1935			350
Chapter IX: Acts of “Jurisdiction” in the Northern Half of the Rann				358
	1. The Main Submissions of the Parties			358
	2. Settlements of Sind Purportedly Situated Outside the Boundary Claimed by India			360
	3. Construction, Maintenance and Marking of Roads in the Rann, and Construction of Dharamsalas on Bets Therein			363
	4. Fishing Licences			367
	5. Projects for Canals and Irrigation Systems			367
	6. Salt			374
	7. Military Districts and Military Control			375
	8. Patrolling Under the Cease-Fire Agreement of 1965			376
	9. Survey Operations			376
	10. Police Surveillance and Police Jurisdiction (General)			378
	11. Offences Inquired into by Sind Police			380
	12. Criminal Cases Tried in Courts of Sind and Pakistan			381
		(a) Pre-Partition Incidents		381
		(b) Post-Independence Incidents		383
	13. Criminal Cases Tried in Indian Courts			383
	14. Customs			384
	15. Dhara Banni and Chhad Bet. Pirol Valo Kun			386
	16. Karim Shahi Bet			407
	17. General Argument			410
Mr. Bebler’s Presentation of the Matters Dealt with in Chapter IX, Section 15: Dhara Banni and Chhad Bet. Pirol Valo Kun				418
CONCLUSIONS
Dissenting Opinion of Judge Aleš Bebler				431
	The Terms of Reference of the Tribunal			431
	The Nature and the Geographic Position of the Rann			434
	Some Lessons of Distant History			434
	The Suzerain and its Vassals			435
	A Treaty and a Proclamation			440
	Cession of British Territory			443
	The Origin of Boundaries			446
	Acquiescence in and Recognition of Boundaries			449
	The Significance of Authoritative Statements			454
		1. The Bilateral Agreement of 1914		456
		2. The Kutch Administration Reports		457
		3. Official Documents of the Political Agent, Kutch		457
		4. Official Documents of the Government of Bombay		457
		5. Official Documents and Publications of the Government of India		458
		6. Official Records of the Secretary of State		458
		7. Official Publications of the Western India States Agency		458
		8. Official Publications of Sind		458
		9. Maps		459
		10. The Definition of the Boundaries of Sind in 1935		460
	The Process of Crystallisation and Consolidation			461
		1802–1843		462
		1843–1855		464
		1855–1870		465
		1870–1914		468
		1914		474
		1914–1947		477
	Display of State Authority			481
	Evidence on Display of State Authority			488
		I. Evidence Submitted by Pakistan		488
		II. Evidence Submitted by India		494
	Summary and Findings			495
Proposal of Mr. Nasrollah Entezam (submitted on 17 November 1967)				502
	Introduction			502
	A Note on Some Aspects of the Case			503
		I. Claims of the Parties		503
		II. Nature of the Rann		503
		III. The Relevant Date and the Critical Date		504
		IV. Extent of the Rann on the Critical Date		504
		V. Claim of Kutch to the Rann in 1819		504
		VI. Comments on Certain Categories of Evidence		504
			(1) Gazetteers	504
			(2) Maps	504
			(3) Index Map of 1935	505
			(4) Kutch Administration Reports	506
			(5) Bombay Administration Reports	506
			(6) Statistical Abstracts	506
			(7) The 1914 Dispute	507
		VII. Estoppel		507
		VIII. Upper Lands and Lands of the Lower Delta		507
		IX. Pakistan Maps 1 and 4		507
		X. Evidence of Inhabitants of the Region, and Persons who explored the Rann		508
		XI. Grazing		508
		XII. Precedents Supporting Pakistan’s Claim		508
		XIII. Exercise of Jurisdiction		508
		XIV. Chhad Bet		509
		XV. Vertical Line		510
		XVI. Karim Shahi		510
		XVII. The Maharao’s Admissions		510
		XVIII.Locally Recognised Boundary		511
		XIX. No Man’s Land		511
		XX. Was the Boundary in the Rann Between Sind and Kutch Ever Settled (i.e., is the Dispute Pending)?		511
	Proposal			512
Opinion of the Chairman				527
Opinion of Mr. Entezam				571
Decision				572
Annex I				573
	Agreement on the Rules of Procedure for the Demarcation of the Boundary to be Determined by the Tribunal			575
Index
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