U.K. National Archives

Conclusions of a meeting of the Cabinet held at 10 Downing Street, on Thursday, 18 November, 1971 at 10.30 a.m.

Attendees: E Heath; R Maudling; A Barber; Carrington; R Carr; G Campbell; P Walker; J Prior; Hailsham; W Whitelaw; K Joseph; M Thatcher; Jellicoe; P Thomas; J Davies; C Chataway; M Macmillan; J Godber; F Pym.

The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs said that reports from Pakistan and India indicated that the tension between the two countries had continued to increase during the past week. In particular, there were fairly reliable reports that Indian regular troops had been involved in border clashes. Meanwhile the Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Gandhi, had returned from her European tour and had indicated that she expected world leaders to solve the problems of the Sub-continent. It appeared that the Governments of the United States and the Soviet Union at least had made it clear that they did not want open hostilities to break out.