for its part india knew junagadh was the premier state in the western kathiawar region. it was bound on three sides by states that acceded to india. on the fourth side was bounded by the arabian sea. this gave it great strategic importance to both countries. india was not prepared to accept junagadh's acceding to pakistan. this would create a pakistan state in the middle of indian states. india's taking administrative control of junagadh to restore order is seen as a pretext by pakistan. the referendum taken by the people of junagadh, under the control of the indian army, was overwhelmingly in favor of indian rule. pakistan has never accepted this vote by the people there and believes junagadh rightly belongs to them.