A. A. K. Niazi
امیر عبداللہ خان نیازی | |
Governor of East Pakistan | |
In office 14 December 1971 – 16 December 1971 | |
President | Yahya Khan |
Prime Minister | Nurul Amin |
Preceded by | Abdul Motaleb Malik |
Succeeded by | Position abolished Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as President of Bangladesh |
Commander, Army Eastern Command | |
In office 4 April 1971 – 16 December 1971 | |
Preceded by | Lt. Gen. Tikka Khan |
Succeeded by | Position abolished |
Personal details | |
Born | 1915 Mianwali, Punjab Province, British India (now Pakistan) |
Died | 1 February 2004 (aged 88–89) Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
Resting place | Military Cemetery, Lahore[citation needed] |
Nationality | Pakistani |
Alma mater | Officers' Training School, Bangalore Command and Staff College, Quetta |
Signature | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | British India Pakistan |
Branch/service | British Indian Army Pakistan Army |
Years of service | 1942–1975 |
Rank | Lieutenant-General (S/No. PA-477) |
Unit | 4th Battalion, 7th Rajput Regiment |
Commands | GOC, 10th Infantry Division GOC, 8th Infantry Division 14th Para Brigade[citation needed] |
Battles/wars |
|
Awards | Hilal-e-Jurat & Bar[a] Sitara-e-Pakistan Sitara-e-Kidmat Military Cross |
Niazi's area of responsibility comprised the defense of East Pakistan from India during the war in 1971, and authors and critics within the Pakistani military held him morally responsible for his decision to unilaterally surrender the Pakistani Eastern Command, which resulted in the war's end in a decisive Indian victory as well as the independence of Bangladesh.[2][self-published source?][3]
After being
After the war, he remained active in Pakistani politics and supported an ultra-conservative agenda under the Pakistan National Alliance against the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in the 1970s.[1] In 1998, he authored the book The Betrayal of East Pakistan.
Niazi died in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan, on 1 February 2004.[8]
Biography
Early life and British Indian Army career
Khan was born in Mianwali, British India, in 1915, into a mixed Punjabi and Pathan family of the Niazi tribe. His village, Balo Khel, is located on the eastern bank of the Indus River.[2][9][10] After matriculating from a local high-school in Mianwali, he joined the British Indian Army as a "Y cadet" in 1941 as he was selected for an emergency commission in the army, before it he was an ordinary soldier.[2]
He received training in Officers Training School,
World War II and Burma campaigns
On 11 June 1942,
During this period, the 14th Army had halted the offense against the
Lt. Niazi's gallantry had impressed his British commanders in the
After the end of World War II, in 1945, from an Emergency Commissioned Officer, Niazi was granted a regular commission of the British Indian Army, and he got his service number as IC0-906 (Indian Commissioned Officer-906);
Pakistan Army: from major to lieutenant general
In 1947 the United Kingdom, through the
His career in the army progressed well. In the rank of Lt. Col. he served as commanding officer of two battalions in West Pakistan and one in East Pakistan.
Brigadier Niazi went on to participate in the
On 18 October 1966, he was promoted as
East Pakistan
Eastern Command in 1971 war
Lieutenant-General Niazi volunteered for transfer to East Pakistan when Lieutenant-General Bahadur Sher declined the post.[1] There were two other generals who had also refused postings in the East. However, Niazi said "yes" without necessarily realizing the risks involved and how to counter them.[1]
After General
By September 1971, he was appointed the martial law administrator in order to provide his support to Governor
The
In November 1971, General Abdul Hamid Khan, the Chief of Staff of the army, warned him of an imminent Indian attack on the East and advised him to redeploy the Eastern Command on a tactical and political base ground but this was not implemented due to shortage of time.[26] In a public message, Niazi was praised by Abdul Hamid Khan saying: "The whole nation is proud of you and you have their full support".[27]
No further orders or clarification was issued in regards to the orders as Niazi had been caught unawares when the Indian Army planned to launch a full assault on East Pakistan.
Credibility of this claim is given by Niazi's press secretary and public relations officer, then-Major Siddique Salik, who wrote in Witness to Surrender, that Niazi's chief of staff Brigadier Baqir Siddiqi reportedly scolded him of not notifying Niazi and his staff of an aerial attack on India.[28]
Surrendering of Eastern Command
When Indian Army soldiers crossed the borders and charged towards Dhaka, General Niazi panicked when he came to realise the real nature of the Indian strategy and became frantically nervous when the Indian Army successfully penetrated the defence of the East.[26] Niazi's military staff further regretted not heeding the intelligence warnings issued 20 years earlier in the 1952 Cable 1971 report compiled by Major K. M. Arif, the military intelligence official on Niazi's staff.[29]
According to the testimonies provided by Major-General Farman Ali in the War Enquiry Commission, Niazi's morale collapsed as early as 7 December and he cried frantically over the progress report presented to Governor Abdul Motaleb.[30] Niazi ultimately blamed Lieutenant-General Tikka Khan for the army's oppressive strategy.[31] Major accusations were also directed toward Lieutenant-General Yakob Ali Khan, Admiral S. M. Ahsan and Major-General Ali for aggravating the crisis, but Niazi had to bear most responsibility for all that happened in the East.[citation needed]
The Pakistani military combat units found themselves involved in a
On 6 December, the
Niazi eventually took control of the civilian government and received a telegram on 16 December 1971 from President Yahya Khan: "You have fought a heroic battle against overwhelming odds. The nation is proud of you ... You have now reached a stage where further resistance is no longer humanly possible nor will it serve any useful purpose ... You should now take all necessary measures to stop the fighting and preserve the lives of armed forces personnel, all those from West Pakistan and all loyal elements".[2]
During this time, the
Subsequently, the Indian Army began encircling Dhaka and Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora sent a message through Major-General
The surrender took place at
Niazi's Revolver
Niazi's personal weapon was gifted by J. S. Aurora to the Indian Military Academy for its golden jubilee celebration and preserved at National Museum in New Delhi.[37] The revolver was reportedly stolen from the National Museum in 2003.[38] Although it would come to light that the firearm stolen was not the real "pistol" handed over by Eastern Wing Commander A.A.K. Niazi, the real .38 Bore Revolver is currently in the safekeeping of the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun.[39]
War prisoner, repatriation, and politics
Niazi, who was repatriated to Pakistan, was handed over to Lieutenant-General Abdul Hameed, then corps commander of the IV Corps, by Indian Army from the Wagha checkpoint in Lahore District, Punjab, in April 1974, in a symbolic gesture of the last war prisoner held by India.[4] Upon arriving in Lahore, he refrained from speaking to news media correspondents, and was taken under the custody of the Pakistan Army's Military Police (MP) who shifted him via helicopter to Lahore Cantonment where he was detained despite his strong protests.[2] He was dismissed from his military commission and his war honours were withdrawn.[40]
Subsequently, he was placed in solitary confinement for sometime, though he was later released.[41] Being the last to return supported his reputation as a "soldier's general", but did not shield him from the scorn he faced in Pakistan, where he was blamed for the surrender. Bhutto discharged Niazi after stripping him of his military rank, the pension usually accorded to retired soldiers, and his military decorations.[citation needed] He was dismissed from the service in July 1975.[23]
He was also denied his military pension and medical benefits, though he lodged a strong complaint against the revoking of his pension.[40] In the 1980s, the Ministry of Defence quietly changed the status of "dismissal" to "retirement" but did not restore his rank.[42] The change of order allowed Niazi to seek a pension and the medical assistance benefits enjoyed by retired military personnel.[42]
Niazi remained active in national politics in the 1970s. He was a leader of the
War Enquiry Commission
In 1982, Niazi was summoned and confessed to the
The Commission indicted him for corruption and
The Commission recommended a court-martial be held by the Judge Advocate General that would indict Niazi for serious breaches of military discipline and the military code.[30] No such court-martial took place,[49] but nonetheless, he was politically maligned and indicted with the war crimes that took place in East Pakistan. Niazi did not accept the Commission's inquiries and fact-findings, believing that the Commission had no understanding of military matters.[50] Niazi claimed that a court-martial would have besmirched the names of those who later rose to great heights, and that he was being used as a scapegoat.[50]
In 1998, he authored a book, The Betrayal of East Pakistan, which describes his view of the events that led to 16 December 1971.[1]
Death and legacy
Niazi died on 1 February 2004 in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.[1]
Political commentators described Niazi's legacy as a mixture of the foolhardy, and the ruthless.[46]
From the mass of evidence coming before the War Enquiry Commission from witnesses, both civil and military, there is little doubt that Niazi came to acquire a bad reputation in sex matters, and this reputation has been consistent during his postings in Sialkot, Lahore and East Pakistan.
Niazi in his book revealed that he was very depressed at the time of surrender and that he signed the instrument of surrender with a "very heavy heart".
Awards and decorations
Hilal-e-Jurat & Bar[a]
(Crescent of Courage) 1. 2. |
Sitara-e-Pakistan
(Star of Pakistan) (SPk) | ||
Sitara-e-Khidmat
(Star of Service) (SK) |
Tamgha-e-Diffa
(General Service Medal) 1. 2. |
Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War
(War Star 1965) |
Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War
(War Star 1971) |
Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War
(War Medal 1965) |
Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War
(War Medal 1971) |
Pakistan Tamgha | Tamgha-e-Jamhuria
(Republic Commemoration Medal) 1956 |
Military Cross (MC)[12][53] (awarded for GALLANTRY in Kohima 1944) |
1939-1945 Star
|
Africa Star | Burma Star |
War Medal 1939-1945
(with MiD oak leaf) awarded in Java 1945 |
India Service Medal | General Service Medal
(awarded in Java 1946) |
Queen Elizabeth II
(1953) |
Foreign Decorations
Foreign Awards | ||
---|---|---|
UK | Military Cross (MC)[12][53] | |
1939-1945 Star
|
||
Africa Star | ||
Burma Star | ||
War Medal 1939-1945 (with MiD oak leaf)
|
||
India Service Medal 1939–1945 | ||
General Service Medal | ||
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal |
Notes
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Siddiqi, PA, Brigadier A. R. (13 February 2004). "Gen A. A. K. (Tiger) Niazi: an appraisal". Dawn. Islamabad. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ^ ISBN 9781482817201. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ISBN 978-1-85109-672-5.
- ^ a b News Review on South Asia and Indian Ocean. Institute for Defence Studies & Analyses. 1983. p. 620.
- ^ "Gendercide Watch". Gendercide.org. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
- ^ a b Mir, Hamid (16 December 2014). "Forty-three years of denial". The Indian Express (Opinion). Noida, India. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ^ Ahmed, Khalid (7 July 2012). "'Genetic engineering' in East Pakistan". The Express Tribune. Islamabad, Pakistan. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ^ Jaffor Ullah, A H (6 February 2004). "On General Niazi's departure". The Daily Star. Dhaka. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Lieutenant-General A. A. K. Niazi". The Times. London. 11 March 2004. Archived from the original on 14 May 2009. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
- ^ "General A A K Niazi". www.mianwalionline.com. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-989270-9.
- ^ a b c "Page 4570 | Supplement 36730, 3 October 1944 | London Gazette | The Gazette". www.thegazette.co.uk.
- ^ Sehgal, Ikram ul-Majeed (2002). "Unknown". Defence Journal. 6: 24.
- ^ a b BD Government, BD Government. "BANGABHABAN – The President House of Bangladesh". bangabhaban.gov.bd. BD Government. Archived from the original on 7 December 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- Rediff. 2 February 2004.
- ISBN 978-1-935501-59-6.
- ^ a b "Asia Week: A.A.K. Niazi- The Man who Lost East Pakistan". Asiaweek. 1982. pp. 6–7.
- ISBN 9789847130446.
Lieutenant General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi who assumed the command of Eastern Command on April 11, 1971 whom I met as my GOC 8 Division in Sialkot in 1968.
- ^ ISBN 9789386141668.
- ISBN 978-8179750902.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-317-00540-7.
- ^ ISBN 978-90-04-24911-0.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-230-59904-8.
- ISBN 9788170621089.
- ISBN 9789382573739.
- ^ ISBN 9788172110826.
- ISBN 978-0-520-07665-5.
- ^ Salik, Saddique (1986). "Judgement Day". In Jaffrey, Major Syed Zamir; Azim, Fazl (eds.). Witness of Surrender: Urdu Version (in Urdu) (2nd ed.). Karachi: Urdu Publishing Co. pp. 139–140.
- ^ Salik, Saddique (1979). "Preface". In Jaffry, Major Syed Zamir; Azim, Fazl (eds.). Witness of Surrender: Urdu Version (in Urdu). Rawalpindi: Urdu Books Publishing co. pp. 194–200.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-300-10147-8.
- ISBN 978-1-139-49351-2.
- ISBN 978-984-8866-18-4.
- ISBN 978-1-85743-114-8.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-061182-8.
- ^ a b Sengupta, Ramananda. "1971 War: 'I will give you 30 minutes'". Sify. Archived from the original on 15 December 2014. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
- ^ "Fall of Dhaka 1971". Story Of Pakistan. 4 June 2002. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
- ^ "Niazi's weapon safe at IMA museum: officer". www.rediff.com. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ "Pistol symbolising Pak defeat stolen". www.rediff.com. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ Times of India Niazi's revolver safe at IMA: Jacob R.Singh, 2003
- ^ a b Sehgal, Ikram ul-Majeed (2002). "Unknown". Defence Journal. 7 (8): 49. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-7735-2621-1.
- ^ a b News Review on South Asia and Indian Ocean. Institute for Defence Studies & Analyses. 1980. p. 620.
- ^ OCLC 5896988. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-415-56566-0.
- ISBN 978-1-317-46327-6.
- ^ a b Sattar, Babar (23 December 2013). "Bigoted and smug". Dawn. Retrieved 9 January 2017.
- ISBN 9789382652236.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-63144-039-7.
- ISBN 978-0-300-22102-2.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-7546-1497-5.
- ISBN 978-0-8223-7522-7.
- ^ "Commission Report". Archived from the original on 4 December 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2007.
- ^ a b Recommendation for Award for Amir Abdullah Khan Rank: Lieutenant Service No:... 1944.
External links
- Pakistan: Independence and Military Succession
- Video of Surrender By General Niazi, A. A. K.
- Lt. Gen A.A.K. Niazi