Mian Ghulam Jilani

Major General Mian Ghulam Jilani
میاں غلام جیلانی
Jilani in 1962
Member of Provincial Assembly of North West Frontier[1]
In office 7 December 1970 – 1977
Constituency	PF-21 Mardan
GOC 15th Infantry Division (Sialkot)
In office ?–1962
Force Commander Bajaur Campaign
In office October 1960 – September 1961
Previous Commands Commanding Officer 4 Frontier Force Regiment In office 1947 – April 1948
Personal details
Born	1913 (1913) USA
Cause of death	Pneumonia
Political party	National Awami Party (Wali)
Spouse	Nancy Habiba Jilani ​ (m. 1949)​
Relations	Mian Hayaud Din (cousin)
Children	4
Education	Forman Christian College Aligarh Muslim University (MA) Rashtriya Indian Military College
Nickname(s)	Kaka Speen Dada Jilly
Military service
Allegiance	Major General
Unit	4th Battalion 19th Hyderabad Regiment
Commands	Frontier Force Regiment 14th Infantry Division Command & Staff College 15th Infantry Division 7th Infantry Division (Pakistan)
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of Singapore Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 Poonch Military operations Ladakh Military operations Bajaur Campaign
Awards	Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam Imtiazi Sanad Legion of Merit

He was repeatedly arrested by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in the 1970s for his political beliefs and was in jail for more than three years with Amnesty International declaring him a prisoner of conscience in 1974. During a medical checkup, he escaped from custody and took political asylum in the United States in 1975 becoming a citizen in 1981.^[5]

Early life

Jilani was born in 1913 in Sibi in the Chief Commissioner's Province of Balochistan.

Education

He was educated at Forman Christian College in Lahore and later in Law at the Aligarh Muslim University, in India.

Personal life

He married Nancy Habiba Jilani in 1949 and they had 4 children. Their son Mian Arshad Jilani and three daughters Hadia Jilani Roberts, Halima Jilani Raza, and Habiba Jilani Freeman. At the time of his death, Mian Ghulam Jilani had 9 grandchildren.^[6]

British Indian Army career

He completed his officer's training at the

During the Second World War, the fourth battalion 19th Hyderabad Regiment was sent to Singapore with the British Indian Army. Jilani was captured and taken prisoner by the Japanese in 1942. He was a prisoner of war for nearly forty months. During this period, he was tortured and kept in solitary confinement for seven months. Whilst a prisoner of war he was promoted Captain.^[10] He was mentioned in despatches in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Malaya in 1942.^[11]

Shortly after World War II, the movement for independence from the British resulted in Partition of British India in 1947. Jilani threw his energy and enthusiasm behind it.

Pakistan Army career

Kashmir Operations

He joined the newly formed Pakistan Army and was the 42nd senior most officer (PA–42), commanding 4 Frontier Regiment. A few weeks later he took a leave of absence from the army to volunteer as a fighter in Kashmir, fighting for its independence and right to join Pakistan. In April 1948, he was appointed Commanding Officer at Gilgit where he remained until the ceasefire.

His troops played a major role in establishing what would later become the

After retiring from the army, he was hired by Fakhrudin Valika as a General Manager with the Valika Group in Karachi.

Political career

He joined the National Awami Party (Wali) and became a member of the provincial assembly of North West Frontier Province from his home constituency in Mardan in the 1970 Pakistani general election after receiving 16,346 votes. He was the head of the NAP-Ws youth wing, Zalmay Pakhtun.^[13]

Arrest

He was an outspoken critic of the government of

His wife Mrs. Nancy Habiba Jilani filed a writ petition against his detention, and the judgment of the Lahore High Court was authored by Nasim Hasan Shah, J. and is reported as: Mrs. Habiba Jilani V Federation of Pakistan (PLD 1974 Lahore 153). The Lahore High Court declared the detention valid.

In a crackdown on his party, a smear campaign was launched against him and Jilani was frequently arrested. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto then attempted to bribe Jilani with offers of high positions—all to no avail. Nonetheless, all charges against Jilani were repeatedly dismissed by the courts. Amnesty International adopted him as a "prisoner of conscience" in 1974.

Escape from Jail

Jilani managed to escape from guards during a hospital visit in 1975 and was granted political asylum in the United States. He became a US citizen in 1981.

US Residency

After becoming a citizen of the United States, he gave speeches at colleges, government agencies, and veterans organizations. He shared his experiences in Pakistan and discussed global military affairs.^[14]

Death

He died of Pneumonia at his daughter's home in Fairfax, Virginia on 1 March 2004.

Bibliography

• Judgments on the Constitution, Rule of Law, and Martial Law in Pakistan by Chief Justice Dr Nasim Hassan Shah, edited by Prof Dr M A Mannan (OUP 1993)
• Pakistan. Problems of Governance by Mushahid Hussain & Akmal Hussain (Vanguard Books 1993) (p. 30, 87 & 90)

Foreign decorations

Foreign Awards
UK	War Medal 1939-1945
	Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
USA	Legion of Merit by Dwight D. Eisenhower

References