Dear Editor:

I wonder if you could publish my following letter in your next esteemed publication.

LONG LIVE ARMY AVIATION

I was most thrilled to read the article “The Last Flight From East Pakistan”, written by Brig (Retd) Sher Khan in your Feb/2001 issue. I simply enjoyed every word of the article for a number of reasons. Foremost, Brig. Sher Khan ever since his retirement has been writing letters quite regularly in various national dailies. I first met him in 1984/85 when he was Commandant of 503 Workshop at Qasim Army Aviation Base, Dhamial which I used to frequent in order to maintain my former employer’s only civilian helicopter in Pakistan at that time. Then he became my collegue, for a very short time, with the same NGO of international repute.

The article further took me back down the memory lane when Sher Khan mentions Col. (Retd) M. Zareef Bangash, a brave Pathan from Hangu, a pilot par excellence and an avid golfer. I was very fortunate to know Col. Zareef when, while still in uniform, he was selected by my employer to become one of their helicopter pilots.

Although I was never a military man but I was associated with Army Aviation in particular since I had to maintain our civilian helicopter at Qasim Base. I have had my good share with making good friends, some family friends, with some of the finest EME and Army Aviation officers. Brig. (Retd) H.U. Beg, Brig. (Retd) Humayun Malik, Brig. Arif Nazir, Lt. Col. (Retd) Omar Jalal, Lt. Col. Ahmed Saud are just a few of the officers who not only excelled in their profession but also commanded highest respect.

Col. Zareef had numerous qualities! Apart from being a good aviator he was a very religious and honest officer and a gentleman. I only wish that had he done his staff college he may have made it to, atleast, the rank of a Brigadier. It is my sincere hope, wish and humble prayers that may Col. Zareef excel in his career with Askari Aviation.

Malik Khalfan

Canada

Email: malikkhalfan@hotmail.com

Sir,

The real Indian goal since the September 11 attack is to suppress the indigenous Kashmiri movement for self-determination, for which nearly 75,000 Kashmiri freedom fighters have already made the supreme sacrifice since 1989. While most of those involved are from Indian held Kashmir, they do get support from Kashmiris across the Line of Control.

Indian repression has been greatly stepped up since September, and the BJP government appears determined to pin the label of terrorism on the struggle, so that it can suppress it by recourse to extreme measures.

Pakistan has been pressing for the resumption of the dialogue that had been started at Agra, because that is the approach most suited to establishing an environment of peace and stability in South Asia.

But India apparently feels that it has an opportunity to resolve the Kashmir issue on its own terms by exploiting the anti-terrorist wave in the world.

Sameer Jad

Dammam,

Saudi Arabia

FIRDOUS STREET

GANDA NALLAH

BAHAWALNAGAR City-62300

PUNJAB

                                                                                                Tele: 0631-73682

25 January 02

I really did relish the DEFENCE JOURNAL  issue of October 01 because there was so much valuable material previously unknown to me regarding your  great Dad and also yourself. Your Dad’s  EPR Diaries were fascinating — how thorough he was:

Your Dad was BM 53 Bde during the period 1952-53 and I was also there in the same Bde at COMILLA with my Bn 2/16 PUNJAB Regt. The other Battalions were Guides Infantry and Junior Tigers. Farooq Lodi, Khizar Hayat and myself were all Subalterns. In early 1953 we had the Bde collective trg Ex at Lalmai Hills and I could describe that as a ‘one man show’. The Bde Comd remained a silent spectator in the background and the three Bn Comds were also speechless under the hypnotic spell of your Dad’s professional skills. I never did see an Army officer who radiated such glowing self- confidence and cast-iron conviction. He was unbendable and unbreakable in full control of the Ex which he had himself written, planned and now executed. As a Subaltern I was quite surprised to see how a Brigade Major had such commanding presence and completely overshadowed the Bn Comds just by dint of his own personality and mastery of the situation. It seemed that they were over- awed by his uncanny grasp of their own roles and assignments, so they listened while he talked.

The 53 Bde is nowadays at BAHAWALPUR and I visited the HQ to see the Board hanging on the wall of BM’s office. Your Dad’s name is nicely engraved very close to the top of the board, but after half a century the majority of incumbents would not be knowing that they are treading in the footsteps of a veritable giant.

By mid-1953 your Dad was GSO-2, 14 Division and those were the times of Army. ‘Scheme Axe’ whereby there would be only ONE GSO-2 and ONE GSO-3 at all Division HQ. Your Dad asked for me to be his GSO-3 because the policy was that MS posted the Officers who were already present there in EAST PAK and I was with 53 Bde. I replaced Mahfooz who was posted out. I had already written to you in detail about this nostalgic period of my brief Army service. Your Dad was very fond of playing tennis during evenings and he also used to join the ‘Rummy’ gatherings in the Mess along with Lt-Colonel Akhtar Hussain Malik (A/Q), the famous Major M A Rabb (ASC) and Capt M R Chowdhury (‘Staff Capt A’).

In mid-1954 I took leave of your Dad with a heavy heart, because GHQ suddenly issued a new strict ruling that Officers with less than 5 years service will NOT be posted out for Staff appintments, so I went back to my Bn at COMILLA.

When Harry S Truman was suddenly thrust into the White House 1945 he was widely regarded as just a mediocre non-entity, an accident of history who would not measure up to the challenge. But now after half a century he is recognised as one  of the truly great US Presidents, very high on the list. He has become a role model for US Presidents — ‘The Buck Stops Here’ on his office table. It just goes to prove how short-sighted and lacking in judgement people can be. In the case of your Dad I would sum it up in one  word —  jealousy - which is the national trait, especially in Army.

Junior Tigers were at COMILLA with us, just across the road. I do remember the troops talking about ‘Shaygul Shaab’ with considerable respect and affection. Normally the troops had faith in their own Bengali Officers but there was a distinct void with the non-Bengali Officers except in the case of your Dad. Those troops of Junior Tigers felt that ‘Shaygul Shaab’ was one of them, they somehow sensed that he was the person to stand up for them when in need, that he was the person who would look into their problems and would never let them down. He raised that Bn so it was his lifeblood. Perhaps  this winning the hearts of the Bengali troops was his greatest achievement in the Regt. He succeeded where the others failed miserably. May the Almighty bless his noble soul.

You have far, far surpassed his expectations and his wildest dreams!

May the Almighty shower eternal blessings on your Dad’s wonderful life partner. Now they are together again.

From: “Doron Arazi” <doron@doron-arazi.net>

To: <defjrnl@cyber.net.pk>

Subject: Historical Correction

Date: Wednesday, January 30, 2002 1:04 AM

 

For Mr. Ikram Sehgal

Editor-in-Chief

Dear Mr. Sehgal,

This e-mail is not meant for publication but for your personal attention only.

First permit me to congratulate you for the high level of the Defence Journal, which I often use to get updated on South Asian security issues. 

As a military historian, however, I would like to draw your attention to a small but significant error of detail in your article in the  February 2001 issue. Colonel Otto Skorzeny, whom you quoted, has not carried the German nobility predicate “von” in his name.

It is a common error by English-speaking writers to automatically attribute “von” to various German military figures, on the assumption they must have all hailed to the hereditary nobility — I have recently  seen spurious “von” titles attributed to Field Marshal Paulus (of Stalingrad notoriety)  in the Sunday Times, to Field Marshal Rommel, to General Ludendorff (from the First World War) and so on.

This might seem pedantic, but this is the equivalent, on the basis of what little I know of your country, to automatically adding honorifics like “Wali”, “Khan”, “Sardar”  or “Shah” in your country to people who are simply not entitled to them.

I hope this information will be of use to you.

With the best wishes,

Yours

D. Arazi

From: SMS <sms@pathfinder.com.pk>

To:  <doron@doron-arazi.net>

Sent: Monday, February 04, 2002 5:30 PM

Ikram Sehgal/Doron Arazi

Ref your E Mail of Jan 30 re correction.

Charles Foley repeatedly uses the word “Von” in his book. However, we have checked up and you are right. Both your letter and mine will appear in the next issue of DJ as acknowledgement of the correction. We thank you sincerely for this correction.

Best Rgds

DJ

From: “Hari Sud” <harisud@hotmail.com>

To: <defjrnl@pathfinder.com.pk>

Cc: <pavocavalary@hotmail.com>; <rikhye1@hotmail.com>

Subject: A H Amin’s Research on Indian Army before Independence and After

Date: Tuesday, February 12, 2002 2:22 AM

Please publish this letter in your magazine — Thank you

Dear Editor

I must complement Major A H Amin for publishing daring appraisal of the Indian Army. I read with great interest his research on the First War of Independence in 1857 (Sepoy Mutiny). His account of battle Chillianwala, after the 1857 debacle, is worthy of high esteem. I am no historian, but I do like a forthright account of happenings. It is a welcome change from an old established way in which ultimate victor has the right to history. British wished to eliminate from the history books any mention of their defeat at Chillianwala at the hands of very people whom they had vanquished a few years earlier.  I wish the history writing, both in India and Pakistan, should be taken a bit more seriously and should be devoid of current political climate or the propaganda value. I thank Major Amin for bringing this fact forward.

I am impressed by his account of battle of Khemkaran in 1965 when independent Pakistan’s army tried to clinch the war with a dash to the Beas river bridge, only to abandon their brand new tanks with motors running at Khemkaran and surrendered or just retreated behind their own lines. No Indian army historian has given as good an account as A.H Amin has given. He truly has a sense telling the truth instead of building invincibility myth. Moreover, it is interesting to read accounts of both sides (I was born in India, for the past 30 years I live in Canada). Major Amin has provided your readers a fresh look by leaving the propaganda aside. Major Amin has dealt with a few other battles like Chawinda, Longewala etc. The latter battle (Longewala) although a major reverse again for Pakistan’s army did not receive much attention from him. I wish he researches this battle also and writes about the true happenings at this battle, which a later day British Chief of the Army Staff wished to visit. I know the account given by a Bollywood movie. Major Chandpuri (now I believe Brigadier) confirmed the battle and its outcome but not the movie script during his visit to USA a few years back. I wish (and I believe all your readers wish) to know how a tank force of 40 or more tanks of Pakistani army lost to a lightly equipped company and two Hunter aircraft in 1971. A lesson has to be learnt by both sides: for Pakistan — do not under estimate your enemy; and for India — do not under estimate enemy’s tactical surprise capability. Also a number of accounts have appeared in various writings about Longewala. These articles play side. Hence facts are missing. 

I believe some plain speakers like Amin have to be encouraged to set the record straight.

Thank you

Hari Sud

18 Highgrove Cr.

Richmond Hill, Ontario. Canada.

 

From: “Arif Mahmud” <AMahmud@LINCOLNTECH.COM>

To: <defjrnl@pathfinder.com.pk>

Subject: The Way it was — Brigadier Zahir Alam Khan;

Date: Sunday, February 10, 2002 12:25 AM

Dear Editor,

When I first joined my unit 16 SP in Changa Manga in 1972, it was part of 3 Armoured Brigade commanded by  Brig Z A Khan.  I happened to just scroll the internet, in one of my free times, when I stumbled to your website and  then read the extracts  from his book ‘The Way it Was’.  His writings are awesome and having witnessed some of the happenings mentioned in his book first hand, I just felt that I have been pushed back thirty years in time.  The Brigadier deserves all the credit and praise for accurately and objectively portraying his observations and experience while in service.  I wish we could have  more people like him in the services.

Having served under Brig Z A,  I  have all the admirations for him.  He is a person, taller than life and a wonderful human being.  Please accept my congratulations, for having set up a superb website and keeping an archive of previous editions of your journal, in such an effective manner. After retiring from service in 1998,  I am now working in US,  as a System Analyst.  I would appreciate, if you could give me the necessary information for purchasing the book and also  intimate the contact information of Brigadier Zahir Alam Khan.

Best Regards

Lt Col (R) Arif Mahmud

42-8A   Winding Wood Dr

Sayreville NJ 08872

USA

email:  colarif@hotmail.com