When I received your letter today I became rather emotional and in fact just broke down – you can’t blame me for that because it is exactly half a century ago (June 1953) that I was posted as GSO-3, 14 Division directly subordinate to the GSO-2 Major Abdul Majeed Sehgal. Somehow, even with watery eyes, I am feeling the urge to pay tribute to the lasting memory of your Dad who was then regarded merely as a good Army Officer but today in perspective he emerges as the un-sung giant of his times in his own particular mould and style. This is a cruel and heartless world which makes one feel bitter if such personality is allowed to fade away into oblivion. The present and future generations would never see his like again.

Chand, just imagine the facts that it was June 1953 when Scheme ‘Axe’ was executed throughout the Army. The Division GSO-2 OPS (Major Khurshid Zafar) and Division GSO-3 (I) (Mahfoozur Rahman of Junior Tigers) were abolished, so also DAA&QMG and Staff Capt (A). Fortunately, I was at the time GSO-3 (OPS) so I remained there with your Dad. The GSO-1 was generally regarded as an upstart (accelerated promotion) and the blue-eyed boy of the GOC.

Your Dad had a sort of magnetic charm with his poise, bearing and manner. Even then he stood out head and shoulders above his contemporaries who were afflicted with the common Pakistani disease of jealousy! He had the ability to penetrate deep down inside everybody without letting them know this. I used to think to myself that how adaptable he would blend with a garden party at Buckingham Palace. His polish and courtesy equipped him so nicely for the highest strata of aristocracy, but his thick-skulled colleagues could never detected this particular quality in him. Yes, your Dad was a ladies’ man and he reminded me of the late Anthony Eden (Lord Avon) as Foreign Secretary during the golden 1930s who charmed the diplomatic stage of European countries.

Today, such calibre Army Officer is unknown and unheard of. It is a great honour for the Junior Tigers that they can boast about TWO generations of distinction. Please always keep this in mind.

Thank you for the info about late Capt A H Naqvi whose name was previously unknown to me, and I will convey this sad news to Raquib. I can now understand that during those critical times Raquib was very temporary (ad-hoc) and in fact probably never exercised command of the Battalion. I wonder if his name is engraved on the Board of Commanding Officers?

I do remain in touch with Lt. General Iftikhar and I had also introduced your name to him because your Dad was BM to his Dad 1952-53. I know that he would be very happy to hear from you as is the case with Farooq Lodi who was also there with me in 53 Brigade COMILLA.

If you had not been hearing from me as much as I remember you, the reason is simply that when the heart is full the words come few. I am overwhelmed by such thoughtful generosity from you which solves the burning problems so adequately.

Captain A. A. Jilani (Retd) 1st PMA
Bahawalnagar City-62300
Israel or no Israel