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93,000 Pakistani soldiers did not surrender in 1971 because….?
Global Village Space |
Dr. Junaid Ahmad |
December 16, 1971, was an ominous day for Pakistan, because the Pakistani army finally decided to stop their activities to bring law and order to East Pakistan. But the exact numbers of army personnel involved that surrended have been widely exaggerated. It is said that 93,000 Pakistani army personnel surrendered and were later taken by India as Prisoners of War (PoWs).
To this day, this highly exaggerated figure is sustained by Indian, Bangladeshi and defunct Soviet propagandists. Ironically, this propagated number has remained unchallenged and is also widely believed in Pakistan, as few accounts have been written to challenge it.
Actual Facts of the Soldiers on Ground
It is a well known and recognized fact that Pakistan had only one corps comprising three divisions in East Pakistan during 1971. The three divisions comprised a total force of 45,000 including combatant and non-combatant troops. Out of these, there were 34,000 combatant troops and the remaining 11,000 were non-combatant / supporting men and CAF personnel.
This one corp was pitched against three corps of Indian Army from the West and North West and another two corps from the North East and East, a total of five Indian Corps plus 175,000 Indian backed and trained Mukti Bahini and many thousands of Awami League miscreants. When there were only 34,000 fighting troops, how could 93,000 soldiers surrender?
According to Lt Gen Naizi, Corps Commander of Eastern Command in 1971.
“The total fighting strength available to me [Gen Naizi] was forty-five thousand – 34,000 from the army, plus 11,000 from CAF and West Pakistan civilian police and armed non-combatants”who were fighting against the insurgents. Even if the strength of HL, MLA, depots, training institutes, workshops, factories, nurses and lady doctors, non-combatants like barbers, cooks, shoemakers and sweepers are added, even then the total comes to only 55,000.
Air Marshal Rahim khan, CNC Pakistan Air Force (1969-1972), has stated
“The number of regular Pakistani troops in East Pakistan never exceeded 33,000-34,000. The rest is just propaganda by India and the Awami League, to magnify their success….”
Air Marshal Zulfiqar Ali Khan, who commended Eastern Wing of Pakistan Air Forces has asserted
“At the maximum, our regular fighting force in East Pakistan in December 1971 stood at 34,000. This figure does not include paramilitary personnel, military police, etc. Even if you include the auxiliaries, the total does not cross 45,000”.
General Akhtar Abdul Rehman. Former Vice Chief of Army Staff, speaking on the 1971 conundrum stated
“It was impossible for the 34,000 Pakistani troops in East Pakistan or for that matter any army in the world to fight against the combined strength of 200,000 Indian army and 170,000 Mukti Bahini, If not more, that too in a hostile environment 1200 miles away from West Pakistan …… Keeping into account all this, if the Indians still feel that they achieved a stunning military victory against Pakistan, I can only say they have fallen prey to their own propaganda”.
US congressman, Charles Wilson in a discussion with Pakistani diplomats in Washington DC remarked.
Read full article:
93,000 Pakistani soldiers did not surrender in 1971 because….?
Global Village Space |
Dr. Junaid Ahmad |
December 16, 1971, was an ominous day for Pakistan, because the Pakistani army finally decided to stop their activities to bring law and order to East Pakistan. But the exact numbers of army personnel involved that surrended have been widely exaggerated. It is said that 93,000 Pakistani army personnel surrendered and were later taken by India as Prisoners of War (PoWs).
To this day, this highly exaggerated figure is sustained by Indian, Bangladeshi and defunct Soviet propagandists. Ironically, this propagated number has remained unchallenged and is also widely believed in Pakistan, as few accounts have been written to challenge it.
Actual Facts of the Soldiers on Ground
It is a well known and recognized fact that Pakistan had only one corps comprising three divisions in East Pakistan during 1971. The three divisions comprised a total force of 45,000 including combatant and non-combatant troops. Out of these, there were 34,000 combatant troops and the remaining 11,000 were non-combatant / supporting men and CAF personnel.
This one corp was pitched against three corps of Indian Army from the West and North West and another two corps from the North East and East, a total of five Indian Corps plus 175,000 Indian backed and trained Mukti Bahini and many thousands of Awami League miscreants. When there were only 34,000 fighting troops, how could 93,000 soldiers surrender?
According to Lt Gen Naizi, Corps Commander of Eastern Command in 1971.
“The total fighting strength available to me [Gen Naizi] was forty-five thousand – 34,000 from the army, plus 11,000 from CAF and West Pakistan civilian police and armed non-combatants”who were fighting against the insurgents. Even if the strength of HL, MLA, depots, training institutes, workshops, factories, nurses and lady doctors, non-combatants like barbers, cooks, shoemakers and sweepers are added, even then the total comes to only 55,000.
Air Marshal Rahim khan, CNC Pakistan Air Force (1969-1972), has stated
“The number of regular Pakistani troops in East Pakistan never exceeded 33,000-34,000. The rest is just propaganda by India and the Awami League, to magnify their success….”
Air Marshal Zulfiqar Ali Khan, who commended Eastern Wing of Pakistan Air Forces has asserted
“At the maximum, our regular fighting force in East Pakistan in December 1971 stood at 34,000. This figure does not include paramilitary personnel, military police, etc. Even if you include the auxiliaries, the total does not cross 45,000”.
General Akhtar Abdul Rehman. Former Vice Chief of Army Staff, speaking on the 1971 conundrum stated
“It was impossible for the 34,000 Pakistani troops in East Pakistan or for that matter any army in the world to fight against the combined strength of 200,000 Indian army and 170,000 Mukti Bahini, If not more, that too in a hostile environment 1200 miles away from West Pakistan …… Keeping into account all this, if the Indians still feel that they achieved a stunning military victory against Pakistan, I can only say they have fallen prey to their own propaganda”.
US congressman, Charles Wilson in a discussion with Pakistani diplomats in Washington DC remarked.
Read full article:
93,000 Pakistani soldiers did not surrender in 1971 because….?
