Only 34 thousand combatant troops surrenderd on 16th December 1971 - Dr. Junaid Akram

[Trango Towers]

he should have fought till end and become a legend
but what other options he had
what were about families of soldiers and poor others

He was a soldier and had order. Bhutto should have been shot.

 

[Safriz]

In February 1965 Field Marshal Ayub Khan held elections under American style "Electoral college" presidential system.
Ayub Khan won the election as he got more electoral college votes. His main rival Fatima Jinnah got more votes but less electoral college votes.
In September 1965 India attacked Pakistan and East west Pakistan jointly fought against India.
Presidential election results were widely accepted.
In 1966 Ayub Khan removed his foreign minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who started public protests against him.
Under pressure from Zulfiqar Bhutto popular uprising , Ayub Khan resigned on 25th March 1969.
While going he assigned General Yehya khan as president of Pakistan and responsible for holding general elections.
Much of the time after that was spent in bringing Bhutto of west Pakistan and Mujeeb of East Pakistan to the negotiations table for the purpose of agreeing upon an election format.
That never happened.
In November 1970 East Pakistan was hit by a record breaking storm, the Bhola cyclone which caused millions of deaths in East Pakistan and much loss of property and infrastructure.
Despite the problems just 18 months after being appointed president , General Yehya Khan held elections on 7th of December 1970.
Election format was a problem. Since no agreement was reached between politicians, General Yehya Khan held elections under a new "Unicameral" format which was neither presidential not true parliamentary.
There were total of 300 assembly seats to be won between both parts of Pakistan.
Bhutto won 81 seats , Mujeeb won 160 seats.
Mujeeb had clear majority but still there was no agreement about the form if government. Bhutto still won't talk to Mujeeb and won't agree to any transfer of power.
Yehya again urged both men to sort out their differences.
Annoyed and desperate, in March 1971 Yehya huddled
Zulfiqar Bhutto in a military plane and flew to Dacca with him. A whole unit of Pakistan army was standing guard outside a hotel and Sheikh Mujeeb was waiting inside. Yehya arrived with Bhutto and made him sit with Mujeeb to sort out the differences and agree upon some form of political government.
After many meetings on Dacca over a few days, no agreement was reached between the two.
Whatever happened next is to this date unclear and debatable. Mujeeb left Dhaka with Bhutto and Yehya and came to West Pakistan. Most probably he did so with his own intention. However upon arrival in west Pakistan he was attested and locked up in Mianwali jail.
Punjab police secret service placed constant surveillance on him and he had no contact with outside world.
With nobody at the helm the situation in East Pakistan exploded out of control.
All resources of Pakistan was consumed in keeping urban areas safe. In northern forests of east Pakistan India and soviet KGB started giving military training to rebellious Bengali youth. Armed them ,brainwashed them and an armed insurgency by the name of Mukti Bahini started. They knew no Geneva convention, no human rights and killed raped plundered whoever they wanted.
In November 1971 India started a full on assault on Pakistan army in east Pakistan. Now Pakistan army was fighting civilian insurgency and a foreign army.
The political situation which started the conflict was nowhere near to be resolved .
Over in west Pakistan things were very different from 1965. In 1965 when India attacked the Pakistaniarmy recruitment centers had long lines of volunteers and people wanting to join army to fight India. Public response was o overwhelming that army had to request people nit to come to army recruitment centres anymore . While in 1971 when India attacked east Pakistan, there wasn't Any response from people of west Pakistan. Nobody volunteered to fight India. May be more public support had helped in saving the other half of Pakistan?
On 3rd of December 1971 a young Pakistan army officer of Bengali origin Major Zia Ur Rahman rebelled, took over Chittagong radio and in a lease than a minute broadcast declared Bangladesh as a free country.
Until then the Pakistan army had the support of Bengali police and paramilitary. After 3rd December declaration of independence,the police and paramilitary also revolted. After that moment onwards it was a point of no return and continuing to fight would have been suicide.
Less than two weeks later Pakistan army made a private deal with Indian army chief and surrendered.
The deal was of guaranteed repatriation of Pakistani soldiers if they surrender. The Pakistani military commanders were responsible of the safety of their men and had to find ways of ensuring that. The war wasn't worth fighting as political settlement was not going to happen.
On 16th of December 1971 General Nazi signed surrender agreement and in return got the guaranteed return of his soldiers back to west Pakistan.
On 18th December 1971 Bhutto held a press conference announcing his presidency. He was sworn in as president of Pakistan, following Ayub Khan era system of government . He made no condemnation of Indian attack on Pakistan and casually mentioned one of the biggest disaster in the history of Pakistan, breaking away of half of the country. He was focussed on one thing and one thing alone, his government.
President Bhutto placed General Yehya and his family under house arrest.
In Mianwali Jail Bhutto personally went and told the news of Bangladesh freedom to Sheikh Mujeeb. Eye witnesses say that Mujeeb begged Bhutto to allow him a TV and radio speech and he guaranteed he could still stop a complete break up of east Pakistan from west.
Bhutto didn't agree.
Same month a deal was made between Prime Minister Indra Gandhi of India, President Zulfiqar Bhutto of Pakistan and prisoner Sheikh Mujeeb. No details were ever made public. On 7th of January 1972 a Chartered PIA plane landed at Heathrow Airport London. It had only one passenger. That passenger Sheikh Mujeeb. He held a press conference then boarded in a chartered plane or air India . He landed in Delhi, was greeted by Indra Gandhi . He shouted Joy Bongla , Joy Hind.
Same day he flew to Dacca for a grand reception and made a second declaration of Bangladeshi independence.
It is said that if Mujeeb wasn't released or released much later, Bangladesh may still had some sort of link with Pakistan out of necessity. After Pakistan army surrender, India didn't show much interest in new country Bangladesh and they were left on their own devices.
November 1970 cyclone and the civil war after that, all came back to haunt Bangladesh. The Mukti Bahini refused to lay down arms despite repeated requests by Sheikh Mujeeb and the killings continued. Lack of infrastructure and destroyed crops compounded with no foreign relationship plunged Bangladesh into femine . After Bangladesh independence,
Millions died if hunger,disease and continuation or civil war. In November 1970 when Bhola cyclone created world's largest storm surge and drowned 40% of Bangladesh landmass, President Yehya khan had the links and expertise to summon international help while mobilizing a rescue operation. The world responded to Yehya and plane after plane and ship after ship full of aid landed in Dacca. Until Mujeeb decided to exploit the situation and provoke Bengali people against west Pakistan by telling them that west has left you alone. That resentment started unrest in the first place, disrupting aid efforts. But after independence Mujeeb had no international relations and nobody gave a damn when millions of Bengali died in the famine which lasted three years. May be that was the main reason Mujeeb same as bhutto wanted government of the whole of Pakistan or at least his part of Pakistan , but wanted a slow process of freedom not abrupt freedom.
In June 1974 Bhutto made a state visit to Bangladesh. Mujeeb and Bhutto hugged as if nothing had ever happened between them. Both got what they wanted. Governments of their parts of former united Pakistan.
Pictures of Bhola cyclone and later famine are still being flogged as evidence of "Pakistan army genocide of Bengalis".
In 1947 when British India was divided as India and Pakistan, the Muslim population of many parts of India migrated to Pakistan. The Muslim population of areas bordering east Pakistan, migrated to east Pakistan and made it their home. Majority were Muslims if Bihar or the Biharis.
After 1971 Bangladesh freedom, those Bihari / non Bengali residents of east Pakistan were abandoned by president Bhutto who made no effort to make them safe and repatriate them to west Pakistan. Those who could migrate, made the second migration to West Pakistan. They had to lose everything twice, first in 1947 and then in 1971. Those who couldn't migrate,were raped, killed and plundered by Mukti Bahini. Because they called themselves Pakistani. Those who migrated to west Pakistan weren't welcomed either. Many couldn't get Pakistani nationality until Zia era and had to live as illegal immigrants in their own country Pakistan.They were also rediculed and isolated on public level. Their Bihari Bengali mixed accent was laughed at. Their dark skin caused racial slurs. The resentment and sense of loss caused by all this created the "Mohajir" identity and related politics in the late 70s.

To this date the only entity who lost the most and gained nothing from the political turmoil and resulting war, is being blamed for it all.
The Pakistani army.
Who was the real father of Bangladesh, was it Zia ur Rehman for announcing freedom, or was it Sheikh Mujeeb for creating the circumstances, that is a hot topic of debate in Bangladesh even today.

 

[AbuzarIlyas]

The elitist class refused to give rights to the poor. A section of elitist politicians joined hands with indians against own motherland and used jobless youth to pick arms against jobian youth (army). Generals were leading jobian youth and politicians were leading jobless youth. Still this fiasco is continuing. Ghareeb of Pakistan is no more different than ghareeb of East Pakistan.

Dear elitist privileged class, you have to give rights to those who are still deprived... The thousands spent in restaurants shopping malls are leading to an unbalanced society. India kuch nahi patt sakta hamara agar yahan na insafi na ho!!!

 

[Pakistani sipahi]

You force us to treasonous by defying election results. Bhutto and drunker yahiya was main culprit for 71 debacle. If they handed over power to mujib the history of Pakistan would different.

No General Ayub Khan is responsible for all the mess had he hanged Mujib for Agratala Conspiracy case all the garbage created by mujib would have been cleaned and situation would never have reached this point .

 

[Vapnope]

"A surrender is a surrender"
We never learned anything from the debacle.

 

[Jackdaws]

I guess there were other non-combatants from various other verticals who too would be required to pick up a gun if push came to shove. India even let Pakistani troops be armed even after the surrender as there was genuine concern the Bangladeshis would skin the Pak troops otherwise.

 

[t_for_talli]

No General Ayub Khan is responsible for all the mess had he hanged Mujib for Agratala Conspiracy case all the garbage created by mujib would have been cleaned and situation would never have reached this point .

Why hang mujhib,
Why Bangla people were denied rights,
When they were majority (56%) of Population and won more seat why they were not allowed to rule

From 1948 to 70 , only 28% of budget was spent on east Pak and 72% on west Pak, when east Pakistan had majority of Pakistani Population

Why only 5% of serving armed forces were Bangla when they were 56% of total Population

Your leaders (civil / military) were insecure that if they share power/ make Bangla ppl mainstream they will become insignificant and Pakistani identity will be dominated by Bangla people

 

[bafxet]

Morally your solders were weaken. No ways they could thought about sacrificing their life's with full family. Rather they choose a humiliating surrender.

Actually, the commander eastern command Lt. Gen A.A.K.Niazi had lost the will to fight. Bregadiar Saddiq Salik in his book 'Witness to Surrender' wrote this on more than one occasions. While flying to Fort Williams, Calcutta as POW aboard an IAF plan he says Quote that I preferred taking home POWs instead of facing their widows.

 

[django]

Bhutto should have been shot

...
The traitor ensured that the Polish resolution failed knowing full well that a most humiliating defeat is a certain, all for his own political ambitions, the man literally makes my blood boil as do his descendants.Kudos

 

[Big Tank]

To all the machos who haven't even read a single book about 1971 War, Its reasons and the Battles are coming up with theories. Our Army and its Soldiers were morally weak. We committed heavy blunders and that pu$$y Tiger Niazi was responsible. Gen Khanzada and Gen Tikka were sensible people who regularly hosted Bengali Intellectuals to hold Mukti Bahini and Bengali Nationalism behind the lines. They had absolute idea about the threats. While Niazi was a pervert who'd eat Tikka and daily take a new foreign journalist at Flag Staff House for an "exclusive interview at night" .. He made the situation worst meanwhile he also set the Brigade Commanders lose who kept him in fake hopes of battle valor while all of them were bloody Hadh Haram. They sent the Soldiers to die with foolish strategies!!

 

[Kuru]

In November 1971 India started a full on assault on Pakistan army in east Pakistan.

I stopped reading your post here. Just to correct you, it was Pakistan which attacked Agra first and started this war.

 

[Safriz]

I stopped reading your post here. Just to correct you, it was Pakistan which attacked Agra first and started this war.

lol.
Typical Indian rubbish.

 

[mb444]

In February 1965 Field Marshal Ayub Khan held elections under American style "Electoral college" presidential system.
Ayub Khan won the election as he got more electoral college votes. His main rival Fatima Jinnah got more votes but less electoral college votes.
In September 1965 India attacked Pakistan and East west Pakistan jointly fought against India.
Presidential election results were widely accepted.
In 1966 Ayub Khan removed his foreign minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who started public protests against him.
Under pressure from Zulfiqar Bhutto popular uprising , Ayub Khan resigned on 25th March 1969.
While going he assigned General Yehya khan as president of Pakistan and responsible for holding general elections.
Much of the time after that was spent in bringing Bhutto of west Pakistan and Mujeeb of East Pakistan to the negotiations table for the purpose of agreeing upon an election format.
That never happened.
In November 1970 East Pakistan was hit by a record breaking storm, the Bhola cyclone which caused millions of deaths in East Pakistan and much loss of property and infrastructure.
Despite the problems just 18 months after being appointed president , General Yehya Khan held elections on 7th of December 1970.
Election format was a problem. Since no agreement was reached between politicians, General Yehya Khan held elections under a new "Unicameral" format which was neither presidential not true parliamentary.
There were total of 300 assembly seats to be won between both parts of Pakistan.
Bhutto won 81 seats , Mujeeb won 160 seats.
Mujeeb had clear majority but still there was no agreement about the form if government. Bhutto still won't talk to Mujeeb and won't agree to any transfer of power.
Yehya again urged both men to sort out their differences.
Annoyed and desperate, in March 1971 Yehya huddled
Zulfiqar Bhutto in a military plane and flew to Dacca with him. A whole unit of Pakistan army was standing guard outside a hotel and Sheikh Mujeeb was waiting inside. Yehya arrived with Bhutto and made him sit with Mujeeb to sort out the differences and agree upon some form of political government.
After many meetings on Dacca over a few days, no agreement was reached between the two.
Whatever happened next is to this date unclear and debatable. Mujeeb left Dhaka with Bhutto and Yehya and came to West Pakistan. Most probably he did so with his own intention. However upon arrival in west Pakistan he was attested and locked up in Mianwali jail.
Punjab police secret service placed constant surveillance on him and he had no contact with outside world.
With nobody at the helm the situation in East Pakistan exploded out of control.
All resources of Pakistan was consumed in keeping urban areas safe. In northern forests of east Pakistan India and soviet KGB started giving military training to rebellious Bengali youth. Armed them ,brainwashed them and an armed insurgency by the name of Mukti Bahini started. They knew no Geneva convention, no human rights and killed raped plundered whoever they wanted.
In November 1971 India started a full on assault on Pakistan army in east Pakistan. Now Pakistan army was fighting civilian insurgency and a foreign army.
The political situation which started the conflict was nowhere near to be resolved .
Over in west Pakistan things were very different from 1965. In 1965 when India attacked the Pakistaniarmy recruitment centers had long lines of volunteers and people wanting to join army to fight India. Public response was o overwhelming that army had to request people nit to come to army recruitment centres anymore . While in 1971 when India attacked east Pakistan, there wasn't Any response from people of west Pakistan. Nobody volunteered to fight India. May be more public support had helped in saving the other half of Pakistan?
On 3rd of December 1971 a young Pakistan army officer of Bengali origin Major Zia Ur Rahman rebelled, took over Chittagong radio and in a lease than a minute broadcast declared Bangladesh as a free country.
Until then the Pakistan army had the support of Bengali police and paramilitary. After 3rd December declaration of independence,the police and paramilitary also revolted. After that moment onwards it was a point of no return and continuing to fight would have been suicide.
Less than two weeks later Pakistan army made a private deal with Indian army chief and surrendered.
The deal was of guaranteed repatriation of Pakistani soldiers if they surrender. The Pakistani military commanders were responsible of the safety of their men and had to find ways of ensuring that. The war wasn't worth fighting as political settlement was not going to happen.
On 16th of December 1971 General Nazi signed surrender agreement and in return got the guaranteed return of his soldiers back to west Pakistan.
On 18th December 1971 Bhutto held a press conference announcing his presidency. He was sworn in as president of Pakistan, following Ayub Khan era system of government . He made no condemnation of Indian attack on Pakistan and casually mentioned one of the biggest disaster in the history of Pakistan, breaking away of half of the country. He was focussed on one thing and one thing alone, his government.
President Bhutto placed General Yehya and his family under house arrest.
In Mianwali Jail Bhutto personally went and told the news of Bangladesh freedom to Sheikh Mujeeb. Eye witnesses say that Mujeeb begged Bhutto to allow him a TV and radio speech and he guaranteed he could still stop a complete break up of east Pakistan from west.
Bhutto didn't agree.
Same month a deal was made between Prime Minister Indra Gandhi of India, President Zulfiqar Bhutto of Pakistan and prisoner Sheikh Mujeeb. No details were ever made public. On 7th of January 1972 a Chartered PIA plane landed at Heathrow Airport London. It had only one passenger. That passenger Sheikh Mujeeb. He held a press conference then boarded in a chartered plane or air India . He landed in Delhi, was greeted by Indra Gandhi . He shouted Joy Bongla , Joy Hind.
Same day he flew to Dacca for a grand reception and made a second declaration of Bangladeshi independence.
It is said that if Mujeeb wasn't released or released much later, Bangladesh may still had some sort of link with Pakistan out of necessity. After Pakistan army surrender, India didn't show much interest in new country Bangladesh and they were left on their own devices.
November 1970 cyclone and the civil war after that, all came back to haunt Bangladesh. The Mukti Bahini refused to lay down arms despite repeated requests by Sheikh Mujeeb and the killings continued. Lack of infrastructure and destroyed crops compounded with no foreign relationship plunged Bangladesh into femine . After Bangladesh independence,
Millions died if hunger,disease and continuation or civil war. In November 1970 when Bhola cyclone created world's largest storm surge and drowned 40% of Bangladesh landmass, President Yehya khan had the links and expertise to summon international help while mobilizing a rescue operation. The world responded to Yehya and plane after plane and ship after ship full of aid landed in Dacca. Until Mujeeb decided to exploit the situation and provoke Bengali people against west Pakistan by telling them that west has left you alone. That resentment started unrest in the first place, disrupting aid efforts. But after independence Mujeeb had no international relations and nobody gave a damn when millions of Bengali died in the famine which lasted three years. May be that was the main reason Mujeeb same as bhutto wanted government of the whole of Pakistan or at least his part of Pakistan , but wanted a slow process of freedom not abrupt freedom.
In June 1974 Bhutto made a state visit to Bangladesh. Mujeeb and Bhutto hugged as if nothing had ever happened between them. Both got what they wanted. Governments of their parts of former united Pakistan.
Pictures of Bhola cyclone and later famine are still being flogged as evidence of "Pakistan army genocide of Bengalis".
In 1947 when British India was divided as India and Pakistan, the Muslim population of many parts of India migrated to Pakistan. The Muslim population of areas bordering east Pakistan, migrated to east Pakistan and made it their home. Majority were Muslims if Bihar or the Biharis.
After 1971 Bangladesh freedom, those Bihari / non Bengali residents of east Pakistan were abandoned by president Bhutto who made no effort to make them safe and repatriate them to west Pakistan. Those who could migrate, made the second migration to West Pakistan. They had to lose everything twice, first in 1947 and then in 1971. Those who couldn't migrate,were raped, killed and plundered by Mukti Bahini. Because they called themselves Pakistani. Those who migrated to west Pakistan weren't welcomed either. Many couldn't get Pakistani nationality until Zia era and had to live as illegal immigrants in their own country Pakistan.They were also rediculed and isolated on public level. Their Bihari Bengali mixed accent was laughed at. Their dark skin caused racial slurs. The resentment and sense of loss caused by all this created the "Mohajir" identity and related politics in the late 70s.

To this date the only entity who lost the most and gained nothing from the political turmoil and resulting war, is being blamed for it all.
The Pakistani army.
Who was the real father of Bangladesh, was it Zia ur Rehman for announcing freedom, or was it Sheikh Mujeeb for creating the circumstances, that is a hot topic of debate in Bangladesh even today.

The father of Bangladesh is sher-e-bangla A.K.Fazlul Huq for the educated class. He is the giant who raised the Bengali muslims up and created our national consciousness. He was also the person who introduced the Lahore declaration.

1971 was a civil war. Mujib did not envision an independent Bangladesh. Up until his arrest he wanted a federal Pakistan with the east getting its just share of budget allocation.

Once the military crackdown began it was all over. Mujib could have handeled the situation if he was in Dhaka. Whilst there is enough blame on all side Bhutto is the prime reason for the sundering of Pakistan, he did not want to let go of power to the point it was acceptable to break the country. Military option should not have been chosen by the western military command on behest of one man to the detriment of the people’s wishes.

 

[Kuru]

lol.
Typical Indian rubbish.

Seems they never tell you about Operation Changez Khan. Not your fault.

 

[Chris Logan]

Niazi is an incompetent officer, you dont have to be pakistani to know that. he had no idea oh how to keep a peace and let his ego go to his head.