1971 War - As I Saw It

11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
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1971 War – As I Saw it

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Dec 20, 2016 #1
From the diary of an infantry officer who participated in the war

on Eastern Front as a Captain
Indeed, the greatest fantasy a soldier may have is to face the

enemy in battle and pitch his skills against him. The soldiers
Signalian
SENIOR MEMBER
with no practical experience of a real battlefield, often wonder
what it would be like to be in actual combat. Likewise, ever
since my induction in the army, I was also curious about the real
Messages: 3,570 feel of war. And more importantly, to know where we stood as
an Army, as far as professionalism, dedication and courage were
Joined: Aug 18, 2015
concerned. My father had the bitter experience of being part of
Ratings: +41 / 6,475 / -0
a war which was ultimately lost. He and his comrades in the
field were not responsible for the political and diplomatic
reasons which ultimately pushed East Pakistan towards
separation and brought about the defeat of Pakistani forces in
the Eastern Theatre. Yet, they were destined to experience the

agony of a defeat and the humility of a surrender. Pakistan
Army was, however, made up of courageous, devoted officers
and men, who despite being aware of the situation on ground,
did not hesitate to sacrifice their lives for the motherland.
https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/1971-war-as-i-saw-it.467827/ 1/29
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
History will not judge them by the yardstick of victory or defeat

but by that of their devotion, selflessness and sacrifice. All these
sons of the soil deserve recognition and our gratitude.
My father, Major (retired) Muhammadi Shah, was part of 15 FF

Regiment during the war on Eastern Front, as a Captain, with
hardly two years of service. Despite having a rural background,
he somehow adopted the habit of maintaining a diary, which he
regularly updated with his day-to-day observations and
experiences. Being very young, whereas it would not be realistic
to expect a mature analysis of the war as a whole, or the
national policy thereof, his observations, feelings and
experiences as a subaltern, could be of value and interest to our
young officers.
15 FF Regiment was employed in Khulna/Jessore area in East

Pakistan. The unit had the honour of having continued operating
even after the bulk of the army surrendered under the
instructions from the General Headquarters, on December 16,
1971. The regiment did not make part of the surrender
ceremony and subsequently handed itself over on December 18,
1971, after having destroyed/disposed of its weapons and
equipment at will. In succeeding paragraphs, I have tried to
reproduce few of the experiences of my father during the said
war. These have been extracted from his personal diary which
he maintained from the beginning of the war till the final days.
Events of 1971 War
September 19, 1971:

We moved to Karachi from Lahore, by train, as part of the
Advance Party.
September 26, 1971:

We moved from Dhaka to Khulna, by Steamer, at 1130 hours.
September 27, 1971:
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
Reached Khulna at 1600 hours local time and boarded a train

for Jessore which dropped us at Jessore at 1800 hours.
September 29, 1971 (Jessore):

Went for reconnaissance of the area where we had to take up
defensive positions. Returned from the reconnaissance on the
same day.
October 7, 1971 (Jessore):

Additional troops started reaching Jessore from West Pakistan
by C-130.
October 16, 1971:

After completing handing/taking over of stores with 25 Baloch,
moved to Satkhira, where our B Echelon was located.
November 19, 1971:

Curfew imposed in Satkhira.
November 22, 1971:

One of our soldiers, Sepoy Isra Khan and an East Pakistani
volunteer, embraced shahadat due to enemy fire. We had our
first contact with Muktis, and killed 5 Muktis in the encounter.
Could not sleep the whole night due to cold weather.
November 23, 1971:

We are improving our defensive positions on daily basis.
Remained busy in liaising with the neighbouring
commanders.
November 26, 1971:

Killed one Mukti through sniping.
November 30, 1971:

Killed four Muktis across the river.
December 4, 1971:
Indian fighter planes crossed the international border. We could
see them flying above our area.
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
December 8, 1971:
Jessore falls to the enemy. All troops deployed ahead of us thus
fell back. We kept waiting for the enemy’s arrival at night. At
0030 hours, enemy reached our location. As per the
instructions, we moved back to a new position in order to be
able to take up defences at a more defensible ground and to be
in a position to attrite the enemy.
December 9, 1971:
At around 0200 hours, reached at a new position in front of
Khulna. Took some rest at the new defensive position. In the
morning, sited some riflemen trenches and digging started.
Occasionally the enemy fighter aircraft kept visiting our position.
We observed that they were closely followed by our aircraft, but
they were probably informed of the arrival of PAF fighters by
their radars, and thus before the arrival of PAF jets, they used
to make an escape towards their side of the international
border. In any case, we carried on with the preparation of our
defences uninterrupted as the enemy was still far away. The
next night those deployed ahead of us came back. One of our
companies was deployed ahead of us as a screen.
December 10, 1971:

Lieutenant Tariq from our unit, along with two sepoys, got
injured and were sent back. Our troops deployed ahead of us
were continuously repulsing enemy attacks and were raising the
slogans of “Naara-e-Takbeer – Allah-o-Akbar” and “Pakistan
Zindabad”. These slogans raised our morale and filled us with
excitement and enthusiasm to confront the enemy. We asked for
volunteers to place mines under enemy tanks and fire rockets at
them from close ranges. These were to be suicidal missions. A
number of soldiers volunteered themselves for the task.
Everyone decided that this would be the last line, beyond which
the enemy will not be allowed to advance. Although we had
been ordered to move to this position as part of an overall plan,
yet, the fighting soldiers were not satisfied with the
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
arrangement, as they were not privy to the overall strategic

thought-process going on at the Eastern Command level. When
these troops were offered an opportunity to sacrifice their lives,
while preventing enemy tanks from advancing, smiles came to
their faces spontaneously. The enemy planes attacked our
positions five times during the day, but by the grace of Almighty
Allah none of our soldiers were injured. At around 1100 hours,
we heard explosions and shelling behind us in the direction of
Khulna. In the evening we came to know that two enemy boats,
with Pakistani flags fixed over them (as deception), entered our
area. Meanwhile, enemy aircraft also arrived and then the boats
and the aircraft jointly attacked our positions. In the
engagement, the enemy lost one of its aircraft and one out of
the two boats. Our troops captured the other boat and made
two officers and fourty eight other Indian Navy personnel
Prisoners of War (POWs). At around 1700 hours, the enemy
came into contact with our company deployed in front of us.
Artillery shelling started along with intense automatic fire. Till
morning, the enemy had launched four attacks, all of which had
been repulsed. Captain Ahmad Bilal, who volunteered to go to
the front, engaged a tank with a rocket launcher while standing
out of his trench. He received three bullets in his chest and
embraced shahadat.
December 11, 1971:

We had made contact with the enemy on December 10. We
destroyed three enemy tanks on the same day. Intense enemy
artillery shelling and small arms fire commenced early in the
morning. By now we had become indifferent to the enemy
shelling. We only had a paddy field in front of us. It was an open
area. Just about 2000 yards ahead of us, our troops were
engaged with the enemy. We could see the smoke rising from
the destroyed enemy tanks and could also hear the “Naara-e-
Takbeer” and “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans of our colleagues. We
were eager to find out what was going on at the front and were
watching through binoculars, but owing to thick vegetation, we
could see nothing. The shelling continued throughout the day
and night.
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
December 12, 1971:

In the morning, we could hear the sounds of automatic fire and
artillery shelling from all directions. But despite this, everyone
was in high spirits. Everyone was ready to sacrifice. We were all
determined to fight till the last man, last bullet. We all wished to
make history on this front. The shelling continued in intervals
and enemy fighter aircraft were also flying over our positions
four to five times a day. In the evening, intense enemy shelling
commenced, followed by an attack, which was successfully
repulsed. Our troops kept raising the slogans of “Naara-e-
Takbeer” and “Pakistan Zindabad”. Around 0030 hours, the
same night, enemy launched another attack under the cover of
intense artillery shelling. The attack was repulsed. The enemy
attacked again at 0430 hours, but could not dare to advance in
our area. During this night, the enemy shelled the area so much
that in the morning the whole ground in front of us was dotted
with shell craters. A number of local civilians and cattles died
due to the shelling. A number of houses were also destroyed.
Two of our men got minor injuries. We found a Bihari whose
throat had been slit, surely by Muktis.
December 13, 1971:

Sporadic shelling continued. Enemy fighter aircraft often flew
over our defences, but being unable to identify our positions,
returned without any engagement. At 1230 hours, enemy
aircraft attacked our position with rockets and machine guns but
could not cause any damage or casualties. The enemy aircraft
rocketed their own positions also (probably by mistake), after
which smoke could be seen rising from the area. The enemy
kept engaging our positions with artillery, but at a very slow fire
rate. In the evening, however, the shelling commenced with
such intensity that one felt as if the rounds were being fired
from a machine gun. The enemy tried to launch an attack under
the cover of this intense bombardment. We opened artillery and
mortar fire in response. One could hear the sounds of shelling
and automatic fire in all directions. The enemy attack was
repulsed. Intense enemy shelling continued for 15 minutes. At
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
night, the enemy kept firing one odd round, which had a
sedative effect on us and we fell asleep. The enemy used air,
artillery and armour in succession. When artillery would pause,
tank fire would commence and when tanks would take a break,
air would start engagement. Despite all this, somehow we
managed to have a sound sleep and were in high spirits. At
around 1130 hours, five Gnat fighter aircraft of the enemy
attacked our positions with rockets, machine gun fire and
bombing. They attacked our position five times, but failed to
cause any casualty. At around 2100 hours, enemy attacked
again under the cover of heavy artillery shelling but the attack
was repulsed. During the attack, our artillery fired star shells
which illuminated the whole area in front of us and we were able
to engage the enemy with accurate fire. The enemy would turn
on the tank engines, move them forward a bit and then pull
them back, just to demoralize our troops. But our troops,
despite knowing that they were surrounded by the enemy, were
in unbelievably high spirits. The area where the enemy wished
to make a dent, was so heavily shelled that it appeared as if the
land over there had been turned upside down. Had the enemy
troops been exposed to such a volume of fire, they would
probably have even doffed their uniforms, considering them
heavy, and fled away. Mysteriously, despite this intense artillery
shelling, we did not suffer any significant damage. After having
failed to make any breakthrough, the enemy attacked the unit
on our flank at around 0730 hours (December 15) but the
enemy did not achieve anything there either except failure and
disappointment.
December 15, 1971:

On this front, the enemy had so far lost around 500 men and
hundreds must have been wounded (the communication
through wireless sets indicate these losses). Today again at
0715 hours, the enemy started shelling our positions with
artillery as well as mortars. The enemy guns took a break at
0900 hours. Mortars continued engaging our positions at a very
slow rate. Enemy aircraft flew over our positions ten times, but
except for sporadic rocket and machine gun fire, did not cause
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
much damage. SU-7 aircraft also flew over our positions for the
first time. At 1740 hours the enemy artillery started engaging
our positions and the fire continued through the night.
Note:
Captain Arjumand Yar Khand, 15 FF Regiment mentioned later
in this article, embraced shahadat on this day (December 15,
1971). Here's a narration of his brave fight and ultimate
martyrdom, by Brigadier Mehboob Qadir:
“Captain Arjumand Yar Khand1 was a young and very

handsome, rather feminish, officer from an infantry unit. He was
known as the ‘baby of the battalion’. He was assigned the task
of setting up a strong delaying position2 ahead of this defensive
position to cause as much attrition and loss of time on the
advancing enemy as possible. This officer, along with a handful
of men, held his ground against repeated Indian armor and
infantry assaults, hours of air bombing and straffing for nearly
three days just as Headquarters Eastern Command was
negotiating terms of surrender with Calcutta. On the third day,
Arjumand’s delaying position was overrun after a pitched battle;
not a soul returned. That day probably on December 15th, we
received orders from Eastern Command to surrender. Brigadier
‘Makhmad’ Hayat refused to obey this order and we fought on
for the next three days till literally the last bullet was left in our
rifle chambers. We were facing 9 Indian Mountain Division
whose officers told us the story of the incomparable bravery of
Arjumand and his men after the war was over. During three
days of pitched battle his men were being killed and seriously
wounded, machine guns and anti-tank guns were being knocked
out one after the other but Arjumand and his small force stood
fast. On the last day Arjumand was the only one left in the
delaying position. His men were either all killed or seriously
wounded. Attacking Sikh infantry surrounded his trench and
asked him to surrender as he was profusely bleeding from his
shattered legs that had probably absorbed a direct Mortar shell
hit. In dire need of medical aid, he refused. After a lot of
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
persuasion he finally agreed. With one hand he lifted his

weapon and with the other he was about to lob a hand grenade
when they spotted him and had to kill him. This fearless young
officer died fighting extremely bravely; so much so that even
the enemy was full of praises for him. They had buried him with
honor.”3
December 16, 1971:

The enemy shelling continued till morning. The battalion on our
right withdrew after having caused significant damage to the
enemy. After the withdrawal of the said battalion, the enemy
encircled us and cut our route of withdrawal from behind.
Around 1115 hours, while I was in D Company, busy in liaison,
an order was received to move a platoon from D Company to
the depth location. After about five minutes another order was
received that the whole of D Company was to be moved to
another location. I started moving towards my own company
which was about 600 yards from D Company's location. After
having moved for about 400 yards, I saw my buddy approaching
me from the direction of my platoon location. He told me that
my platoon had been ordered to move to the location of the
Company Headquarters. I reached my platoon Headquarters,
and found my platoon ready to move. When I reached at the
location of the Company Headquarters, the Company
Headquarters had already left the place. I enquired about
further orders on wireless and was asked to move backwards,
staying away from the road. I was not aware of the situation at
that moment. On the route which I adopted during my move
back, I could hear some artillery shelling and automatic fire. I
therefore adjusted my route a bit. I could, however, make out
from this fire that the enemy had cut our route of withdrawal.
The shells were landing at a distance of about 400-500 yards
away from us. I increased my speed. There were two routes
available. One passed through a forest, which was being
engaged by the enemy with artillery and the other one passed
through a marshy area, with paddy fields. We adopted the route
passing through the paddy fields. While moving through the
marshes, an artillery shell landed in the middle of my troops but
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
no one got hurt. I got worried considering that probably the

enemy Observation Post had located our movement. I was also
concerned about my troops, as there was neither any cover
available from air observation, nor could we run for safety in
case of an air attack. It was difficult even to carry our
equipment and luggage in these marshes, carrying a casualty
would have been an uphill task. Initially, everyone tried to move
as fast as possible and clear this open, coverless patch as
quickly as possible, but very soon everyone got exhausted and
the pace became slower. Meanwhile, enemy fired four more
rounds on the field which we were crossing but luckily no one
got hurt. By around 1230 hours, we were able to reach the
forest, after having crossed the marshy patch. I gathered my
men, took some rest and asked for further instructions from the
Company Headquarters. We were asked to report at a certain
location on the road. On my way back, I came across my
Commanding Officer and 2nd-in-Command. They asked me to
give my troops some rest in the Khulna High School. In the
meantime, I accompanied Commanding Officer and the 2nd-in-
Command to reconnoiter my new company position. It was
around 1300 hours. After having chosen my new defensive
position, I deployed my company there. The trenches were
already available in the position. Then I went to the Battalion
Headquarters. There I had conversation with other officers of
the battalion and we discussed the overall situation. I stayed at
the Battalion Headquarters till the evening. Our men kept
getting out of the enemy encirclement. At around 1500 hours,
we received the news of ceasefire. We were ordered not to fire
unless the enemy attacked us. At 1730 hours, we reorganized A
and C Companies and took stock of the injured and missing
personnel. Four of our officers were inside the enemy’s
encirclement. Owing to the deficiency of officers, I was
appointed as Company Commander of C Company at 1800
hours. And I shifted from my company to C Company. We had
given enemy a tough resistance and caused them numerous
casualties, but after the fall of Dhaka, the Eastern Command
appeared to be left with no option but to surrender.
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
December 17, 1971:

Around 2355 hours in the night, we received orders to leave our
company position and move back to Battalion Headquarters. We
prepared to surrender the next day (December 18) as per the
instructions (but did not fail to destroy all weapon and
equipment that we thought should not fall in to enemy hands).
December 18, 1973:

I came from India to Pakistan. I was the Luggage Officer and
was travelling in an open truck, but due to excitement and
happiness, I did not feel any cold. We were warmly received and
were taken to the Reception Camp. There we had some tea,
sweets and meat. I was having meat for the first time in two
years (that too in abundance). We then moved to Lahore “A”
Mess. There we were treated with love and care. After filling
some forms we went to Captain Arjumand Yar Khand Shaheed’s
house. I could not face his mother. Because, while leaving for
East Pakistan, she had kissed the forehead of her son and
myself, being his friend. I still remember how she had kissed
her son. Probably her sixth sense had told her that her son will
not return. I had seen this on her face. I shed tears in their
house because I could not control myself. From her attitude and
the way she talked, I am convinced of her greatness. She is
indeed a great mother of a great son and a great nation.
Diplomatic chatter and political rhetoric does not interest

soldiers as much as the dribble of artillery shells or the rumbling
of air strikes. During wars, field soldiers seldom, if ever, bother
themselves with what is going on at the strategic level. They are
neither judgmental about the planning process nor comment on
the orders. They struggle on the battlefield with whatever they
have at their disposal to accomplish the assigned tasks. A host
of circumstances, influencing the overall battlefield
environment, may then ultimately bring about either the victory
or defeat of an army. Even the most splendid armies in the
history of mankind suffered reverses on the battlefield. British,
Germans and Japanese, to name just a few, all have had their
share of defeat at some stage of their histories. Armies learn
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
from their and others’ mistakes and build on their strengths

through a process of evolution. In the battle of Al-Jisr (Persian
Campaign – October 634 AD), for example, during the era of
Caliph Umar bin Khattab (R.A.), Muslims suffered a setback and
were routed from the battlefield. The Muslim fighters, who had
thus fled the battlefield, were concerned as to how Hazrat Umar
(R.A.) would deal with them. But to their surprise and against
all the expectations, to the contrary, he protected them, solaced
them and honoured them, because he understood the
circumstances at the battlefield in that particular war. The same
army got refitted and continued the tide of Muslim conquests.
In 1971, our armed force fought a desperate war under

impossible circumstances; in a battlefield entered with
insufficient resources and an unreliable supply line from the
outset. At several places, individual units fought isolated battles,
despite having been encircled and cut off from their bases.
Neither the incessant bombing, however, nor the poor supply
conditions, nor the political and diplomatic failings, could affect
their morale or waiver their resolve. They remained committed
and steadfast till the last moment. With enemy in front and
enemy at the back, they fought with honour, courage, dignity
and professionalism; bearing the brunt of intense shelling and
bombardment.
E-mail: tariqbarki1976@gmail.com
1 All we know about Captain Arjumand Yar Khand is from

enemy’s mouth as neither he nor any of his men, returned from
the post which they were assigned. He was recommended for
Nishan-e-Haider, but the tragic end of the war shrouded the
story of this hero of the nation, who did his best till the last of
his breath for the defence of the motherland.
2 This delaying position was located in area Siramani on Khulna-

Jessore road.
3 Mehboob Qadir, Fall from Grace, The Centre for Policy and
Media Studies, (http://cpmspak.org/pdf/Fall from
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
Grace.pdf)
http://hilal.gov.pk/index.php/layouts/item/2443-1971-
war-as-i-saw-it
@Ulla
Thanks x 23
Dec 20, 2016 #2
many pakistani units refused to surrender and fought till end. In

one case one unit refused to surrender and resisted so well that
indians took pakistani generals to persuade them to surrender.
even enemy general praised pakistan army valour. One captain
from pakistan army recieved a letter of appreciation from indian
naveedullahkhankhatt
general for not giving away his post during all war until he ran
ak
SENIOR MEMBER out of ammo.
Messages: 5,534
Joined: Jan 22, 2015

The Magnificent. The man who refused to surrender in 71 and
Ratings: +3 / 5,689 / -2
escaped with a wounded friend on his shoulders. He reached
Pakistan undefeated Uncaptured.
Col Muhammad Suleiman the great Commando
MUHAMMAD SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT

The untold tale of 17th Dec 1971 War:
THE PAK FAUJ PHANTOM WARRIOR WHO DENIED THE
PERSONAL ORDERS OF GEN NIAZI AND REFUSED TO
SURRENDER...
I never understood why Gen Musharraf would always refer to his

Course Mate as Muhammad Suleiman "The Magnificent"...
Than one day I asked the question but was never prepared for
the story i am about to share for the very first time...
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
1971... a Mother hugs & embraces her son as he departs for

War... Her loving words "jaa putter Allah dey Havalay... Lout kar
ana Ghazi ya Shaheed"...
One night in a bunker two Commandos were joking with one

another to keep their morale and spirits high... SSG Bilal Rana
turns to his friend and says "yaar, mera bulava aa gaya ha...
Lekin promise me one thing... Take this grenade of mine and
should the enemy get close, use the grenade but never be
captured by them... And one last thing, should you have a son,
name him Bilal" and with this sentence they both erupted with
uncontrollable laughter... On the 10th Dec 1971, whilst on a
mission, Rana Bilal fought bravely and embraced the highest
honour of Shahadat.
On that BLACK DAY in Pakistans history, 16th Dec 1971, General

Niazi surrendered to the enemy, hence the "Fall of Dacca". As
word spread, one Pak Fauj Soldier had NO intentions of going
against his Mothers words or breaking a promise he made just a
few nights earlier to his friend Bilal Shaheed...
Suleiman barged into the underground dug in bunkers of

Eastern Command in Dacca Cantt, (the War HQs of East
Pakistan was known as Eastern Command)... full of anger/rage
with his loaded kalashnikov rifle in hand... He looked Gen Niazi
in the eyes and refused to accept the orders of surrendering...
confronting the arrogant Gen Niazi, at one stage the Gen
emphasised " I am the Commander and I order you to
surrender". Suleiman replied, " You have accepted defeat and
you are surrendering. You have LOST the moral authority to be
Commander. I refuse to obey your orders."
Controlling his anger, the Warrior gave Gen Niazi a piece of his
mind (words unappropriate to repeat, lol)... Gen Niazi shouted
"you r a fool and u will be killed trying to escape"... The
Phantom Warrior turned back for the final time and said "i
promised i will not be captured as a POW (Prisoner of War)... My
Mother will only accept my return as a Ghazi ya Shaheed and no
other way... I came to fight the enemy, NOT surrender to the
enemy"...
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
On the eve of 17th December 1971, The Phantom disappeared

into the darkness of the night & was never found by the
enemy... escaping to Burma.
BUT... when Suleiman left HQ Eastern Command he didn't
escape alone. Maj P.D.Khan who was 2nd in command of 2 Cdo
Bn (Suleiman's Bn) was in CMH Dacca with a bullet in his knee.
Suleiman went to CMH and asked P.D to accompany him. P.D
refused explaining that because he was badly wounded he
would hamper Suleiman's escape.
One hit on the neck & PD was unconscious. Suleiman lifted
wounded PD and brought him all the way home in W. Pak.
PD later became Lt Gen P.D.Khan and commanded the famous
10 Corps Chaklala. (this paragraph added courtesy of SSG Col
Mohammad Arif ).
The lonesome Soldier did not allow the enemy to stain his
Khaki... He returned to his Mother and Motherland as a BRAVE
GHAZI and both he and Gen Musharraf went on to name their
sons Bilal after their friend, Bilal Rana Shaheed.
Such bravery and courage...

Defying the orders of surrender...
Escaping...
Now we all know why Gen Musharraf and so many in the
PakArmy till this date call him "MUHAMMAD SULEIMAN THE
MAGNIFICENT" !!!
Captain Ahsan Malik, the brave son of soil. Who was not
just a part of history but created history himself.
Changing the face of war and falsifying the principal of
man power and weapons in the battle field, Captain Malik
not only became a beacon for the Pakistani Nation but
also compelled the enemy to add him in its war
curriculum.
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
Posted by Our Heroes need their identity back

9,682 Views
Captain Ahsan Malik, the brave son of soil. Who was not just a part of history
himself. Changing the face of war and falsifying the principal of man power an
battle field, Captain Malik not only became a beacon for the Pakistani Nation
the enemy to add him in its war curriculum.
After a struggle of many years, we present first ever interview of Colonel (R) A
211 42 357
"If you take out this Pakistani flag and give it to us, we will let
you go… or… prepare to die" this was the warning given to the
Major who was also their company commander, by the
traitorous East Bengal Rifles, accompanied by Mukti Bahini.
"Me and take the Pakistani flag out? Not in a million years" was
the answer by Major along with a shower of bullets.
The argument now turned into a fierce battle.
The background of this argument was that a Bengali NCO of the
unit was very abusive to his jawans and often abused them. The
Major called the NCO to his office and told him that refrain from
such practice. The NCO came out of the office and said that
Company Commander has permitted him to disgrace the jawans
as much as possible. A jawan who was a witness to this whole
situation argued that it is absolutely wrong. The argument
turned into a fight. The Major came out of his office and tried to
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
resolve the issue but he was himself injured.

To get proper medication, he had to move to the company head
quarters. His CO Colonel Rab Nawaz told him not to go back to
his company as it has turned against Pakistan. Major refused to
do so. Colonel Rab Nawaz locked him in a room but Major was
able to escape the room and reach his company.
It was a rumor in the company that Major has fled for his life,
but against their perceptions Major was still there to take over
the company. Now the traitor elements in the company became
desperate. They surrounded the Major who was at the Tangail
Rest House along with the DC of the district. Major was given
the option to surrender or to take out the Pakistani flag hoisted
on the roof of rest house. Both these options were unacceptable
for Major, so he took a third option …
A fierce battle started between The Major and a whole company
of traitors. Even being heavily armed and in a large number,
enemy was not able to move even an inch near the rest house.
It took one day and one night but the battle was still on. On
March 29, traitors were able to advance when the Major ran out
of ammunition.
Traitors killed the Major and then were able to take the control
of the rest house.
Today history knows the Major as Major Kazim Kamal Khan
Shaheed SSG (Sitara e Jurrat) Punjab Regiment.
Capt Ahsaan Malik

Sitara-e-Jurat
31 Baloch
Battle Of Kamalpur,1971
The Defence of Kamalpur refers to the battle fought at Kamalpur

near the border in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 . The Defence
of Kamalpur, a hamlet on the border, by Captain Ahsaan Malik
and his 140 men would be an epic in any army's history. He had
seventy soldiers of 31 Baloch and the same number of para-
military troops; all fought magnificently against great odds.
Attacks against Pakistani border outposts in the north had

11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
begun in July. These were mounted by Mukti Bahini, mainly

former members of East Pakistan's regular forces, but failed to
make any impression. Further attacks on Kamalpur, a kilometre
from the border, came on 22 October and 14 November, the
latter being made by Indian 13 Guards Battalion, which
established blocking positions to the south. Malik was cut off
and his CO, Lt. Col. Sultan Mahmood tried to relive him and the
other two outposts (Naqshi and Baromari, to the east) without
success. On 29 November (all this before 'war' broke out) Major
Ayub of 31 Baloch tried to resupply Malik's tiny garrison but he
was totally outnumbered,Indians had a massive force deployed
in the sector.
Indian commander of the area Brigadier Kler tried to take

Kamalpur on the run, using Mukti Bahini troops, but failed.The
140 men under command of Capt Maalik proved to be men of
steel and stood firm against all odds...... Indians then mounted
a battalion attack by 1 Maratha Light Infantry. Capt Maalik
repulsed every attack despite having a very few men on his
side...Capt Maalik and his men (butchered) all, who so ever
tried to advance towards their position,may it be an indian
soldier or one of the mukti bahinis.
Brig Kler then 'decided to lay siege to Kamalpur and break down
its will to resist'....
General Sukhwant Singh wrote in his book ( 'The Liberation of
Bangladesh),Getting wary because of casualties, successive
failures and demoralisation among the attacking troops, Indian
commander decided to starve out the garrison by a prolonged
siege. ' A brigade is demoralised by a company? Sukhwant
Singh knew that there was no Pakistani Artillery in this sector,
only two troops of mortars, but states that Kler was '...further
handicapped in as much as one of his battalions had just been
reorganised from (a unit) raised initially for counterinsurgency
with no support elements. In tackling a weak platoon post,
another battalion brought out some weaknesses of leadership
under fire. The battalion reached its objective with relatively few
casualties. As expected, the enemy turned mortar fire on the
objective. A mortar bomb landed on the trench occupied by four
men close to the commanding officer (Colonel). He saw limbs fly
and lost his nerve.'
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
On the other hand Captain Ahsaan Malik did not lose his nerve
when much worse was happening in his area and he was
fighting an unwinnable battle against overwhelming odds.
Capt Maalik and his 140 odd men demoralized the Indian troops
and commanders who had a massive force on their side,by
repulsing every attack and not giving in.
At about 0930 on 4 December, 'after withdrawing his troops

from close siege,The Indian Commander Kler, 'hammered the
post with seven sorties of MiG 21s firing rockets and cannon and
this was repeated twice later in the day'.
Maj. General Gurbux Singh (commander of the north region)
had to interfere when (Kler) completely failed. He sent Captain
Malik a note by a Mukti Bahini courier:'...whatever you decide to
do we have every intention of eliminating Kamalpur post. It is to
save you and our side casualties this message is being sent to
you...'.But Capt Malik did not give it any attention.
The General then sent another note after a further air strike and
this was met, as had been the other messages, by increased
firing by Malik's men....causing more casualities to the indian
side...... But it could not go on, as one by one Malik's men were
embracing shahadat.......Malik received the order by radio to
surrender........
Finally when Captain Ahsaan Malik's small leftover force was
taken in, it was found that his company was nearly out of
ammunition, barring a few hand grenades and a few bullets
each. They were ready to fling themselves on the enemy with
daggers and bayonets if it came to that, until they realized that
the piece of territory they were defending was already a
different country......... Nothing remained there to die for.........
General Sukhwant Singh later on was very much impressed by

Capt Ahsaan Malik and said,',,, Malik did put up a courageous
stand....and held the Indian brigade for 21 days depite having
such a small company of just 140 Men....
The Indian Army Chief Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw also ,even
after the war, could not forget the bravery shown by Capt Malik
and sent a personal congratulatory message to Malik
commending his defiant stand.' and wrote 'Militarily his
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
performance was excellent'....and recommended him for a

gallantry award.
Maj. Gen. Gurbux Singh decided to meet Malik personally but,
while being driven towards Kamalpur by Kler to meet the brave
Captain, their jeep went over a mine and he was badly
wounded.
When Capt Ahsaan Malik returned to Pakistan, he was decorated

with a Sitara-e-Jurrat which is the third highest military award
in Pakistan. Later on, Field Marshal Manekshaw acknowledged
the bravery of Capt Ahsaan Malik and his men, in a letter
written to his Pakistani counterpart.
Thanks x 17
Dec 20, 2016 #3
Asgard said: ↑
Lol.
Source is ISPR propaganda magazine Hilal.
Taimur Khurram Just get lost.

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Thanks x 5
Dec 20, 2016 #4
December 04, 1971

Sulemanki Sector
6 FF conducted a successful operation in the area on the
evening of 03 December. After taking position, a search
party was sent in the area to search for hidden enemy
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
naveedullahkhankhatt soldiers. This search party was lead by Major Shabbir

ak himself. After an operation of two hours, many Indian
SENIOR MEMBER
soldiers were captured. Now it was a question to send
these POWs to the Pakistani Battalion Head Quarters.
Someone suggested an escort of two armed persons to
Messages: 5,534
take these prisoners to the Battalion Head Quarters. But
Joined: Jan 22, 2015 Maj. Shabbir refused…”This is war my friend, every single
Ratings: +3 / 5,689 / -2 person is required to preserve his energy and I am not
going to waste it in a futile manner."
Brandishing a G-3 in his hand, he went to the prisoners.
Pointing the gun at them, he ordered them to take off
their shoes and sweaters. "What are you doing sir",
Corporal Maroof Ali asked in a surprised manner.
"They are bare feet and they can’t go far in this area if
they try to escape. You can test it yourself", Shabbir
answered smiling.
Now he addressed to the POWs,"Look at me, I am Major
Shabbir, the company commander." Pointing towards a
reserve of forests he continued, “Do you see that tree?
Our battalion HQ is underneath it. All of you raise your
both of your hands and go March. I am watching you
from this point. If any of you dropped his hands, I will
shoot you and I don't care even if anyone else is killed.
Report to Major Hidayat there and tell him that I have
sent you. Now double March! Quick".
In a frightened manner, POW started the march. As they
reached near the Rear Head Quarters, everyone saw
them approaching and raised the alarm, thinking that
they were attackers. As they reached nearer, Major
Hidayat was surprised to see that the attackers were
getting pale with fear, with no weapons, no shoes, not
even the sweater.
"We are POWs captured by Major Shabbir, please receive
us", in a mumbling voice the POWs requested. Major
Hidayat received them in a surprised manner. Meanwhile,
the field telephone rang and Maj Shabbir was on the line,
laughing boisterously, he asked Major Hidayat about the
POWs and Maj Hidayat confirmed it.
Major Shabbir Sharif enjoys the unique honour of being
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
the proud recipient of Sword of Honour, Sitar-e-Jurrat

and Nishan-e-Haider: the three most coveted awards of
Pakistan Army.
foxtrot1 said: ↑
Arun Khetralpal was just 21 and refused to abandon his half blown
Tank till last breath as the gun was still working and managed to
destroy 10 Pakistani Tanks before taking the second hit and KIA
There are many such situations both on India and Pakistani sides.
indeed. both armies respect each other. Ordinary indian citizens

and politicians call Pakistan army coward for surrendering but
1:30 numerical disadvantage,100% blockade,tired due to
counterinsurgency operations, half of own army became enemy.
Under these circumstances it was impossible to even fight a war.
Indian army generals know all this and they had seen valour of
Pakistan army. That's why they always praised Pakistan army
valour in 1971.
December 06, 1971.
Sulemanki Sector, Saboona
1055 Hours
It was the time of chaos and trouble for everyone present

at the front. Though it was a cold day of winter, but the
battle field was burning like hell as the intense shelling
from enemy guns were raining on the ground. Indian
soldiers were attacking in waves after waves and their
commanders could be seen in the back, driving them with
batons, shouting at them to move forward. Whereas on
the Pakistani side, their company commander Major
Shabbir Sharif could be seen manning a machine gun. A
day before, he killed the Indian Company commander
Major Narain Singh in a hand to hand combat. Killing him
by his own sten gun, Shabbir had made the enemy flee
away. Doing this dare devil act, he was himself injured by
the phosphorus grenade thrown at him by Major Narain.
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
Right part of Shabbir’s shoulder and face was badly

burnt. Neglecting every injury, he was fighting on the
front. Two tanks were spotted coming towards his
position, covering enemy pointing the recoil rifle towards
the tanks, he fired. The tank was hit and the advance
stopped. Shabbir pointed the weapon at the second tank
and fired, but it missed. Tank fired at him at point blank.
The shell exploded near Shabbir, tossing him high above
the ground. As his body landed on the ground, his soul
had set towards the skies.
Thanks x 6
Dec 20, 2016 #5
Sarge said: ↑
From the diary of an infantry officer who participated in the war on

Eastern Front as a Captain
Indeed, the greatest fantasy a soldier may have is to face the enemy
sonicboom
FULL MEMBER
in battle and pitch his skills against him. The soldiers with no practical
experience of a real battlefield, often wonder what it would be like to
be in actual combat. Likewise, ever since my induction in the army, I
was also curious about the real
Clickfeel of war And more importantly to
to expand...
Messages: 705
Joined: Mar 13, 2009 Great read. My dad was also a POW. He was originally sent to
Ratings: +2 / 807 / -0
Khulna and then later deployed in Jessore sector. He was in
Fategarh camp, India.
Thanks x 6
Dec 20, 2016 #6
foxtrot1 said: ↑
That was the first time India went fully offensive and with an agenda
not to defend and totally out as Indira Gandhi wanted the division at
any cost even if the economy falls or western sector is opened.
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
naveedullahkhankhatt even if india didn't have sent so many soldiers they would have
ak won. given the disadvantages Pakistan had in Bengal. it would
SENIOR MEMBER
have been a lot tougher war with no result if Pakistan army
supplies were not blocked. Remember they were fighting
thousand of kilometers away from other half.
Messages: 5,534
Also indian intelligence agencies did well in creating such
Joined: Jan 22, 2015 scenario. Some help was given by Pakistani leaders.
Ratings: +3 / 5,689 / -2 the whole RAW operation was exposed few years before that
and all culprits were caught but our politicians wanted to break
pakistan at any cost because they were not been able to get
votes in east pakistan. similarly east pakistan politicians were
not able to even nominate a single candidate in west pakistan.
This was supposed to happen at any cost.
Thanks x 2
Dec 20, 2016 #7
MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES AND SALUTE TO THE BRAVE MEN

IN UNIFORM. MAY ALMIGHTY REST THE SHAHEEDS SOULS
ETERNALLY IN THE HIGHEST PARADISE.
ALMIGHTY HAD BEEN KIND, AS I DON'T HAVE A DROP OF

Banglar Bir
SENIOR MEMBER
BLOOD IN MY HANDS, ALL WE DID WAS CARRY OUT ACTS OF
SABOTAGE, i.e, blowing up Electrical transformers, firing blindly
in the air,just to make noise and create panic,etc.NEVER KILLED
Messages: 7,812
ANYONE IN MY LIFE. ALHUMDULILLAH.
Joined: Mar 19, 2006

MY ANGER IS TOWARDS THOSE POLITICIANS AND CONCERNED
Ratings: +1 / 3,846 / -4
ELITE, WHO ALL USED THESE BRAVE YOUNG MEN AS
SACRIFICIAL LAMBS.
Last edited: Dec 21, 2016
Thanks x 3
Dec 20, 2016 #8
Asgard said: ↑
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
Lol.
Source is ISPR propaganda magazine Hilal.
Zero neutrality.
I suppose your Bhatak Raksak is "fair and balanced".

django
ELITE MEMBER
Messages: 9,040
Joined: Aug 7, 2007
Ratings: +8 / 18,287 / -0
Thanks x 8
Dec 20, 2016 #9
No doubt Pakistani Army fought tooth and nail in East Pakistan,

but even they realized they were fighting a losing war.
Geography alone dictated their defeat.
cloud4000
SENIOR MEMBER
Messages: 3,261
Joined: Oct 11, 2015
Ratings: +0 / 3,173 / -1
Thanks x 11
Dec 20, 2016 #10
East pakistan had cyclone and natural disaster for 10-13 years
that is why we lost that region due to lack strong ground
structure. Floods also caused major damage to economy (illegal
excess water release)
AZADPAKISTAN2009
We also lacked tremendous amount of resources & navy
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
ELITE MEMBER
Won't happen again
Messages: 26,468
Joined: Sep 8, 2009
Ratings: +34 / 24,297 / -1
Thanks x 2
Dec 20, 2016 #11
No point mocking or doubting the bravery of individual soldiers -

no one enrolls in the Armed Forces to surrender. Of course,
Indians and Pakistanis will have differing views on the war - but
that's okay.
Jackdaws
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Thanks x 8
Dec 20, 2016 #12
Allah ho Akbar.
Khan_patriot
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11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
Dec 21, 2016 #13
sonicboom said: ↑
Great read. My dad was also a POW. He was originally sent to Khulna
and then later deployed in Jessore sector. He was in Fategarh camp,
India.
Signalian
SENIOR MEMBER Your father is a brave son of the nation
Messages: 3,570
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Thanks x 4
Dec 21, 2016 #14
A nation needs its heroes.
padamchen
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Dec 21, 2016 #15
11/23/2018 1971 War – As I Saw it
Narendra Trump said: ↑
why you always have credibility issues??
any neutral source??

foxtrot1
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wiki is neutral
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Ratings: +0 / 370 / -7
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1971 War – As I Saw it

Dec 20, 2016 #1

From the diary of an infantry officer who participated in the war

Indeed, the greatest fantasy a soldier may have is to face the

History will not judge them by the yardstick of victory or defeat

My father, Major (retired) Muhammadi Shah, was part of 15 FF

15 FF Regiment was employed in Khulna/Jessore area in East

Events of 1971 War

September 19, 1971:

September 26, 1971:

September 27, 1971:

Reached Khulna at 1600 hours local time and boarded a train

September 29, 1971 (Jessore):

October 7, 1971 (Jessore):

October 16, 1971:

November 19, 1971:

November 22, 1971:

November 23, 1971:

November 26, 1971:

November 30, 1971:

December 10, 1971:

arrangement, as they were not privy to the overall strategic

December 11, 1971:

December 12, 1971:

December 13, 1971:

December 15, 1971:

“Captain Arjumand Yar Khand1 was a young and very

persuasion he finally agreed. With one hand he lifted his

December 16, 1971:

no one got hurt. I got worried considering that probably the

December 17, 1971:

December 18, 1973:

Diplomatic chatter and political rhetoric does not interest

from their and others’ mistakes and build on their strengths

In 1971, our armed force fought a desperate war under

1 All we know about Captain Arjumand Yar Khand is from

2 This delaying position was located in area Siramani on Khulna-

Dec 20, 2016 #2

many pakistani units refused to surrender and fought till end. In

Joined: Jan 22, 2015

Col Muhammad Suleiman the great Commando

MUHAMMAD SULEIMAN THE MAGNIFICENT

I never understood why Gen Musharraf would always refer to his

1971... a Mother hugs & embraces her son as he departs for

One night in a bunker two Commandos were joking with one

On that BLACK DAY in Pakistans history, 16th Dec 1971, General

Suleiman barged into the underground dug in bunkers of

On the eve of 17th December 1971, The Phantom disappeared

Such bravery and courage...

Posted by Our Heroes need their identity back

resolve the issue but he was himself injured.

Capt Ahsaan Malik

The Defence of Kamalpur refers to the battle fought at Kamalpur

Attacks against Pakistani border outposts in the north had

begun in July. These were mounted by Mukti Bahini, mainly

Indian commander of the area Brigadier Kler tried to take

At about 0930 on 4 December, 'after withdrawing his troops

General Sukhwant Singh later on was very much impressed by

performance was excellent'....and recommended him for a

When Capt Ahsaan Malik returned to Pakistan, he was decorated

Dec 20, 2016 #3