Iftikhar Janjua
Encyclopedia
Major General
Iftikhar Khan Janjua, HJ & Bar, SPk, SQA, (Urdu
: افتخار خان جنجوعہ) (died December 9, 1971) of the Pakistan Army
is the most senior Pakistani officer to have been killed in action. He is known in Pakistan as the hero of Rann of Kutch
, as he was a brigadier in command of 6 Brigade, during the fighting in April 1965 prior to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. He died in a helicopter crash, in Kashmir, while in command of 23 Infantry Division during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.
He was a member of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community.
INS Vikrant
, supported by other naval vessels, also moved into the gulf. On 8/9 April, in a series of events not entirely clear, clashes broke out between the Indians and the Pakistanis at a post near Ding, Rann of Kutch.
On 23 April Brigadier Iftikhar Janjua, known for his boldness and one who inspired confidence among his men by being well up in front during the heat of the battle. He was a Janjua Rajput, a tribe known for its Martial Reputation and royal ancestry.
He ordered 4 Punjab to capture point 84 by first activity around Chad Bet. Since the progress of 6 Punjab was slow 2 Frontier Force (FF) was directed to join them. By first light, the battalion reached its objective without suffering too many casualties. 2 FF later attacked Biar Bet along with a squadron of 12 Cavalry. Biar Bet was captured by 0600 hours on 26 April.
The task of evicting the enemy from Pakistan territory was achieved. Speaking at the United Nations on 28 April the then Foreign Minister, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, informed the members that on 18 April, when it became clear that India planned to occupy the entire Rann of Kutch, Pakistan's forces acted in self defence and restored the situation.
The outcome of the Rann of Kutch was considered as a positive for the Pakistan Army. As described by Lt General Gul Hassan Khan
, then Director of Military Operations, in his later memoirs - "the set back in Kutch proved immeasurably disconcerting to the Indian army. As a result the Government of India was in a quandary. On the other hand, ours was in a state of euphoria. The high command of our army was intoxicated by our showing and our morale could not possibly have been higher. We were ready for any task that may be assigned to us without any question.". The restraint shown by India would later convince Field Marshal
Ayub Khan that the Indian Government was in no mood to fight. This encouraged them into launching the Kashmir offensive, which led to the War in September 1965.
After the 65 War, Janjua was the divisional commander of 6 Armoured Division even though he himself was an infantry officer http://www.defencejournal.com/2002/february/manto.htm - no mean feat. He spared himself the time to learn about the nuances of armoured fighting vehicles and their operations. Soon after, Janjua would command 23 Division based at Jhelum.
in which he was travelling in was attacked by Indian troops. He was badly burned and was evacuated to Combined Military Hospital Kharian Cantt. Iftikhar Khan Janjua Road is named after him in Rawalpindi
, Cannt.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Iftikhar Khan Janjua, HJ & Bar, SPk, SQA, (Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
: افتخار خان جنجوعہ) (died December 9, 1971) of the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
is the most senior Pakistani officer to have been killed in action. He is known in Pakistan as the hero of Rann of Kutch
Rann of Kutch
The Great Rann of Kutch, also called Greater Rann of Kutch or just Rann of Kutch , is a seasonal salt marsh located in the Thar Desert in the Kutch District of Gujarat, India and the Sindh province of Pakistan....
, as he was a brigadier in command of 6 Brigade, during the fighting in April 1965 prior to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. He died in a helicopter crash, in Kashmir, while in command of 23 Infantry Division during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.
He was a member of the Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya is an Islamic religious revivalist movement founded in India near the end of the 19th century, originating with the life and teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad , who claimed to have fulfilled the prophecies about the world reformer of the end times, who was to herald the Eschaton as...
Muslim Community.
Rann of Kutch, 1965
In April 1965, as part of a tri-service exercise (Arrow Head), the Indians brought in 31 and 67 Infantry Brigades in area Karim Shahi - Kavda. The IAF and the Indian aircraft carrierAircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
INS Vikrant
INS Vikrant
INS Vikrant was a Majestic-class light aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy.Her keel was laid down on 12 November 1943 by Vickers-Armstrong on the Tyne and she was launched on 22 September 1945....
, supported by other naval vessels, also moved into the gulf. On 8/9 April, in a series of events not entirely clear, clashes broke out between the Indians and the Pakistanis at a post near Ding, Rann of Kutch.
On 23 April Brigadier Iftikhar Janjua, known for his boldness and one who inspired confidence among his men by being well up in front during the heat of the battle. He was a Janjua Rajput, a tribe known for its Martial Reputation and royal ancestry.
He ordered 4 Punjab to capture point 84 by first activity around Chad Bet. Since the progress of 6 Punjab was slow 2 Frontier Force (FF) was directed to join them. By first light, the battalion reached its objective without suffering too many casualties. 2 FF later attacked Biar Bet along with a squadron of 12 Cavalry. Biar Bet was captured by 0600 hours on 26 April.
The task of evicting the enemy from Pakistan territory was achieved. Speaking at the United Nations on 28 April the then Foreign Minister, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, informed the members that on 18 April, when it became clear that India planned to occupy the entire Rann of Kutch, Pakistan's forces acted in self defence and restored the situation.
The outcome of the Rann of Kutch was considered as a positive for the Pakistan Army. As described by Lt General Gul Hassan Khan
Gul Hassan Khan
Lieutenant-General Gul Hassan Khan , was a former three star general and the last Army Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Army from December 20, 1971 – March 3, 1972...
, then Director of Military Operations, in his later memoirs - "the set back in Kutch proved immeasurably disconcerting to the Indian army. As a result the Government of India was in a quandary. On the other hand, ours was in a state of euphoria. The high command of our army was intoxicated by our showing and our morale could not possibly have been higher. We were ready for any task that may be assigned to us without any question.". The restraint shown by India would later convince Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Ayub Khan that the Indian Government was in no mood to fight. This encouraged them into launching the Kashmir offensive, which led to the War in September 1965.
After the 65 War, Janjua was the divisional commander of 6 Armoured Division even though he himself was an infantry officer http://www.defencejournal.com/2002/february/manto.htm - no mean feat. He spared himself the time to learn about the nuances of armoured fighting vehicles and their operations. Soon after, Janjua would command 23 Division based at Jhelum.
1971 War
In the 1971 War, Janjua was divisional commander of 23 Infantry Division. He was assigned the task of capturing Chhamb, a strategically important town in Kashmir. The fighting around Chhamb was intensely fierce and took toll on both the advancng Pakistani troops and the fiercely resisting Indian regiments. On 9 December 1971, the first Pakistani troops entered Chhamb under the personal supervision of Janjua. His bold personality traits and willingness to be among his troops exuded a lot of confidence in his ranks. In the middle of fighting, on 9 December 1971, Janjua was killed when the light helicopter (OH-13S (Sioux)Bell 47
The Bell 47 is a two-bladed, single engine, light helicopter manufactured by Bell Helicopter. Based on the third Model 30 prototype, Bell's first helicopter designed by Arthur M. Young, the Bell 47 became the first helicopter certified for civilian use on 8 March 1946...
in which he was travelling in was attacked by Indian troops. He was badly burned and was evacuated to Combined Military Hospital Kharian Cantt. Iftikhar Khan Janjua Road is named after him in Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
, Cannt.
Further reading
- John H. Gill, An Atlas of the 1971 India - Pakistan War:The Creation of Bangladesh, Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies, accessed at http://www.ndu.edu/nesa/docs/Gill%20Atlas%20Final%20Version.pdf July 25, 2006 - pp. 46–47 mention death of Iftikhar Janjua.
External links
- Pakdef.info Conflict in the Rann of Kutch: A trial of strength by Lt Gen (retd) Kamal Matinuddin
- Defence Journal The Battle of Chamb 1971 by Major Agha Humayun Amin