Mian Ghulam Jilani
Encyclopedia
Major General
Mian Ghulam Jilani (SQA, Imtiazi Sanad
) (1914 – March 1, 2004) was a two-star general officer in the Pakistan Army who, as British Army officer, was a World War II
Japanese POW camp survivor at Singapore
, who subsequently rose to help negotiate Pakistan
’s membership in the Baghdad Pact and the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
. An ethnic Pashtun
, he retired from the Pakistan Army
in 1962 and was jailed 1973 for his political beliefs. Amnesty International
declared him a prisoner of conscience in 1974. He escaped from custody and took political asylum in the United States
in 1975.
, Balochistan
, when the British
ruled the Indian subcontinent
. He was educated at Forman Christian College in Lahore
and later finished Law at Aligarh University in India
. He completed his officer’s training at the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College (RIMC
) in Dehra Dun in India and was commissioned as second lieutenant in the Royal Scots Regiment by King Edward VIII
in 1936 and later transferred to the 19th Hyderabad Kumaon Regiment
in the British Indian Army
.
with the British Indian Army and was captured and taken prisoner by the Japanese in 1942. He was a prisoner of war for nearly forty months. He was tortured and kept in solitary confinement for seven months during this period.
Shortly after World War II
, the movement for independence from the British resulted in the creation of Pakistan
in 1947. Jilani threw his energy and enthusiasm behind it.
and was the 42nd senior most officer (PA - 42), commanding a unit of the Frontier Force Regiment
. A few weeks later he took a leave of absence from the army to volunteer as a fighter in Kashmir
, fighting for its independence and right to join Pakistan
. In April 1948, he was appointed Commanding Officer at Gilgit
where he remained until the ceasefire.
His troops played a major role in establishing what became the line of control between India and Pakistan, which has become a sort of international border for the last half-century. He fought a guerrilla war in northern Kashmir
, engaged two divisions of the Indian Army and conquered the whole of Baltistan
and was about to attack Leh, when the government of Pakistan
agreed to a ceasefire at the behest of the United Nations
.
and Pakistan
, for which in 1955 he was awarded the Legion of Merit
by President Dwight D. Eisenhower
. Pakistan awarded him the Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam, or Star of the Quaid, named after the founder of Pakistan.
In 1952, as a Brigadier he went to Washington as Pakistan’s first Military Attaché to the US. Details of his assignment at this crucial juncture of Pak-US relations can be found in the reference in the bibliography.
, he served as GOC East Pakistan
commanding 14th Infantry Division (Dhaka
), Commandant of the Command and Staff College
(Quetta
), Master General of Ordnance (GHQ) and GOC 15th Infantry Division (Sialkot
).
As GOC 15th Div he along with (then) Brig Rakhman Gul MC Inspector General Frontier Corps served under (then) Maj Gen Attiqur Rahman MC
GOC
7th Infantry Division who was the Force Commander for the Dir-Bajaur operation of October 1960. After Nawab Sir Shah Jehan Khan and his son Khan Shahabud Din Khan of Jandol were captured on 28 October, Maj Gen Attiqur Rahman MC moved back to Peshawar and Maj Gen Mian Ghulam Jilani took over as Force Commander.
.
On retirement from the army, he was General Manager with the Valika group in Karachi, until his entry into politics. He joined the National Awami Party
, and was elected to the Provincial Assembly of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa from his home constituency in Swabi
(now Mardan
) in the General Elections of 1970. During his National Awami Party years, he was the head of the Zalmay Pakhtun, and was arrested by the Pakistan Peoples Party
government on 15 February 1973.
His wife Mrs. Nancy Habiba Jilani filed a writ petition against his detention, and the judgment of the Lahore High Court was authored by Nasim Hasan Shah
, J. and is reported as: Mrs. Habiba Jilani V Federation of Pakistan (PLD 1974 Lahore 153)
A smear campaign was launched against him. In a crackdown on his party, Jilani was arrested in 1973. Bhutto then attempted to bribe Jilani with offers of high positions—all to no avail. He was frequently arrested, but all charges against him were repeatedly dismissed by the courts. Amnesty International adopted him as a “prisoner of conscience” in 1974.
In jail, Jilani managed to escape from his guards during a hospital visit in 1975 and got political asylum in the United States. He became a US citizen in 1981, and died at his home in Fairfax, VA on March 1, 2004.
Member Provincial Assembly (NWFP) 1970-77
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...
Mian Ghulam Jilani (SQA, Imtiazi Sanad
Imtiazi Sanad
Imtiazi Sanad is the fifth highest Pakistani military award for gallantry or distinguished service in combat. It can be conferred upon any member of the Pakistani Armed Forces or paramilitary forces who is mentioned in the dispatches of a senior commander for actions that do not warrant a gallantry...
) (1914 – March 1, 2004) was a two-star general officer in the Pakistan Army who, as British Army officer, was a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Japanese POW camp survivor at Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, who subsequently rose to help negotiate Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
’s membership in the Baghdad Pact and the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization was an international organization for collective defense in Southeast Asia created by the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty, or Manila Pact, signed in September 1954 in Manila, Philippines. The formal institution of SEATO was established on 19 February...
. An ethnic Pashtun
Pashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
, he retired from 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...
in 1962 and was jailed 1973 for his political beliefs. Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
declared him a prisoner of conscience in 1974. He escaped from custody and took political asylum in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1975.
Early life
Jilani was born in SibiSibi
Sibi is a city of Balochistan province of Pakistan. The city is located at 29°33'0N 67°52'60E at an altitude of 130 metres and is headquarters of the district and tehsil of the same name.. According to the 2001 census of Pakistan the population of Sibi is 52,100...
, Balochistan
Balochistan (Pakistan)
Balochistan is one of the four provinces or federating units of Pakistan. With an area of 134,051 mi2 or , it is the largest province of Pakistan, constituting approximately 44% of the total land mass of Pakistan. According to the 1998 population census, Balochistan had a population of...
, when the British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
ruled the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
. He was educated at Forman Christian College in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
and later finished Law at Aligarh University in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He completed his officer’s training at the Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College (RIMC
RIMC
The Rashtriya Indian Military College or the RIMC is a public school for boys situated in Doon Valley, Dehradun in India. The name of the school was Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College but it was re-named in 1947. The RIMC is a feeder institution for the National Defence Academy, Indian...
) in Dehra Dun in India and was commissioned as second lieutenant in the Royal Scots Regiment by King Edward VIII
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
in 1936 and later transferred to the 19th Hyderabad Kumaon Regiment
Kumaon Regiment
The Kumaon Regiment is one of the most decorated regiments of the Indian Army. The regiment traces its origins to the 18th century and has fought in every major campaign of the British Indian Army and the Indian Army, including the two world wars...
in the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
.
Captured at Singapore
During the Second World War he was transferred to SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
with the British Indian Army and was captured and taken prisoner by the Japanese in 1942. He was a prisoner of war for nearly forty months. He was tortured and kept in solitary confinement for seven months during this period.
Shortly after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the movement for independence from the British resulted in the creation of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in 1947. Jilani threw his energy and enthusiasm behind it.
Pakistan and the Kashmir Operations
He joined the newly formed Pakistan ArmyPakistan 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...
and was the 42nd senior most officer (PA - 42), commanding a unit of the Frontier Force Regiment
Frontier Force Regiment
For Pakistan's Border Guard see: Frontier CorpsThe Frontier Force Regiment is one of six Infantry regiments in the Pakistan Army. At present, the regiment consists of 67 battalions and has its regimental depot at Abbottabad in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. For that reason Abbottabad is also known as Home of...
. A few weeks later he took a leave of absence from the army to volunteer as a fighter in Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
, fighting for its independence and right to join Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. In April 1948, he was appointed Commanding Officer at Gilgit
Gilgit
Gilgit is a city in northern PakistanGilgit may refer to other terms related with the area of the city:* Gilgit River* Gilgit Valley* Gilgit District* Gilgit Agency * Gilgit Airport...
where he remained until the ceasefire.
His troops played a major role in establishing what became the line of control between India and Pakistan, which has become a sort of international border for the last half-century. He fought a guerrilla war in northern Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
, engaged two divisions of the Indian Army and conquered the whole of Baltistan
Baltistan
Baltistan , also known as بلتیول བལིུལ་ in the Balti language, is a region in northern Pakistan which forms Gilgit-Baltistan, bordering the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China. In addition, a part of Baltistan also falls into Jammu and Kashmir of India. It is situated in the Karakoram mountains...
and was about to attack Leh, when the government of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
agreed to a ceasefire at the behest of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
Relations with the United States
Jilani was later posted as Defense Attaché in the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington. He was also Military Attache for Canada and Mexico. He brought about the military aid treaty between the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, for which in 1955 he was awarded the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
by President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
. Pakistan awarded him the Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam, or Star of the Quaid, named after the founder of Pakistan.
In 1952, as a Brigadier he went to Washington as Pakistan’s first Military Attaché to the US. Details of his assignment at this crucial juncture of Pak-US relations can be found in the reference in the bibliography.
Senior Commander
On promotion to Major GeneralMajor 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...
, he served as GOC East Pakistan
East Pakistan
East Pakistan was a provincial state of Pakistan established in 14 August 1947. The provincial state existed until its declaration of independence on 26 March 1971 as the independent nation of Bangladesh. Pakistan recognized the new nation on 16 December 1971. East Pakistan was created from Bengal...
commanding 14th Infantry Division (Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
), Commandant of the Command and Staff College
Command and Staff College
The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
(Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
), Master General of Ordnance (GHQ) and GOC 15th Infantry Division (Sialkot
Sialkot
Sialkot is a city in Pakistan situated in the north-east of the Punjab province at the foothills of snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab river. It is the capital of Sialkot District. The city is about north-west of Lahore and only a few kilometers from Indian-controlled Jammu.The...
).
As GOC 15th Div he along with (then) Brig Rakhman Gul MC Inspector General Frontier Corps served under (then) Maj Gen Attiqur Rahman MC
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
GOC
GOC
GOC may refer to:*Gareth O'Callaghan, Irish author and presenter*General Officer Commanding, a general officer who holds a military command appointment*General Optical Council, an organisation in the United Kingdom that regulates opticians and optometrists...
7th Infantry Division who was the Force Commander for the Dir-Bajaur operation of October 1960. After Nawab Sir Shah Jehan Khan and his son Khan Shahabud Din Khan of Jandol were captured on 28 October, Maj Gen Attiqur Rahman MC moved back to Peshawar and Maj Gen Mian Ghulam Jilani took over as Force Commander.
Political struggle
After retiring from the army, he entered politics and became a member of the provincial assembly in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (then NWFP). He was an outspoken critic of the government of Zulfikar Ali BhuttoZulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977, and prior to that, 4th President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973. Bhutto was the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party — the largest and most influential political party in Pakistan— and served as its chairman until his...
.
On retirement from the army, he was General Manager with the Valika group in Karachi, until his entry into politics. He joined the National Awami Party
National Awami Party
The National Awami Party was a leftist political party in Pakistan. The party was founded in Dhaka in erstwhile East Pakistan in July 1957 through the merger of several leftist and progressive groups. It advocated provincial autonomy, rights on the basis of ethnicity, recognition of ethinicities...
, and was elected to the Provincial Assembly of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa from his home constituency in Swabi
Swabi
Swabi is the capital of Swabi District in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It is located at 34°7'0N 72°28'0E. Its residents are referred to as 'Swabiwaal.'-Geography:...
(now Mardan
Mardan
Mardan , known as The city of hospitality, is a city and headquarters of Mardan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. It is the de facto headquarters of the Yousafzai tribe and the second most populous city in the province, located at 34°12'0N 72°1'60E and an altitude of in the south...
) in the General Elections of 1970. During his National Awami Party years, he was the head of the Zalmay Pakhtun, and was arrested by the Pakistan Peoples Party
Pakistan Peoples Party
The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...
government on 15 February 1973.
His wife Mrs. Nancy Habiba Jilani filed a writ petition against his detention, and the judgment of the Lahore High Court was authored by Nasim Hasan Shah
Nasim Hasan Shah
Born in Lahore on April 15, 1929 to Syed Mohsin Shah, an eminent advocate and political activist, Justice Dr. Nasim Hasan Shah, a former Chief Justice of Pakistan, gained international respect and recognition when he restored the sovereignty of the Parliament in Pakistan; the first such instance in...
, J. and is reported as: Mrs. Habiba Jilani V Federation of Pakistan (PLD 1974 Lahore 153)
A smear campaign was launched against him. In a crackdown on his party, Jilani was arrested in 1973. Bhutto then attempted to bribe Jilani with offers of high positions—all to no avail. He was frequently arrested, but all charges against him were repeatedly dismissed by the courts. Amnesty International adopted him as a “prisoner of conscience” in 1974.
In jail, Jilani managed to escape from his guards during a hospital visit in 1975 and got political asylum in the United States. He became a US citizen in 1981, and died at his home in Fairfax, VA on March 1, 2004.
Member Provincial Assembly (NWFP) 1970-77