Iftikhar Janjua

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Major General Iftikhar Khan Janjua (Urdu: افتخار خان جنجوعہ) (died December 9, 1971) of the Pakistan Army is the only general to have died on the front line.[citation needed] He is known in Pakistan as the hero of Rann of Kutch, as he was a brigadier in command of 6 Division, 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 Division during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

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[edit] 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 carrier INS Vikrant, supported by other naval vessels, also moved into the gulf[citation needed]. 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 it's 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 was directed to join them. By first light the battalion reached it's objective without suffering too many casualties. 2 Frontier Force later attacked Biar Bet along with a squadron of 12 Cavalry. Biar Bet was captured by 0600 hours 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[citation needed], 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."[1]. 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. [1]

After the 65 War, Janjua was the divisional commander of 6th Armoured Division even though he himself was an infantry officer [3] - 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.

Major General Iftikhar Janjua belonged to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.

[edit] 1971 War

In the Bangladesh Liberation War, he led 23 Division in the Chamb sector which saw minor gains. The objective was to capture Akhnur town, but inspite of multiple attempts to cross the Chamb river, all that was achieved was the occupation of the Chamb town. The Indians were better prepared in this war than the previous one and had beat back multiple attacks.

In the middle of fighting, on 9 December 1971, Janjua was killed when the light helicopter (OH-13S (Sioux) in which he was travelling in was attacked by Indian troops.[2] . Till date he remains the only General ranking officer who was killed during operations.

Iftikhar Khan Janjua Road in Rawalpindi, where the location of the Pakistan Army Museum[3], is named in his honour.

[edit] 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 [4] July 25, 2006 - pp.46-47 mention death of Iftikhar Janjua

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b Quoted by Altaf Gauhar in 1965 War: Boomerang (possibly from The Nation, September 24, 1999) retrieved from Pakistan Link website [1] July 26, 2006
  2. ^ News article in Jang
  3. ^ [2] accessed July 26, 2006

[edit] External links

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