Aslam Khan | |
|---|---|
| اسلم خان | |
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| Chief of War Plans CENTO Headquarters (Ankara) | |
| In office 8 August 1959 – 19 August 1962 | |
| Preceded by | Brigadier Gulzar Ahmed (MBE) |
| Commander Gilgit Scouts | |
| In office 14 January 1948 – July 1948 | |
| Preceded by | Major William Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 August 1918 Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir (princely state) |
| Died | 12 October 1994 (aged 76) Skardu, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan |
| Cause of death | Cirrhosis |
| Spouse |
Nawabzadi Fareeda Begum
(m. 1944; died 1989) |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | Indian Military Academy Staff College, Quetta US Army Command and General Staff College |
| Nickname | Colonel Pasha |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | &sq=&lang=&file=File:Flag_of_Jammu_and_Kashmir_(1936-1953).svg){kind=small} Jammu and Kashmir State Forces (1939-45) British Indian Army (1945-47) Pakistan Army (1947-62) |
| Years of service | 1939–62 |
| Rank | &sq=&lang=&file=File:OF-6_Pakistan_Army.svg){kind=small} &sq=&lang=&file=File:US-O7_insignia.svg){kind=small} Brigadier |
| Commands | 13th Baluch (Jessore Garrison) Gilgit Scouts |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Military Cross (1944) Fakhr-e-Kashmir (1948) Hilal-e-Jurat (1949) |
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&sq=&lang=&file=File:Hilal-e-Jurat_Medal.png){kind=small}
Brigadier Muhammad Aslam Khan MC HJ (Urdu: محمد اسلم خان; 27 August 1918 – 12 October 1994) better known as Colonel Pasha, The Legend of Baltistan, and Laji, was a one-star rank Pakistan Army officer, businessman, and founder of the Shangrila Resort. Notably, as the leader of 'D' Company, he led his troops during World War II in capturing Kennedy Peak (Myanmar), which the Americans had failed to conquer. For this achievement, he was awarded the Military Cross by Field Marshal Auchinleck.[1][2][3][4]
Aslam was assigned a pivotal mission in 1947 by Gilgit's provisional government to defend and expand newly acquired territories. Stripped of his rank in the Pakistan Army with a promise of reinstatement upon success, Aslam joined the Pashtun tribal invasion led by Khurshid Anwar, becoming second-in-command. Following the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India, Indian troops arrived on 27 October to counter the invasion. The 1st Sikh Regiment, commanded by Lt. Col. Dewan Ranjit Rai, was disrupted by Aslam Khan’s effective use of captured mortars, resulting in Col. Rai’s death. The regiment withdrew, and Indian forces eventually repelled the invaders by 7 November, securing the Kashmir Valley.[5]
In the Gilgit Agency, the Gilgit Scouts, led by Major William Brown, rebelled on 1 November, detaining the governor and aligning with the Bunji garrison, leading to Pakistan's effective control of Gilgit by 16 November. Adopting the alias "Colonel Pasha", he arrived in Gilgit on 30 November with his brother, Major Anwar Khan, and Captain Azmat Ali. His immediate goals were to mobilize local personnel and establish a military base. Despite initial challenges, Pasha secured Major Ehsan Ali’s support and returned to GHQ on 3 December to request additional resources, receiving only four thousand rupees.[5]
Pasha utilized the funds to procure essential supplies and equipped his 2,000-man force with captured weapons and dummy rifles. He formed the Tiger Force and Ibex Force to execute key operations, including ambushes and securing critical positions. His forces, including the Eskimo Force, effectively adapted to harsh conditions and achieved significant tactical successes.[5]
Pasha took over as the Commandant of Gilgit Scouts on 14 January 1948 succeeding William Brown. Pasha's strategy to advance towards Kargil, Dras, and Zojila was pivotal in countering enemy reinforcements and maintaining offensive actions in Ladakh. With the Zojila Pass cut off, India's link with Leh was severed and the entire Ladakh Wazarat fell into the hands of Aslam and his men. These results were substantially achieved by 19 May 1948. India was able to save Leh only by raising a local militia, Ladakh Scouts, and constructing an emergency airstrip for receiving armaments.[5]
By June 1948, Pasha's forces had made significant advances into Indian territory. He informed the GHQ (Pakistan Army) that he was "attacking Himachal Pradesh." However, General Douglas Gracey, the C-in-C of the Pakistan Army, was bewildered by the extent of Pasha's incursions into Indian territory. Consequently, he decided to halt further territorial expansion, and ordered Pasha to return to Pakistan in July 1948.[5][6]
In the 1970s, Aslam Khan, now a timber businessman, was paraded in handcuffs in the streets of Muzaffarabad, falsely accused of theft and later imprisoned in a remote place in Gilgit Agency. The ordeal was orchestrated by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who thought Aslam was financing Asghar Khan's politics. Aslam's timber had been seized, essentially going out of business. Aslam was one of several siblings and family members of Asghar Khan who were harassed by Bhutto throughout his reign.[7][8]
- ^ Globe. Vol. 12. A. Mahmood. 1999.
- ^ "The Legend of Baltistan: Brigadier Muhammad Aslam Khan". 21 August 2015.
- ^ "About Us - Shangrila Resorts".
- ^ Singh, K. Brahma (1990). History of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles, 1820-1956: The State Force Background. Lancer International. ISBN 978-81-7062-091-4.
- ^ a b c d e Dani, Ahmad Hasan (2001). History of Northern Areas of Pakistan. Sang-e-Meel Publcations. pp. 358–384. ISBN 978-969-35-1231-1.
- ^ Siddiqi, Aslam (1964). A Path for Pakistan. Pakistan Publishing House. p. 64.
Six hundred Azad troops under Major (now Brigadier) M. Aslam Khan moved so rapidly that they completely surprised the Indian garrison at Kargil. By June, they captured, Dras and isolated Leh. Their successes roused the Indians to force a speedy decision.
- ^ Generals in Politics: Pakistan 1958-1982. Vikas. 1983. p. 94. ISBN 978-0-7069-2411-4.
- ^ We've Learnt Nothing from History Pakistan: Politics and Military Power. Oxford University Press. 2005. p. 107. ISBN 978-0-19-597883-4.