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| Left: Lt. Colonel (Retired) Syed Iskandar Ali Mirza - Right: General Muhammad Ayub Khan |
This
is the story of two gentlemen who were reluctant to retire on completion of
their service. One was Lt. Colonel (Retired) Syed Iskandar Ali Mirza Defence
Secretary, who was due for retirement in 1954 on attaining the age of 55 years
(he was born on 13th November 1899). The second one was General
Muhammad Ayub Khan the commander-in-chief of Pakistan Army, who was due for
retirement on 17th January 1954, on completion of his three years'
service (he was appointed c-in-c on 17th January 1951). Mirza got
King's Commission from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1920 and Ayub got
King's Commission from Sandhurst on 2nd February 1928. While passing
out, they took oath that they will ever remain loyal to the British even at the
peril of their lives. They remained true to their oaths and remained ever loyal
to the King of Britain and later Queen Elizabeth II of Britain. Oblivious of
their new responsibilities after independence of Pakistan on 14th
August 1947, they had their hearts and souls for their original masters and the
West. Both joined hands in their personal interest exclusively (and not in the
interest of the state). Iskandar Mirza's great great great grandfather Syed Mir
Jafar Ali Mirza was a traitor so he had a hereditary trait of disloyalty. He
served for six years in the Military Police of British Indian Army. As a
Captain, his services were transferred to Indian Political service and posted
in KPK as the British Indian Political Agent in 1926 and served there upto
1946. He played his role in the best interest of the British Indian Government
and also served with Olaf Chero, the British Governor of KPK at the time of
Independence. This Governor had organized and inspired certain people in KPK to
stage an Independent "Pakhtunistan State" comprising of present KPK
and the tribal areas. Iskandar Mirza stayed In KPK for twenty long years and
was instrumental in introducing tribal Sardars to the Governor. For Pakistan's bad
luck, Syed Iskandar Ali Mirza was later posted in the British Indian Defence
Ministry as Deputy Additional Secretary Defence. It was most unfortunate that
an officer who was not from Indian Civil service (I.C.S) but from British
Indian Political service and a very loyal officer of the British Indian
Government was accepted in Pakistan and appointed Defence Secretary as a
retired Lt. Colonel after Independence.
He
was apparently very obedient and sweet but highly deceitful. Lt General(R)
Abdul Majid Malik has written in his memoires that Syed Iskandar Ali Mirza made
a false file and got Ayub appointed C-In-C. Now both became King Makers in
Pakistan's politics. The Prime Minister Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan had
liberated the Azad Kashmir. Pandit Nehru approached UNO for a ceasefire
assuring a plebiscite in occupied Kashmir. This event was exploited to that
extent for two and a half years that ultimately became known as "The
Rawalpindi Conspiracy 1951" against the authority of the PM. The Officers
were not arrested or tried in a court Martial when General David Gracey was
C-in-C. Major General Shahid Hamid, who was head of military intelligence never
told the PM about the conspiracy. The Rawalpindi Conspiracy was dramatically
leaked out as Ayub was appointed C-in-C. This creates lots of doubts about the
credibility of this story. Mirza and Ayub were called at Sargodha by the PM on
receiving information from Mr. I. I. Chundrigar Governor KPK, who was earlier
informed by a Sub Inspector Syed Askar Ali Shah (brother of late Lt Colonel
Syed Sultan Ali Shah). Both lied to the PM that they knew nothing about the
said conspiracy. "They will go to
Peshawar and meet Asker Ali Shah to know details". On the other hand, Ayub
writes in his book that General Gracey had told him about "Young Turks"
in Pakistan Army. The officers were arrested on 9th March 1951, but
their trial started on 15th
June 1951 by the Hyderabad Tribunal. Certain civilians including Faiz Ahmed
Faiz were also arrested to give a communist touch to the false story. Four
months after the start of trial of officers, the PM was assassinated on 16th
October 1951. If the conspiracy were true, then the life of PM was certainly in
great danger, but neither Civil nor military intelligence and security cared
for his life on that fateful day of October 16, 1951. PM's assassination was a blessing
in disguise for Syed Iskandar Ali Mirza and Ayub Khan. They were the
beneficiaries of PM assassination. They formed a Troika with Ghulam Muhammad.
He was sick, handicapped and cripple and these two gentlemen were his crutches,
and became King Makers, otherwise both would had retired in 1954.
Crash
of plane bringing Major General Iftikhar (GOC Lahore), and Brigadier Sher Khan
near Jang Shahi between the nights of 12 and 13 December 1949, was
also a blessing in disguise for Iskandar Mirza Ayub axis. Similarly, crash of
plane over Khewara mines carrying I.G. Special Police Mian Aitezaz Uddin was
also a blessing in disguise for all those who were involved in the
assassination of the PM. General Gracey had told Lt. General Wajahat
Hussain (1956) that he had not
recommended Ayub as C-in-C because he was ambitious and most unsuitable for
appointment as C-in-C.
65
years of Research on PM's assassination endorses the belief of Dr Ayesha Jalal
that the Rawalpindi Conspiracy was a false case, organized by the British and
the American Agencies in collaboration with their sympathizers in Pakistan
Government and the Armed forces. It is obvious that the Rawalpindi Conspiracy
involved the assassination of the PM as a drop scene. It was the main aim of
fabricating the false story of the Rawalpindi Conspiracy 1951. The political
scientists believe that the story of the Rawalpindi Conspiracy was fabricated
to shock the PM. It intended to blindfold the PM by showing false loyalty by
planning to unduly prolong the trial, create hatred against the PM and the War
Heroes (alleged officers) by the print media and facilitate the assassination
of the PM by neglecting or withdrawing the State Security by the Civil and
Military Intelligence agencies during the visit to Rawalpindi on the fateful
day of 16th October 1951. On 17th October 1951, the
Troika of Ghulam Muhammad, Iskandar Mirza and Ayub Khan captured power. After a
lapse of one and a half year, both Iskandar Mirza and Ayub Khan realized that
they would have to quit their respective posts on retirement in 1954. They had
no chance of staying back in their seats. They were also unlikely to get an
extension from the PM Khwaja Nazimuddin. Therefore, both decided to remove the
Prime Minister on 17th April 1953. After nine months Ayub was due
for retirement on 17th January 1954, followed by the retirement of Iskandar
Mirza in the same year (1954). Both the king makers called the Pakistan's
Ambassador in the USA Mr. Muhammad Ali Bogra to reach Pakistan immediately.
According to the message delivered to Mr. Bogra the Governor General wanted to
see him immediately, failing which he would be sacked. The Ambassador managed
to land at Karachi Airport between the night of 16 and 17 April 1953 after
encountering great difficulties. He was
received by the king makers on the Airport and was taken to the VIP lounge. He
was told to stay there till sunrise so that the Governor general gets up. They
told him that he has been appointed Prime Minister of Pakistan. He was surprised
to know this news. In the morning Mr. Bogra was taken to the Governor General
later on Mr. Bogra was taken to the office of the Prime Minister. The Prime
Minister Khwaja Nazimuddin had gone to visit East Pakistan, he was declared
dismissed and was instructed not to return to West Pakistan. Three Files were
placed before Mr. Bogra.
According to file number 1 Mr. Iskandar Ali
Mirza was appointed as the Interior Minister in addition to his duties as the Defence
Secretary. According to the Second file, Ayub Khan was appointed as the Defence
Minister in addition to his duties as the C-in-C. According to the third
file, The Prime Minister Muhammad Ali
Bogra awards three years extension to Ayub Khan as C-in-C almost nine months
before the date of his actual retirement on 17th January 1954. After
a lapse of two years Mr. Bogra was sent back to the USA to resume his duties as
the Pakistan's Ambassador to USA. Both Iskandar Mirza and Ayub Khan forced
Ghulam Muhammad to go on two months sick leave and thus Iskandar Mirza assumed
the position as Acting Governor General on 6th August 1955. On 6th
October 1955 Iskandar Mirza becomes Governor General and the Gazette
notification is issued in 1955 that Iskandar Mirza had retired from the post of
the Defence Secretary w.e.f. 1954. Next PM Chaudhary Muhammad Ali ( who had
advised or misguided the then Governor General Khawaja Nazimuddin to become
Prime Minister) presented the 1956 constitution.
Syed Iskandar
Ali Mirza, becomes the First President of Pakistan and sacks Chaudhary Muhammad
Ali as the 4th PM of the country. Mr. Hussain Shaheed Soharwardy is
appointed the 5th PM of the country. Ayub Khan gets another two
years extension on the recommendation of Iskandar Mirza from the PM H.S.
Soharwardy. This extension will expire in 1959 (on 17 January 1959). It was
another extension in advance. The PM Mr. Hussain Shaheed Soharwardy is not only
sacked but also later produced in the court of a Lt. Colonel duly handcuffed.
Mr. H.S. Soharwardy laments on his great mistake. He declared the act of
granting extension to Ayub Khan as a second tragic event, the first being the
death of his dearest wife, two years after his marriage. Iskandar Mirza
appoints Mr. I. I. Chundrigar and Mr. Feroze Khan Noon as the 6th
and 7th PM. Later Ayub Khan took over on 7th October 1958
and exiled Iskandar Mirza.
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| Front page of DAWN: A day after the 1958 coup |
Mr. Iskandar Mirza died on 13th November 1969 at the age
of 70 in London. He was removed with great disgrace and humiliation and denied
burial in Pakistan. Shah of Iran received his body and gave a State Funeral and
buried him near the tomb of General Zahidi (Father of his ex-son-in-law Arad
Sher Zahidi). If Mirza had opted to serve in India he had the talent to become
President of India like Abul Kalam Azad and other Muslim Presidents of India
like Dr. Zakir Hussain and the scientist Abul Kalam. Mirza could have earned
more respect there and also a place for his burial, which was denied in
Pakistan. Similarly, if Ayub Khan had opted to serve in India, he might have
risen to the rank of a Brigadier or a Major General (at the mercy of General
Cariappa who became Field Marshal in 1986, 33 years after his retirement in
1953. When Field Marshal Cariappa was a Brigadier in Waziristan, Ayub had
served under him as a Lt. Colonel in his brigade) and earned more respect like
other Muslim Generals in Indian Army, like the brother of Actor Naseer Uddin
Shah aka "Tirchi Topi Wale". But what happened in Pakistan, he left
with great disgrace and humiliation at the hands of his own hand-picked C-in-C
Yahya Khan. He used to abuse the politicians even the companions of
Quaid-e-Azam. The students returned the same abuse to him which was very sad.
