Reluctant To Retire

"The purpose of this article is to assimilate knowledge to the nation and it would prove to be a valuable academic resource for students of history and contemporary research scholars".



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 13^th November 1899). The second one was General Muhammad Ayub Khan the commander-in-chief of Pakistan Army, who was due for retirement on 17^th January 1954, on completion of his three years' service (he was appointed c-in-c on 17^th January 1951). Mirza got King's Commission from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1920 and Ayub got King's Commission from Sandhurst on 2^nd 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 14^th 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 9^th March 1951, but their trial started on  15^th 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 16^th 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 16^th October 1951. On 17^th 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 17^th April 1953. After nine months Ayub was due for retirement on 17^th 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 17^th 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 6^th August 1955. On 6^th 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 4^th PM of the country. Mr. Hussain Shaheed Soharwardy is appointed the 5^th 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 6^th and 7^th PM. Later Ayub Khan took over on 7^th October 1958 and exiled Iskandar Mirza.

 

Front page of DAWN: A day after the 1958 coup

Mr. Iskandar Mirza died on 13^th 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.