Introduction
I am highlighting in this article some events of varied nature which I had experienced during my service.
I had met late Gen Iftikhar GOC 10 Division on few occasions
We, the young officers, frequently saw Gen lftikhar and Brig Sher Ali, Commander 14 (Para) Brigade strolling in the evening on the main Lahore Cantonment road. Gen lftikhar was handsome and a towering personality and while Brig Sher Ali was also handsome, he was short in stature. Jokingly we used to call them GULLI DANDA.
During May 1949 about a dozen young officers were interviewed by the GOC for selecting ADC for the Quaid-e-Azam. I was also sent by my unit. The GOC asked if I drank, my reply was `No, Sir’. He inquired if I was a smoker. I replied, ‘Yes, Sir”. Smilingly he said, bloody man you would finish his cigarettes. He asked a few more questions about my experience, called it ‘rich’ on hearing my answers. There was something captivating in his conversation and I thought he had a wonderful gift of making young officers feel as ease.
A TEWT on the defence of Lahore was held. A group of officers was earnestly busy in the discussion on the ground near the border. The GOC was also present and collected all the officers. He told us that the BRB Canal would be dug on his irressible recommendation to provide an effective obstacle for the defence of Lahore, whereas the civil authorities wanted to align it through Lahore to beautify the city. Pakistan should be eternally grateful to the late Gen Iftikhar for his strategic vision and wisdom because BRB proved a formidable obstacle for the enemy tanks and even infantry during the wars.
One day the CO (Col AT Murray) ordered me to report to the GOC at his residence. The CO knew that my family members had migrated from Ferozepore. I was given a Jeep, in those day this was an enviable luxury for a young officer. The GOC told me that I would go to the Hussaine Wala Bridge over the river Sutlej, cross the bridge, escort an Indian brigadier (I do not remember his name) and bring him to his residence. He told me to see if guns and tanks were deployed across the river close to the road. I, of course, knew every inch of the area because as a student I often used to visit the Headworks on a cycle. It was a picnic spot of our college. In those days (1948-49) the guards of both the countries were located in the western side (on our side) of the bridge. I reached the bridge within an hour (via Kasur and Ganda Singh Nala) and informed the Indian guard commander, an officer, to inform his brigade commander that I had come to collect him to meet our GOC at Lahore Cantonment. The guard commander hesitated, tried to contact someone on the telephone for confirmation and a few minutes passed. I decided to drive on with-out his permission; my NCO driver was educated and thoroughly briefed to keep his eyes open and to act promptly. We drove on the bridge and within minutes reached the end and even covered 400 yards further. The Jeep was halted by the Indian armed sentries and we were asked to wait. After about twenty minutes the Indian brigadier appeared, I saluted and introduced myself. During those 20 minutes we managed to get a good look at the area and whatever we had seen (some guns and camouflaged tanks) was later reported to a Staff Officer of 10 Division. Within an hour I brought the brigadier in my jeep because I had returned the Indian jeep at the bridge. The GOC was very happy to see his guest, he thanked me and said I would take the guest to the bridge on the next day. During the return journey the Indian brigadier asked me if I was a refugee. I told him I belonged to Lahore. He also asked if I needed any special item from India but I declined his offer with thanks. Gen lftikhar was groomed to be the first Pakistani Commander-in-Chief of the Army and this fact was known throughout the army and everyone waited eagerly for the auspicious occasion. But alas! Gen Iftikhar, alongwith his family and some prominent personalities met with an air crash in the vicinity of JHIMPIR.
Time use of Manpower
During the rainy season of 1950 I had to take over the defences of JESSAR Bridge over the Ravi River. I left Sialkot Cantt with my rifle company (150 strong) in 6 vehicles, 4×2 (3 tonners) and a jeep. 20 to 25 soldiers were accommodated in each vehicle with baggage. The Degh Nadi (stream) was overflowing the banks, its width was about 50 yards. I saw a few locals wading through the stream in which the water was about 3 to 3.5 feet deep at that particular point. I applied 4×4 gear and drove the jeep in low gear speed and reached the opposite bank, although at places the water overflowed the bonnet.
I waved to the loaded vehicles to commence driving one by one and told the drivers to apply the low gear and not to change gear while driving through the water as the engine would not stall even if the water overflowed the bonnet. Suddenly due to the flowing speed of the water the vehicle stopped but the engine remained blowing. The fast current was pushing the vehicle downstream. I, along a few men jumped into the stream, hand in hand and within minutes we reached the drifting vehicle. I ordered the men to debus and everyone started pushing it with vigour towards the opposite bank. The driver at the steering wheel kept the vehicle in neutral and after a few minutes the vehicle crossed the opposite bank. After a few minutes of pushing on the road the engine came to life. The same technique was followed with every vehicle and all crossed the stream without any hitches.
Here I would also like to mention that on the home bank of the stream an EME recovery detachment was located for pulling out stranded vehicles. I had approached the JCO incharge for pulling out the drifting vehicle but he replied that a sufficiently long rope was not available, the same could be required from Sialkot Cantt (about 20 miles away) but I promptly replied that by that time the steel rope arrived the drifting vehicle would be in the Ravi.
Dozens of snakes caught and killed
Due to the heavy downpour the area around the Jessar Bridge was covered with water, the river Ravi was also in spate. Its water was gushing over the banks. The camp area located at the foot of the approach road to the river bridge was nearly flooded. I ordered the tents, stores, ammunition, weapons and cook house to be shifted close to our side of the bridge. The Indian troops had also shifted on their side of the bridge. Now due to the awards of the joint boundary com-mission the whole of the bridge and even some squares of land beyond the bridge belong to Pakistan.
The entire area was infested with reptiles. A few snake bite cases occurred but timely treatment save their lives.
As per standing orders of the camp, a ditch two feet wide and two feed deep was dug around the tents. Next morning six snakes were trapped and killed. For the next ten days every morning about half a dozen snakes (including deadly cobras) were found. Despite their best efforts the snakes were unable to climb the ditch.
Some snakes were seen climbing trees, branches of which were overhanging some tents. Fortunately it was daylight when a thud was heard on a tent and at the same time a big sized snake rolled down but was killed immediately. Soon all the overhanging branches were cut down as well.
Visit of German Geologists — Chitral
During 1951-52 I was serving with Chitral Scouts in Chitral. Those days the road was motorable only up to Dir and beyond horses and mules were used to going to Lowari Pass (10243 feet high, whereas the hills a few hundred yards on its flank, were about 14000 to 15000 feet high). It was midday when I reached the Pass; standing on it I saw the TRICHMIR (25500 feet high) mountain covered with snow. The rays of the sun were glittering on the snow top of the mountain as if it was wearing a silver crown. I was told that locals believed it to be an abode of beautiful fairies. There were many snow covered hills visible from the Pass. The Madaglasht Plateau (about 9000 feet high situated on the border of Gilgit) looked like a big rising table from the Pass. On the downhill winding jeep track I reached Ziarat Post (7444 feet high) where a jeep was waiting for me. I was told that there were four jeeps with Chitral Scouts and some locals had a few small sized buses (used for carrying passengers) hich were conveyed by mules ver the Pass in many pieces and -eassembled in Drosh.
Via Ashret, Mirkhani and Naghrea ched Drosh Cantt. Enroute towering trees, green valleys, flowing nullahs, scattered while patches of snow in shady areas, floating clouds over hills, dancing wild flowers, singing and flying birds and scented breeze intoxicated me upon which I murmured ‘a glimpse of region of supreme bliss’.
Chitral is rich in minerals. With naked eyes Mica can be seen in some hills, whereas some hills have iron ore and copper deposits in abundance. Locals also sift gold from the sand of the Chitral River but its actual source is not known.
The Chitral river starts from the watershed of the Little Paniers, and called the Yarkun, about 30 miles down it is known as the Mastuj river, at Chitral it is called the Chitral river and when it enters Afghanistan it is called the Kunar river. Eventually it enters Pakistan as the Kabul River and joins the mighty Indus.
During 1952 Khawaja Shahab-ud-din, the governor of NWFP visited Chitral and he was informed about the rich mineral deposits of Chitral. He promised to send a team of geologists for carrying out a complete survey of the already indicated areas to the staff officer of the Governor during his visit.
Within a fortnight a message was received from Frontier Corps HQ that a team of German geologists would be reaching Dir and that Chitral Scouts was required to provide armed escort, a mess detachment, two jeeps, three horses, six mules, tentage and a wire-less detachment. An officer was sent to meet the geologists at Lowari Pass. The officer informed them that they should stay for a couple of days in the officers Mess Drosh, but they decided to proceed to the site in the vicinity of DAMMER NISSAR Post, and short of ARANDU border post. The entire area was in the east of the river Chitral. The liaison officer, incharge of all the arrangements informed that the geologists had decided to proceed to the site with-out delay because, according to them, as the Government of Pakistan was paying them hand-some daily allowance therefore they would not like to waste any time. Their zeal and responsibility towards their duty earned them our respect. After a week I visited their camp on a hill, they were busy in digging out samples and testing them with instruments. Places they had already tested were marked on the maps. Samples of iron ore and copper were shown to me; they said the iron ore was of the best quality in Asia and the deposits that were seen were sufficient for the requirement of Pakistan for about 150 years.
Sixty years have passed since their departure, perhaps some more teams of geologists have carried out more surveys of the areas. But unfortunately the mineral wealth remains buried, we have no Aladdin’s lamp to do it overnight. It has to be our own effort, determination to fight against overwhelming odds and labouring with honest zeal that the hidden wealth can be utilized for the advancement of the country and welfare of the people.
They spent about two weeks on the site and finally came to Drosh to prepare their final report for submitting to the Government of NWFP. They had sent a few heavy bags of samples to Ziarat Post for carrying the same to Lowari Pass, Dir and in transport from Dir to Peshawar. They said for utilizing the mineral wealth, the communication system should be made excellent. Furthermore, a tunnel would have to be dug below Lowari Pass, roads to be built up to the sites, electricity to be pro-vided up to the sites where accommodation for the workers and engineers should be constructed. A rail head to be established at Chakdara and at least 25 big vehicles should be employed daily for conveying the iron ore from the sites to the rail head. They had many more recommendations. On their departure we presented them with caps, unit badges and warm patti weaved in Chitral. They were quite grateful.
Sixty years have passed since their departure, perhaps some more teams of geologists have carried out more surveys of the areas. But unfortunately the mineral wealth remains buried, we have no Aladdin’s lamp to do it overnight. It has to be our own effort, determination to fight against overwhelming odds and labouring with honest zeal that the hidden wealth can be utilized for the advancement of the country and welfare of the people.♦
