Born in the picturesque village of Jajja, Sukho, District Rawalpindi on April 07, 1940 at a time when World War II was already underway, Lt Gen (Retd) Lehrasab Khan received his primary education in a local school because English education was not available in Muslim schools in that region at that time. Before the partition the area was dominated economically by non-Muslim communities, particularly Hindus and Sikhs. Despite being the recruitment area of the armed forces, this area was economically backward with lack of development. The locals were very proud to serve in the army and the two World Wars saw substantial military contribution from this region, further nurturing the sense of pride and satisfaction associated with wearing the uniform.
Completing matriculation at the Islamia High School Sukho he pursued his education at Government College Rawalpindi and eventually secured admission to the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) in 1960, embarking on a path of service to his country by following in the footsteps of his family legacy of military service that had commenced in 1868 when his grandfather joined the army, in 1895 his father had enlisted, this also extended to both his brothers who served in the army during World War II. This proud tradition was perpetuated further when his son, an orthopaedic doctor joined the army before Lt Gen Lehrasab’s retirement.
An outstanding soldier Lehrasab Khan found himself in a rather challenging situation in 1965 as part of Operation Gibraltar that was driven by the deep-rooted support among Pakistanis for the Kashmiri cause and a desire to help Kashmiri brethren achieve freedom from Indian occupation. While the idea of Operation Gibraltar was conceived in 1964, aiming to reinforce the Kashmiri freedom struggle across the ceasefire line by sending armed volunteers from Azad Kashmir who underwent a brief training program. Unfortunately, the volunteers were not fully prepared for the challenging task that lay ahead plus there were deficiencies in the command element.
Lt Gen Lehrasab Khan had participated as a young volunteer subaltern in this operation and is a living witness to it becoming an unmitigated disaster. In an interview with Sultan M. Hali Lt Gen Lehrasab was very forthright and honest in summing up this Operation: “In my reckoning, the freedom struggle of the Kashmiris received a major setback and was pushed behind by at least 15 years”.
Having seen action from close quarters, participating in Operation Gibraltar and in the 1965 and 1971 Pakistan-India wars, Lt Gen Lehrasab Khan is a highly decorated officer Hilal-e-Imtiaz(M), Sitara-e-Jurat(SJ) and Sitara-e-Basalat.
In the 1971 war he saw near death during the mutiny by Bengali officers in East Pakistan, he fought gallantly not only to quell the insurgency but also to keep the Indians at bay. Having got wounded, he was evacuated miraculously and was conferred upon with the coveted SJ for his unparalleled valour.
In 1995 when Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto insisted COAS Gen Waheed Kakar to take an extension Gen Kakar took counsel from his Corps Commanders and close aides. Only Lt Gen Lehrasab Khan, Corps Commander Karachi and Maj Gen (later Lt Gen) Ali Quli Khan the DGMI advised him to retire. History is witness that Gen Kakar’s taking of the minority view and going quietly into retirement added to his reputation as one of the finest and most respected former Commanders of the Pakistan Army.
Remembering his first meeting with me, Lt Gen Lehrasab recalls. “He (Ikram Sehgal) as a Lieutenant was the Head of the Rear Party 2nd Bengal based in Jessore and as a Captain I was the Officer Commanding of the advance party 1E Bengal based in Lahore.
In an interview he reminisces, “Normally, the 2nd in Command goes, or the most senior Major goes as the OC advance party. But the Commanding Officer (CO) had sent me there, even though I was the junior-most Captain and lacked experience because both regiments were of the Bengal Regiment. So the CO told me not to have any disputes with them, and to accept whatever they handed over to me.
When the CO came to Lahore, Ikram Sehgal had to hand over everything to me, and I had to take over all the things. The CO instructed both Ikram Sehgal and his CO that whatever they handed over to me, and if there was any deficiency, we should send the list to the CO in Lahore, and they would rectify it. This was how we first met, and it marked the beginning of a long-lasting relationship”.
Lt Gen Lehrasab Khan speaks affectionately about contributions made by my Pathfinder Group, particularly relating to my dedication and role in offering free education to the children of marginalized employees. “I would say that the qualities of this initiative and the community to which it is related, and also the hard work and the efforts of Ikram Sehgal are very difficult to weigh it. They cannot be quantified. Number two, he has had very serious setbacks in life but he didn’t give up. The way he has handled his affairs, personal and professional, is exceptional and Allah has given him this spirit. This is the result of his good deeds.
This initiative is a small part of the huge efforts he is involved in. He is doing much more than this. But he has sponsored the needy and marginalized students here. I think this investment is very good for the future of these students. It is a charity”.
Lt Gen Lehrasab Khan is not only an outstanding officer, he is also an educationist. After achieving his goals in service, when he retired he felt that there was nothing in his hometown, Jajja. Discussing with his cousin, Ehsan, now deceased, they felt they should arrange some quality education to cure the biggest ‘Jahalat’ (ignorance) and decided to establish a cadet college. Not having sufficient funds, they established the Al-Noor Welfare Trust.
The cadet college system in Pakistan is structured to enable students to attain academic excellence and cultivate a disciplined mindset, to facilitate their adaptation to various professions, including in the armed forces. Pakistan’s reputable cadet college system provides quality education, their primary focus being on physical fitness, discipline, and an emphasis on character-building for the students. Operating under the guidance of Lt Gen Lehrasab Khan, one notable institution is the Cadet College Jajja, established in 1998, a project of the Al-Noor Welfare Trust, established in 1998. Nestled in the very picturesque village of Jajja within the Jajja Educational Complex, Sukho, Tehsil Gujar Khan, District Rawalpindi, this institution has earned an excellent reputation as one of Pakistan’s premier Cadet Colleges that delivers high-quality education and fosters character development among its young students.
Cadet College Jajja follows a comprehensive curriculum that combines traditional academic subjects with strong emphasis on building leadership qualities, emphasis on character development and physical fitness. The college accommodates between 450 to 470 students, the academic programme spans from the 6th to the 12th grade.
The integration of sports and other healthy activities is an essential part, this further contributes to the overall well-being of cadets, emphasizing physical fitness and sportsmanship. In essence, this is a holistic platform that moulds well-rounded and capable individuals, equipping them for success in their chosen careers.
Lehrasab Khan and his wife realized that there was a need to extend the same quality education to girls, thus in 2011, their vision became reality with the foundation of Al-Noor Girls Public School and College. This pioneering venture is a significant leap in the realm of progressive and meaningful education for girls, regardless of their social or economic backgrounds, specifically for daughters of less privileged population, mostly coming from Pakistan’s rural areas as it seeks to transform the educational landscape for young girls and empower them to achieve their aspirations.
This institutions shines like a beacon of hope as it is dedicated to providing quality education to girls, holding lofty aspirations for young girls and providing them with a secure, state-of-the-art, and forward-thinking platform. Guided by highly trained and professional educators both from the Armed Forces and the civil sector, this institution is the launching pad for young females pursue careers in Pakistan’s leading professional institutions, such as the Armed Forces, medical, engineering, IT universities, and civil services.
Significant steps have been taken to ensure the safety and precaution of students, providing facilities like a mess and hostel, making it secure to live and study. Merit is followed strictly to ensure that students are well-prepared for the future as well as efforts into extracurricular activities for students to realize their full potential such as extemporaneous speeches, drama presentations, debates, language classes among many others to instil long-term traits, boost confidence, and nurture leadership qualities.
The institution has established its credentials in a short span of time and is measuring up to the expectations of parents and girls student from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and northern areas in a secure and conducive environments. Lt Gen Lehrasab Khan’s illustrious military career and his contribution to education are testament to his remarkable single minded devotion and his passion for work, he is doing tremendous work for the future generation and the generation of this time. His remarkable journey from humble beginnings in a remote village, Jajja to the many battlefields and wars, culminating in a remarkable and exceptional career and thereafter his drive and determination as a philanthropist in his post retirement phase serves as inspiration for many of us.
To quote an extract from Volume 6 (Passage to Nowhere) of Ikram Sehgal’s “A Personal Chronicle of Pakistan”. Lt Gen Lehrasab Khan did not know he was a ‘Volunteer’ for Operation Gibraltar until he reached HQ 12 Division in Murree.
It is difficult to get much out of him about what happened in those fateful months but from time to time he does part with his recollections, a story of grit and survival, it had to be once you were sent in without proper training, logistics, communications, adequate maps, etc.
Lehrasab Khan came back from Occupied Kashmir with only a few of the contingent he left with. Those men lying in unmarked graves on lonely mountain tops and distant valleys still brings lumps to his throat.
Once 2 EB had come back to peacetime location in Jessore from the Forward Defended Localities (FDLs) in 1966, we came to know that we were to swap places with 1 EB in Lahore. I met Capt. (later Lt Gen) Lehrasab Khan for the first time in my life when he came with the 1 EB advance party taking over all our stores and equipment. Since everyone else had gone on leave, it fell to my lot to hand those over to him. Although he outranked me by miles, this did not deter me from shuffling all our deficiencies e.g. the gas masks.
After a few days he asked me, ‘youngster, how many gas masks are you short?’ I decided to tell him the truth, about ‘125’ which we were short of.
He said, ‘let me sign for the lot well received but please, youngster, do not steal the gas masks back every night’. We have been good friends since, I have never ever seen him do anything that I would not be proud of. I cherish his friendship today as much as I did 55 years ago. He is as upright today as he was then.
Lt Gen Lehrasab Khan was born at Jajja, a village, 50 km southeast of Islamabad on 7 April 1940. With two generations already having served in the army, he was groomed in an environment where the profession of soldiering continued to be a priority because in classic rural environment, in an undeveloped area, there was very little scope to explore any other avenue.
Lack of educational facilities and economically starved, the region was encouraged to provide common fodder for the British war machine during the First and Second World Wars. While Independence for the Indian subcontinent was being affected by the simmering residual effect of the Second World War. In such circumstances, he attended a primary school 5 kms away from his village. This was taken as a blessing for the young ones of the area.
After primary education, he joined an ex-Khalisa school in a town known as Sukho. It is now named Islamia High School. This town was again also 7-8 kms away from his village but was the only school in the area where before partition non-Muslims could study and were privileged to learn English.
In 1956, he did his matric from this school, and joined Government Degree College for further education.
During the 4th year he was selected for a commission in the army, joining PMA, Kakul in 1960. On commissioning he was posted to 1st Battalion of the East Bengal Regiment (1 EB).
In 1965, he was an active participant in Operation Gibraltar and later during the Indo-Pak September war as a young infantry officer. Lehrasab Khan was recommended for Sitara-e-Jurat as he was battle hardened early in his career.
During the 1971 war, he was at Jessore in East Pakistan and went through the hazards of anti-guerrilla warfare operations and was eventually awarded Sitara-e-Jurat.
Later, in the same area, he was critically wounded and evacuated after initial treatment to West Pakistan.
Meanwhile, his new unit also moved to West Pakistan and he joined them at Peshawar to participate in the final stage of war in December 1971 as low medical category officer, not yet fit to wear uniform. He then participated in Dir Operations that was conducted in 1976, when the law and order situation in Sheringal Valley started deteriorating.
After Dir Operations he worked in the CMLA Secretariat. On promotion to the rank of brigadier he served as Private Secretary to the Vice Chief of Army Staff for a period of three years before proceeding for RCDS course in UK.
He had an opportunity to serve his alma mater as Commandant PMA 1990-1992. He revived some of the old traditions of PMA that he had experienced in 1960s.
He was then posted as GOC Hyderabad where he was tasked to conduct anti-dacoity operations against Sindh’s notorious dacoits. This continued when he later became Commander 5 Corps from 1994- 1997.
As Secretary Defence Production Division, he did his best to provide critical services to the country for a period of four years.
In 2001, despite insistence of his superiors to continue, he chose to retire and continued with his philanthropic work on full time basis. He then established Jajja Education Complex, he also manages Al-Noor Welfare Trust where boys and girls are being taught and groomed as future leaders to serve humanity and the Armed Forces of Pakistan.
This project has impacted the local community and socio-economic conditions of the area and hearts and minds of the youth by providing them facilities for high quality education at their doorsteps right in the heart of a rural area.
The project is a role model to motivate other successful Pakistanis to gravitate back to the area where they came from.
Many of us are led to believe that the hatred between East and West Pakistan that developed in 197 that raises itself periodically like a hydra-headed monster in 1971 and is there to stay.
What does the aforementioned narrative suggest? Gen Lehrasab is a living example that two nations, Pakistan and Bangladesh, are really one country.
I don’t think I can describe Gen Lehrasab anymore.
I want to enclose a self-explanatory narrative Tale of a Senior Tiger written by Brig Mohammad Noor ul Haq of the Bangladesh Army, when he was commanding an infantry battalion in Dhaka in 1992.
Ikram Sehgal
