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1969 1971 Events
1969 1971 Events
SECOND MARTIAL LAW LEGAL FRAMEWORK ORDER(LFO) GENERAL ELECTION 1970 SHEIKHS MUJEEB SIX POINTS POLITIL E ENTS OF 1971 AFTER MATH OF 1971 WAR SURRENDER OILENCE B! MUKHTI BAHMI
Mu5#b7s s#' po#nts ran d#rectly counter to !res#dent Ayub7s plan for $reater nat#onal #nte$rat#on Awam# %ea$ue 16) !a"#stan !eople7s !arty BB (ther !art#es 5 >ndependents ) -(-A% .1*
-he m#l#tary, bureaucracy, and bus#ness, all 1est !a"#stan#9dom#nated, were shoc"ed at the results because they faced the prospect that the central $overnment7s power would be passed away to the &en$al#s, #f the Awam# %ea$ue were allowed to shape the const#tut#on and form a $overnment -he results of the elect#on $ave the Awam# %ea$ue the poss#b#l#ty of fram#n$ the const#tut#on accord#n$ to #ts 69 po#nt pro$ram -he elect#on put the !a"#stan# rul#n$ el#te #n such a pos#t#on that, #f #t allowed the democrat#c process to cont#nue, then #t would be unable to stop the Awam# %ea$ue from fram#n$ a const#tut#on that would protect the &en$al# #nterests -he month of Cecember passed and yet there was no s#$n of the call#n$ of the assembly (n the .rd of ;anuary 19)1, 2he#"h Mu5#bur 8ahman called a mammoth publ#c meet#n$ #n wh#ch he adm#n#stered an oath to the persons who had been elected to the nat#onal and prov#nc#al assembl#es by wh#ch they swore alle$#ance to the party7s pro$ramme for prov#nc#al autonomy &etween the elect#on results and th#s meet#n$ apparently no effort was made by General Yahya "han to br#n$ the leaders to$ether for consultat#ons, thou$h later when he made such efforts the 2he#"h adopted hard att#tude &y and lar$e most of the part#es #n the 1est d#d openly oppose the s#' po#nts pro$ramme >t has been alle$ed that !a"#stan people7s party alone d#d not (n the )th of ;anuary 19)1 w#th th#s bac"$round General Yahya went to :ast !a"#stan -he ev#dence su$$est that at th#s sta$e the pres#dent#al team d#d not have a copy of the s#' po#nts pro$ramme and no ser#ous efforts were done to conv#nce 2he#"h on h#s s#' po#nts Accord#n$ly the meet#n$ was held Mu5#b presented h#s s#' p#nts and as"ed General Yahya@ 9 =2#r you "now what the s#' po#nts pro$ramme #s, please tell me what ob5ect#ons you have to th#s pro$ramme = General Yahya sa#d that he h#mself had noth#n$ a$a#nst the pro$ramme but the west !a"#stan#s do have some problems ?owever, the meet#n$ ended w#th the reference from General Yahya to the 2he#"h as h#s future !r#me M#n#ster /rom Cacca the pres#dent came to Karach# and on 1)th ;anuary 19)1 went o %ar"ana to pay a v#s#t to Mr &hutto After th#s v#s#t Mr &hutto went w#th some other members of h#s party to Cacca where he met the 2he#"h on the 2)th of ;anuary 19)1 Mr &hutto returned from Cacca really hav#n$ fa#led #n h#s m#ss#on Mr &hutto met General Yahya at 8awalp#nd# on the 11th /ebruary 19)1, and reported to h#m the result of the d#scuss#ons After th#s meet#n$, General Yahya announced that the assembly w#ll meet on the .rd of march 19)1 Mr &hutto refused to attend the assembly sess#on (n the 1st of March General Yahya announced the postponement of the nat#onal assembly meet#n$ -he :ast !a"#stan#s reacted v#olently to the postponement and the #mmed#ate results were the v#olent demonstrat#ons and d#sturbances #n Cacca -he army was called to cope w#th th#s s#tuat#on Also, on that day Yahya named General -#""a Khan, as :ast !a"#stan7s m#l#tary $overnor 2he#"h Mu5#bur 8ahman on the )th of March 19)1 announced a wee"lon$ pro$ramme to cont#nue noncooperat#on movement start#n$ on March 2nd General Yahya reached Cacca on 15th march and met 2he#"h Mu5#bur 8ahman on the same date -he proposals of 2he#"h were@ 9 1 Mart#al %aw to be l#fted 2 ,at#onal Assembly w#ll start funct#on#n$ both as a +onst#tuent assembly and the le$#slature . !ower transferred both at nat#onal and prov#nc#al levels -he second and th#rd rounds were held on the 1)th and 21st of March 19)1 respect#vely Mr &hutto on an #nv#tat#on from Cacca on the 19th reached Cacca on the afternoon of the 21st and met the pres#dent -he ne't three days were occup#ed w#th d#scuss#ons of pres#dent a#des w#th the !a"#stan !eople7s !arty and the Awam# %ea$ue separately
(n the 2.rd March 19)1, General Yahya summoned a conference of the leaders at Cacca A$a#n, Mu5#b refused to attend and there after General Yahya f#'ed the 25th for the meet#n$ of the assembly &en$al#s follow#n$ Mu5#b7s lead def#antly celebrated =8es#stance Cay= #n :ast !a"#stan #nstead of the trad#t#onal all9!a"#stan =8epubl#c Cay = -he new fla$ of &an$ladesh was ho#sted on all $overnment and pr#vate bu#ld#n$s (n the 26th and 25th march, Mr &hutto met the pres#dent to d#scuss the proposals of Awam# %ea$ue General Yahya left Cacca, leav#n$ beh#nd #nstruct#ons for m#l#tary act#on #n :ast !a"#stan -he >nd#an #nvolvement was there r#$ht from the be$#nn#n$, #t appears that after the >nd#ans succeeded #n ut#l#3#n$ the refu$ee problem, to turn #nternat#onal op#n#on a$a#nst !a"#stan, they $ot down to the tas" of plann#n$ more effect#ve #nvolvement -hey started the reor$an#3at#on of defected :ast !a"#stan un#ts and the tra#n#n$ of $uer#lla force, called Mu"t# &ah#n# &y the month of (ctober and ,ovember 19)1, >nd#a had concentrated on the border of :ast !a"#stan a force e4u#valent to nearly twelve d#v#s#ons -he war cont#nued on the borders as well as #ns#de the :astern !rov#nce -hen on 16th Cecember 19)1 General ,#a3# was ur$ed to hold on a l#ttle lon$er w#th the hope that ceasef#re resolut#on would soon be passed by the 0n#ted ,at#ons (n the same date another messa$e was sent order#n$ the General to ta"e necessary steps to stop the f#$ht#n$ >n the meant#me General Mane" 2haw of >nd#an army #n a broadcast messa$e demanded surrender and offered certa#n terms &efore the m#dn#$ht between 15th and 16th General ?am#d presumably w#th the approval of General Yahya sent a messa$e to General ,#a3# recommend#n$ h#m to accept the terms offered by >nd#an General
2ome of the #mmed#ate conse4uences, wh#ch ensued from %t9Gen ,#a3#7s dec#s#on to surrender, are e'pla#ned below 2urrender 1hereas a publ#c surrender ceremony was held at Cacca, and all the forces at that place surrendered under the superv#s#on of the head4uarters, eastern command, the d#v#s#ons and br#$ades #n the rest of the prov#nce had been ordered by %t9Gen ,#a3# to contact the#r >nd#an counterparts for dec#d#n$ the procedure for surrender Merc#fully, publ#c ceremon#es were not held at other places and the surrender by all the format#ons was completed on 16th and 1)th Cecember 19)1, by mutual arran$ements w#th the >nd#ans >n some places commanders and staff off#cers mana$ed w#th the ass#stance of >nd#an troops to e'tr#cate the detached c#v#l armed forces personnel and loyal :ast !a"#stan#s !ersonal weapons were allowed to be reta#ned for the f#rst day or two, ma#nly because the >nd#ans could not $uarantee protect#on a$a#nst attac"s by Mu"t# &ah#n#s and also because they had no arran$ements for #mmed#ate collect#on of the weapons
#nstruct#ons from >nd#an h#$h command to hum#l#ate !a"#stan# army #n the eyes of :ast !a"#stan#s and the !a"#stan# off#cers #n the eyes of the#r own men -he loot was partly planned and or$an#3ed for the benef#t of >nd#an #ndustr#al#sts who wanted to ac4u#re 5ute mach#nery #nstalled #n :ast !a"#stan s#nce 196)
-he operat#ons for remov#n$ the pr#soners of war from :ast !a"#stan to >nd#an camps started almost #mmed#ately after surrender Most of the !(1s bel#eved at the t#me that the#r stay #n >nd#a would be short but the >nd#an $overnment had no such #ntent#on to perm#t early repatr#at#on -he sen#or commanders and staff off#cers were #mmed#ately separated from the troops and flown out of :ast !a"#stan -he sen#or off#cers were #nterro$ated by the >nd#an #ntell#$ence staff several t#mes to $a#n "nowled$e about our or$an#3at#on, e4u#pment and tact#cs as well as our future war potent#al Most of the off#cers seem to have tal"ed openly (ur #ntell#$ence staff was spec#ally sub5ected to $ruel#n$ e'am#nat#on and even tortured as a result of wh#ch the #ntell#$ence system of the !a"#stan army may be assumed to have been ser#ously comprom#sed 1966919)1 !a"#stan had to face #ts $reatest cr#s#s s#nce >ndependence -he d#smembered !a"#stan was left only w#th the four !rov#nces of 1est !a"#stanA !un5ab, 2#ndh, , 1 / ! and &aluch#stan :ast !a"#stan was now #ndependent !a"#stan had lost a whole prov#nce of )* m#ll#on, 56 percent of the total populat#on, and over 56,5*1 s4 m#les of terr#tory -here were 9.,*** pr#soners of war #n >nd#a and &an$ladesh !a"#stan7s #nternat#onal cred#t was depleted -he publ#c severely cr#t#c#3ed and accused !res#dent Yahya and h#s Government for #neptness and #nab#l#ty that culm#nated w#th the 19)1 nat#onal debacle /aced w#th these d#ff#cult#es, !res#dent Yahya ceded power to <ulf#4ar Al# &hutto, +ha#rman of the !a"#stan !eoples !arty that had won the ma5or#ty votes #n the 19)* elect#ons #n 1est !a"#stan (n the re4uest of <ulf#4ar Al# &hutto, on Cecember 6, 19)1, Yahya Khan #nstalled a c#v#l#an setup at the +entre and ,urul Am#n, a prom#nent &en$al# pol#t#c#an who was a$a#nst Mu5#b9ur98ahman, was made the !r#me M#n#ster < A &hutto was made Ceputy !r#me M#n#ster on the same day ,urul Am#n rema#ned !r#me M#n#ster t#ll Cecember 2*, 19)1, the day when &hutto too" over as the c#v#l#an +h#ef Marshal %aw Adm#n#strator A !a"#stan >nternat#onal A#rl#ne fl#$ht was sent to fetch &hutto from ,ew Yor", who at that t#me was plead#n$ !a"#stan7s case before the 0n#ted ,at#ons 2ecur#ty +ounc#l on the :ast !a"#stan +r#ses &hutto returned home on Cecember 1B, 19)1 (n Cecember 2*, he was ta"en to the !res#dent ?ouse #n 8awalp#nd# where he too" over two pos#t#ons from Yahya Khan, one as !res#dent and the other as +h#ef Mart#al %aw Adm#n#strator -hus he was the f#rst c#v#l#an +h#ef Mart#al %aw Adm#n#strator of the d#smembered !a"#stan -he new !res#dent #nher#ted a d#sturbed and desperate nat#on sobb#n$ and suffer#n$ from an #ntan$#ble loss of conf#dence >n th#s d#smal hour, he addressed the nat#on and prom#sed to f#$ht bac" ?e vowed to bu#ld a new !a"#stan ?e too" steps to stab#l#3e the s#tuat#on by successfully ne$ot#at#n$ the return of the 9.,*** pr#soners of war and a peaceful settlement w#th >nd#a ?e too" steps to amel#orate poverty and to rev#tal#3e the economy, #ndustry and a$r#culture ?e $ave the th#rd +onst#tut#on to the country and establ#shed c#v#l#an author#ty over the armed forces #n the pol#t#cal setup >n early 19)2, &hutto nat#onal#3ed ten cate$or#es of ma5or #ndustr#es and w#thdrew !a"#stan from the +ommonwealth of ,at#ons and 2 : A - ( (n March 1, he #ntroduced e'tens#ve land reforms (n ;uly 2, 19)2, he s#$ned the 2#mla
A$reement w#th >nd#a for e'chan$e of the occup#ed terr#tor#es and release of !r#soners of 1ar After the 19). +onst#tut#on was promul$ated, &hutto was elected by the ?ouse as the !r#me M#n#ster of !a"#stan ?e was sworn9#n on Au$ust 16, 19).
dur#n$ th#s per#od w#th 2he#"h Mu5#b9ur98ahman on the one hand, and pol#t#cal leaders from 1est !a"#stan on the other Althou$h he never formally declared these ne$ot#at#ons to have fa#led, yet he secretly left Cha"a on the even#n$ of March 25, 19)1, leav#n$ #nstruct#ons beh#nd for m#l#tary act#on to be #n#t#ated as soon h#s plane landed at Karach# -he +omm#ss#on declared that m#l#tary act#on could not have been subst#tute for a pol#t#cal settlement, wh#ch was feas#ble once law and order had been restored w#th#n a matter of few wee"s after the m#l#tary act#on ,o ser#ous effort was made to start a pol#t#cal d#alo$ue w#th the elected representat#ves of the people of :ast !a"#stan >nstead fraudulent and useless measures were adopted -he use of e'cess#ve force dur#n$ the m#l#tary act#on had only served to al#enate the sympath#es of the people of :ast !a"#stan -he arb#trary methods adopted by the Mart#al %aw Adm#n#strat#on #n deal#n$ w#th respectable c#t#3ens of :ast !a"#stan and the#r sudden d#sappearances made the s#tuat#on worse -he att#tude of the Army author#t#es towards the ?#ndu m#nor#ty also resulted #n a lar$e9scale e'odus to >nd#a Althou$h General Yahya Khan was not totally unaware of the avowed #ntent#on of >nd#a to d#smember !a"#stan, he d#dn7t real#3e the need for early pol#t#cal settlement w#th the pol#t#cal leaders of :ast !a"#stan -here was wasta$e of cons#derable t#me dur#n$ wh#ch the >nd#ans mounted the#r tra#n#n$ pro$ram for the Mu"t# &ah#n# and freely started $uer#llas ra#ds #nto the !a"#stan terr#tory !a"#stan Army was almost unable to prevent #nf#ltrat#on of Mu"t# &ah#n# and >nd#an a$ents all alon$ the borders of :ast !a"#stan >n the presence of these two factors, the !a"#stan Army was obv#ously f#$ht#n$ a los#n$ battle from the very start -here had been a lar$e e'odus of people from :ast !a"#stan to >nd#a, as a result of the m#l#tary act#on -he results of >nd#an efforts to propa$ate th#s refu$ee problem on an #nternat#onal level cannot be underm#ned -he >nd#an propa$anda was so forceful that all endeavors made by the m#l#tary re$#me #n !a"#stan to defuse the s#tuat#on proved to be fut#le and left the world un#mpressed -he mutual ass#stance treaty s#$ned between >nd#a and the 0 2 2 8 #n Au$ust 19)1 further a$$ravated the s#tuat#on ,o rat#onal e'planat#on was ava#lable as to why General Yahya d#d not ta"e the d#spute to the 2ecur#ty +ounc#l #mmed#ately after the >nd#an #nvas#on of :ast !a"#stan on ,ovember 21, 19)1 ,or was #t poss#ble to e'pla#n h#s refusal to accept the f#rst 8uss#an resolut#on, #f #ndeed the s#tuat#on #n :ast !a"#stan had become so cr#t#cal that surrender was #nev#table -he Army ?#$h +ommand d#d not carry out any #n9depth study of the effect of these new factors, nor d#d #t pay any attent#on to the $row#n$ d#spar#ty #n war preparedness and capab#l#ty between the armed forces of !a"#stan and >nd#a as a result of the >ndo92ov#et -reaty of Au$ust 19)1 -he trad#t#onal concept of defense adopted by the !a"#stan Army that the defense of :ast !a"#stan lays #n 1est !a"#stan was never #mplemented #n a determ#ned and effect#ve manner -he concept rema#ned val#d, and #f ever there was need to #nvo"e th#s concept, #t was on ,ovember 21, 19)1, when >nd#an troops crossed the :ast !a"#stan borders #n na"ed a$$ress#on 0nfortunately, the delay #n open#n$ the 1estern front and the half9hearted and hes#tant manner #n wh#ch #t was ult#mately opened only helped #n prec#p#tat#n$ the catastrophe #n :ast !a"#stan &es#des, the deta#led narrat#ve of events, as $#ven #n the supplementary report, clearly shows that the plann#n$ was hopelessly defect#ve -here was ne#ther any plan at all for the defense of Cha"a, nor any concerted effort to stem the enemy onslau$ht w#th a C#v#s#on or a &r#$ade battle at any sta$e >t was only when the General found h#mself $radually be#n$ surrounded by the enemy wh#ch had successfully reached /ar#dpur, Khulna, Caud"and# and +handpur Ethe shortest route to Cha"aF, that he be$an to ma"e frant#c efforts to $et the troops bac" for the defense of Cha"a -he 8eport ma#nta#ned that there was no actual order to surrender >n v#ew of the desperate p#cture pa#nted by the +ommander :astern +ommand, h#$her author#t#es $ave h#m perm#ss#on to surrender #f he, #n h#s 5ud$ment, thou$ht #t necessary General ,#a3# could have opted not to surrender #f he thou$ht that he had the capab#l#ty of defend#n$ Cha"a (n h#s own est#mate, he had 26,6** men to hold out for another two wee"s -he enemy would have ta"en a wee" to bu#ld up #ts forces and another wee" to reduce the fortress of Cha"a &ut ev#dence showed that he had already lost the w#ll to f#$ht after Cecember ), 19)1, when h#s ma5or fortresses at ;essore and &rahmanbar# had fallen Ceta#led accounts of w#tnesses
$#ven to the +omm#ss#on #nd#cate that %t9General ,#a3# had suffered a complete moral collapse dur#n$ the clos#n$ phases of the war >t had been concluded that apart from the pol#t#cal, #nternat#onal and m#l#tary factors, an #mportant cause for defeat of the !a"#stan Army was the lac" of moral character and coura$e #n the sen#or Army +ommanders -he process of moral de$enerat#on amon$ the sen#or ran"s of the armed forces was set #n mot#on by the#r #nvolvement #n Mart#al %aw dut#es #n 195B -hese tendenc#es were #ntens#f#ed when General Yahya Khan #mposed Mart#al %aw #n the country once a$a#n #n March 1969 A lar$e number of sen#or army off#cers had not only #ndul$ed #n lar$e9scale ac4u#s#t#on of lands and houses and other commerc#al act#v#t#es, but had also adopted h#$hly #mmoral and lewd ways of l#fe, wh#ch ser#ously affected the#r profess#onal capab#l#t#es and the#r 4ual#t#es of leadersh#p >t appears that they had lost the w#ll to f#$ht and the ab#l#ty to ta"e v#tal and cr#t#cal dec#s#ons re4u#red for the successful prosecut#on of the war -hese remar"s part#cularly appl#ed to General Yahya Khan, h#s close assoc#ates, General Abdul ?am#d Khan, Ma5or General Khuda Cad Khan and %t9General A A K ,#a3#, apart from certa#n other off#cers -he +omm#ss#on recommended that these $rave alle$at#ons be dealt w#th ser#ously -he surrender #n :ast !a"#stan had been a tra$#c blow to the nat#on and had caused, not only d#smemberment of !a"#stan, but also shattered the #ma$e of !a"#stan Army as an eff#c#ent and e'cellent f#$ht#n$ force >n the end #t was hoped #n the 8eport that the ,at#on would learn the necessary lessons from these tra$#c events, and that effect#ve and early act#on w#ll be ta"en #n the l#$ht of the conclus#ons reached -he ?amood9ur98ahman +omm#ss#on 8eport #s a valuable document >t was prepared w#th the e'pl#c#t purpose of not repeat#n$ the var#ous m#sta"es comm#tted by the Army, General Yahya Khan and < A &hutto, wh#ch resulted #n the separat#on of :ast !a"#stan 1r#t#n$s and memo#rs d#sclose that apart from #ts #n4u#ry #nto the 19)1 cr#s#s, #t also ma"es thou$htful recommendat#ons about the defense of the country as a whole
w#th 2he#"h Mu5#b9ur98ahman, the ma5or#ty w#nner from :ast !a"#stan /ollow#n$ the 19)1 1ar and the separat#on of :ast !a"#stan, Yahya Khan res#$ned and &hutto too" over as !res#dent and +h#ef Mart#al %aw Adm#n#strator on Cecember 2*, 19)1 >n early 19)2, &hutto nat#onal#3ed ten cate$or#es of ma5or #ndustr#es, and w#thdrew !a"#stan from the +ommonwealth of ,at#ons and 2 : A - ( when &r#ta#n and other western countr#es reco$n#3ed the new state of &an$ladesh (n March 1, he #ntroduced land reforms, and on ;uly 2, 19)2, s#$ned the 2#mla A$reement w#th >nd#a, wh#ch paved the way for the return of occup#ed lands and the release of !a"#stan# pr#soners captured #n :ast !a"#stan #n the 19)1 war After the ,at#onal Assembly passed the 19). +onst#tut#on, &hutto was sworn9#n as the !r#me M#n#ster of the country (n Cecember .*, 19)., &hutto la#d the foundat#on of !a"#stan7s f#rst steel m#ll at !#pr#, near Karach# (n ;anuary 1, 19)6, &hutto nat#onal#3ed all ban"s (n /ebruary 22, 19)6, the second >slam#c 2umm#t was #nau$urated #n %ahore ?eads of 2tates of most of the .B >slam#c countr#es attended the 2umm#t /ollow#n$ a pol#t#cal cr#s#s #n the country, &hutto was #mpr#soned by General <#a9ul9?a4, who #mposed Mart#al %aw on ;uly 5, 19)) (n Apr#l 6, 19)9, the former !r#me M#n#ster was han$ed, after the 2upreme +ourt upheld the death sentence passed by the %ahore ?#$h +ourt -he ?#$h +ourt had $#ven h#m the death sentence on char$es of murder of the father of a d#ss#dent ! ! ! pol#t#c#an <ulf#4ar Al# &hutto was bur#ed #n h#s ancestral v#lla$e at Garh# Khuda &a"sh, ne't to h#s father7s $rave
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