On August 14, 1947, Pakistan became an independent country. Just ten days later, Muslims in Poonch, a region in Jammu and Kashmir, rebelled against the rule of the Hindu Maharaja Hari Singh. They wanted freedom and started fighting to take control of Kashmir.
On October 4, 1947, the Azad Kashmir government was formed, and fighting continued to free the rest of the region from the Maharaja’s control. On October 22, 1947, Pashtun tribal fighters from Pakistan joined the struggle to help the people of Poonch, many of whom were also of Pashtun (Afghan) origin.
When the tribal fighters moved towards Srinagar, India got alarmed. On October 25, Lord Mountbatten, the British leader overseeing Indian affairs, held an emergency meeting. He agreed to send Indian troops to Kashmir, but only if the Maharaja first officially joined India. India had already decided, with British support, to take control of Jammu and Kashmir.
A top Indian official, V.P. Menon, flew to Srinagar on October 25. He met the Maharaja and got his signature on a document joining India. The Maharaja then fled to Jammu, fearing the tribal fighters, who were only 35 miles from Srinagar and had already destroyed the power station that supplied electricity to the city.
Menon returned to Delhi with the signed document. He also carried a letter from Mountbatten stating that India would help militarily, but once the situation was stable, the people of Kashmir would be asked what they wanted for their future. On October 27, Indian troops landed in Srinagar to defend it.
Pakistan’s Delayed Response
The Pakistan Army had intercepted information about India’s military action on October 26, but the acting British commander-in-chief in Pakistan, General Douglas Gracy, did not act. He did not inform Quaid-e-Azam (the founder of Pakistan), even though he was in Lahore that day. In contrast, British officers in India fully supported India’s move.
British generals in both countries had secretly prepared for Kashmir’s accession to India weeks earlier. When Quaid-e-Azam finally found out on October 27, he ordered Pakistani troops to move into Kashmir. General Gracy refused, saying he needed approval from the British government since Pakistan and India were still under British authority in military matters.
The next day, Field Marshal Auchinleck arrived in Lahore and tried to convince Quaid-e-Azam to take back his order. He argued that if Pakistan could accept the ruler of Junagadh joining Pakistan, then India could also accept Kashmir's ruler joining India. He warned that if Pakistan sent troops, British officers wouldn’t support them, and the Pakistani army was not yet strong enough.
The Role of Qadianis and Furqan Force
Even though the Pakistani army couldn’t officially intervene, later on, they did join the fight when the situation worsened. However, the Furqan Force, a Qadiani (Ahmadi) battalion, was allowed to join the war in June 1948. It was formed by Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmood, the second leader of the Qadiani community, and led by Mirza Nasir Ahmad. This force was made entirely of Qadiani volunteers.
At the same time, tribal fighters were fighting and looting in Baramulla, while Indian forces successfully defended Srinagar airport from untrained Pakistani volunteers. Many of these volunteers had poor weapons and never reached their targets, so Pakistan lost the chance to take over more of Kashmir.
Meanwhile, after signing the accession, the Maharaja appointed Sheikh Abdullah as the temporary administrator of Kashmir. Sheikh Abdullah took his oath on October 30, 1947, and pledged loyalty to the Maharaja and his successors.
Controversies and Allegations
There was later controversy about the role of the Furqan Force and General Gracy. People questioned why the Furqan Force was suddenly disbanded and why the Pakistani military didn’t act in time. Aftab Ahmad, secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference, and other leaders criticized the Qadianis, claiming they were obstacles to Kashmir’s freedom. These criticisms were reported in newspapers.
Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmood defended his community in the Al-Fazl newspaper, questioning why, if Qadianis were traitors, the government had allowed them to serve in the war at all. Still, the Furqan Force was quickly shut down, raising even more questions.
Despite the denials, many critics believe the Qadianis and General Gracy betrayed Pakistan during the Kashmir War. They argue that the government never launched a proper investigation and failed to explain why a separate army was allowed to act independently of the national military.
Post a Comment