H Khan
03-22-2004, 10:21 PM
By Khalid Hasan
WASHINGTON: Maj Gen MG Jilani, who passed away here last week, was remembered with admiration and affection at a memorial meeting on Sunday at the American Legion’s post in Fairfax, Virginia.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Nancy Jilani, his son, three daughters and nine grandchildren. He was born in 1914 and lived in the United States for more than 30 years.
The memorial ceremony was marked by tributes from people belonging to different generations, professions and occupations.
“He was part of a generation of young officers who risked their lives for a cause that gave hope to ordinary people standing up to tyranny,” said friend and relative Dr Akbar Ahmed of the American University.
Two American diplomats who had served in Pakistan during the 1970s, one as consul in Peshawar, the other as deputy chief of mission in Islamabad, came to pay homage to the general. A vice admiral and commander of the US Central Command Naval forces for the 5th Fleet was also present.
Mr Jilani was born in Sibi, Baluchistan. He received degrees from FC College in Lahore and later from Aligarh University. In 1933, he passed the British Indian Army examinations and joined the Royal Scots Regiment. He was captured in the fall of Singapore in February 1942 and spent three years as a Japanese prisoner of war.
He was a lieutenant colonel in charge of a Frontier Force rifle battalion when Pakistan was created and after opting for Pakistan, took a leave of absence to serve as second-in-command of the lashkar of Pushtun tribesmen who had gone into Kashmir to support the popular uprising against the maharaja.
A year later, he took another leave of absence to aid the Gilgit rebellion. He was later appointed commander of the Gilgit Scouts. The guerrilla operation he led became a mandatory case study in guerrilla warfare at Pakistan’s National War College.
The Indian commander in Kashmir Gen “Timmy” Thimayya later said that if it had not been for the large number of troops he had to divert to the Northern Areas against Mr Jilani’s forces, India would have taken control of all of Kashmir. Mr Jilani and Gen Thimayya remained friends all their lives.
Promoted to brigadier, he was posted in 1952 to the Pakistan embassy in Washington for three years as defence attaché. He helped negotiate Pakistan’s entry into CENTO and was the US Legion of Merit by President Eisenhower and the Sitara-e-Quaid-e-Azam by Pakistan.
As major general, he commanded the 14th Division in East Pakistan and served as commander of the Staff College in Quetta. He also led the Dir-Bajour operation in 1960-61. He retired a year later because he was disillusioned with the Ayub regime.
He was arrested in the 1970s on trumped-up charges. He was in and out of jail for three years. Amnesty International adopted him as a prisoner of conscience in 1974. After his release, he went to the United States and became a citizen in 1981.
WASHINGTON: Maj Gen MG Jilani, who passed away here last week, was remembered with admiration and affection at a memorial meeting on Sunday at the American Legion’s post in Fairfax, Virginia.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Nancy Jilani, his son, three daughters and nine grandchildren. He was born in 1914 and lived in the United States for more than 30 years.
The memorial ceremony was marked by tributes from people belonging to different generations, professions and occupations.
“He was part of a generation of young officers who risked their lives for a cause that gave hope to ordinary people standing up to tyranny,” said friend and relative Dr Akbar Ahmed of the American University.
Two American diplomats who had served in Pakistan during the 1970s, one as consul in Peshawar, the other as deputy chief of mission in Islamabad, came to pay homage to the general. A vice admiral and commander of the US Central Command Naval forces for the 5th Fleet was also present.
Mr Jilani was born in Sibi, Baluchistan. He received degrees from FC College in Lahore and later from Aligarh University. In 1933, he passed the British Indian Army examinations and joined the Royal Scots Regiment. He was captured in the fall of Singapore in February 1942 and spent three years as a Japanese prisoner of war.
He was a lieutenant colonel in charge of a Frontier Force rifle battalion when Pakistan was created and after opting for Pakistan, took a leave of absence to serve as second-in-command of the lashkar of Pushtun tribesmen who had gone into Kashmir to support the popular uprising against the maharaja.
A year later, he took another leave of absence to aid the Gilgit rebellion. He was later appointed commander of the Gilgit Scouts. The guerrilla operation he led became a mandatory case study in guerrilla warfare at Pakistan’s National War College.
The Indian commander in Kashmir Gen “Timmy” Thimayya later said that if it had not been for the large number of troops he had to divert to the Northern Areas against Mr Jilani’s forces, India would have taken control of all of Kashmir. Mr Jilani and Gen Thimayya remained friends all their lives.
Promoted to brigadier, he was posted in 1952 to the Pakistan embassy in Washington for three years as defence attaché. He helped negotiate Pakistan’s entry into CENTO and was the US Legion of Merit by President Eisenhower and the Sitara-e-Quaid-e-Azam by Pakistan.
As major general, he commanded the 14th Division in East Pakistan and served as commander of the Staff College in Quetta. He also led the Dir-Bajour operation in 1960-61. He retired a year later because he was disillusioned with the Ayub regime.
He was arrested in the 1970s on trumped-up charges. He was in and out of jail for three years. Amnesty International adopted him as a prisoner of conscience in 1974. After his release, he went to the United States and became a citizen in 1981.