Tikka Khan: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
removed link to IMA disambig
No edit summary
Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit Advanced mobile edit
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Pakistan Army General}}
[[Image:TIKKA.jpg|thumb|right|Gen. Tikka Khan]]'''Tikka Khan''' ([[1915]]–[[2002]]) was Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan (March 1972–March 1976).
{{EngvarB|date=February 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = [[General (Pakistan)|General]]
| name = Tikka Khan
| native_name = {{Lang|ur|{{nq|ٹِکّا خاں}}}}
| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GB, PK|list=[[Hilal-e-Jurat|HJ]] [[Civil decorations of Pakistan|HQA SPk]] [[Order of the Crown (Iran)|NePl]]}}
| image = General.TikkaKhan.jpg
| image_size = 190px
| smallimage =
| alt =
| caption =
| order4 = 23rd [[Governor of Punjab, Pakistan|Governor of Punjab]]
| office4 =
| term_start4 = 9 December 1988
| term_end4 = 6 August 1990
| president4 = [[Ghulam Ishaq Khan]]
| primeminister4 = [[Benazir Bhutto]]
| predecessor4 = [[Sajjad Hussain Qureshi|S.J. Qureshi]]
| successor4 = [[Mian Muhammad Azhar|Muhammad Azhar]]
| office2 = [[National Security Advisor (Pakistan)|National Security Advisor]]
| term_start2 = 1 March 1976
| term_end2 = 4 July 1977
| president2 = [[Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry]]
| primeminister2 = [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]]
| predecessor2 = Ghulam Omar
| successor2 = [[Rao Farman Ali]]
| order = 1st [[Chief of Army Staff (Pakistan)|Chief of Army Staff]]
| office =
| term_start = 3 March 1972
| term_end = 1 March 1976
| predecessor = [[Gul Hassan Khan|Gul Hassan]]<br />(as [[Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army|C-in-C of the Army]])
| successor = [[Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq|Zia-ul-Haq]]
| president = [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]]<br />[[Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry]]
| primeminister = [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]]
| office3 = [[East Pakistan#Governors|Military Governor of East Pakistan]]
| term_start3 = 25 March 1971
| term_end3 = 31 August 1971
| president3 = [[Yahya Khan]]
| predecessor3 = Lt-Gen. [[Sahabzada Yaqub Khan|Yaqub Ali Khan]]
| successor3 = [[Abdul Motaleb Malik]]
| pronunciation =
| birth_name = Tikka Khan
| birth_date = {{Birth date |df=yes|1915|02|10}}<ref name="headstone">{{cite sign |title=General Tikka Khan's Headstone |year=2011 |type=Headstone in graveyard |location=Army Graveyard, Rawalpindi, Pakistan}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Kahuta Tehsil|Kahuta]], [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], [[British Raj|British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2002|03|28|1915|02|10}}
| death_place = [[Rawalpindi]], Pakistan
| resting_place = [[Westridge, Rawalpindi|Westridge cemetery]]
| resting_place_coordinates =
| citizenship = [[British India]] (1915–1947)<br />[[Pakistan]] (1947–2002)
| nationality =
| party = [[Pakistan Peoples Party]]
| otherparty = <!--For additional political affiliations-->
| height = <!-- "X cm", "X m" or "X ft Y in" plus optional reference (conversions are automatic) -->
| spouse =
| partner = <!--For those with a domestic partner and not married-->
| relations =
| children = 1
| parents = <!-- over-rides mother and father parameters -->
| mother = <!-- may be used (optionally with father parameter) in place of parents parameter (displays "Parent(s)" as label) -->
| father = <!-- may be used (optionally with mother parameter) in place of parents parameter (displays "Parent(s)" as label) -->
| relatives =
| residence =
| education =
| alma_mater = [[Indian Military Academy]]
| occupation =
| profession =
| known_for =
| cabinet =
| committees =
| portfolio =
| awards = [[File:Hilal-e-Quaid-e-Azam (1957-76).png|50px]] [[Civil decorations of Pakistan|Hilal-e-Quaid-e-Azam]]<br /> [[File:Sitara-e-Pakistan (SPk) (1957-86).png|50px]] [[Civil decorations of Pakistan|Sitara-e-Pakistan]]
| blank1 =
| data1 =
| blank2 =
| data2 =
| blank3 =
| data3 =
| blank4 =
| data4 =
| blank5 =
| data5 =
| signature =
| signature_alt =
| website = <!--Military service-->
| nickname = Butcher of Bengal<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--not stated--> |date=30 March 2002 |title=Gen. Tikka Khan, 87; 'Butcher of Bengal' led Pakistani Army |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-mar-30-me-passings30.1-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=25 September 2022}}</ref>
| allegiance = {{flagicon|British India}} [[British India]] (1935-47)<br />{{flagicon|PAK}} [[Pakistan]] (1947-76)
| branch = {{flagicon|British India|army}} [[British Indian Army]]<br />{{flagicon|Pakistan|army}} [[Pakistan Army]]
| serviceyears = 1935–1976
| rank = [[File:OF-9 Pakistan Army.svg|20px]] [[General (Pakistan)|General]]
| unit = [[Pakistan Army Regiment of Artillery|Regiment Artillery]]
| commands = [[Evolution of Pakistan Eastern Command plan|Eastern Command]]<br />[[IV Corps (Pakistan)|IV Corps]]<br />[[II Corps (Pakistan)|II Corps]]<br /> [[Structure of the Pakistan Army|8th Infantry Division]], [[Rann of Kutch]]<br />[[Structure of the Pakistan Army|15th Infantry Division]], [[Sialkot]]
| battles = {{tree list}}
* [[Second World War]]
** [[North African campaign]]
** [[Burma campaign]]
* [[Second Kashmir War]]
** [[Operation Desert Hawk]]
** [[Battle of Chawinda]]
* [[Bangladesh Liberation War]]
** [[Operation Searchlight]]
* [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
* [[1970s operation in Balochistan|1973 Balochistan operation]]
{{tree list/end}}
| mawards = [[File:Hilal-e-Jurat.png|50px]] [[Hilal-e-Jurat]]<br />[[File:Hilal-e-Quaid-e-Azam (1957-76).png|50px]] [[Civil decorations of Pakistan|Hilal-e-Quaid-e-Azam]]<br />[[File:Sitara-e-Pakistan (SPk) (1957-86).png|50px]] [[Sitara-e-Pakistan]]<br />[[File:1939–1945 Star.png|50px]] [[1939-1945 Star]]<br />[[File:Africa Star 1945.png|50px]] [[Africa Star]]<br />[[File:Burma Star BAR.svg|50px]] [[Burma Star]]<br />[[File:Italy Star 1945.png|50px]] [[Italy Star]]<br />[[File:Ribbon - War Medal.png|50px]] [[War Medal 1939-1945]]
| military_blank1 = [[Service number]]
| military_data1 = [[Pakistan Army|PA]] – 124
| military_blank2 =
| military_data2 =
| military_blank3 =
| military_data3 =
| military_blank4 =
| military_data4 =
| military_blank5 =
| military_data5 = <!--Embedded templates / Footnotes-->
| module =
| module2 =
| module3 =
| footnotes =
}}
'''Tikka Khan''' {{post-nominals|country=GB, PK|list=[[Hilal-e-Jurat|HJ]] [[Civil decorations of Pakistan|HQA SPk]] [[Order of the Crown (Iran)|NePl]]}} ({{Lang-ur|{{nq|ٹِکّا خاں}}}}{{ltr}}; 10 February 1915 – 28 March 2002)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/bilalnaqeeb/chiefs-of-army-staff-pakistan-81165764 |title=Chiefs of Army Staff (Pakistan) |date=24 October 2017}}</ref> was a Pakistani military officer who served as the first [[Chief of the Army Staff (Pakistan)|chief of the army staff]] from 1972 to 1976.<ref name="Pakistan Army">{{cite web |title=General Tikka Khan |url=https://www.pakistanarmy.gov.pk/AWPReview/TextContent.aspx?pId=149 |website=pakistanarmy.gov.pk |publisher=Pakistan Army |access-date=19 August 2016}}</ref> Along with [[Yahya Khan]], he is considered a chief architect of the [[1971 Bangladesh genocide]]<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Totten |first1=Samuel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5Ef8Hrx8Cd0C |title=Century of Genocide: Critical Essays and Eyewitness Accounts |last2=Parsons |first2=William S. |last3=Charny |first3=Israel W. |date=2004 |publisher=Psychology Press |isbn=978-0-415-94430-4 |pages=295–303 |language=en |quote=The Pakistani government (the Yahya regime) was primarily responsible for the genocide. Not only did it prevent the Awami League and Rahman from forming the federal government, but it opted for a military solution to a constitutional crisis. In doing so, it decided to unleash a brutal military operation in order to terrorize the Bengalis. Yahya's decision to put General Tikka Khan (who had earned the name of "Butcher of Baluchistan" for his earlier brutal suppression of Baluchi nationals in the 1960s) in charge of the military operation in Bangladesh was an overt signal of the regime's intention to launch a genocide.}}</ref> which according to independent researchers led to the deaths of 300,000 to 500,000 people.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16207201 |title=Bangladesh war: The article that changed history |date=2011-12-16 |access-date=2021-12-19 |website=[[BBC News]] |last=Dummett |first=Mark}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=Massacre: The tragedy at Bangla Desh and the phenomenon of mass slaughter throughout history |last=Payne |first=Robert |publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers]] |year=1973 |isbn=9780025952409 |pages=13 |author-link=Robert Payne (author)}}</ref>


Gaining a [[Commission (document)|commission]] in 1940 as an artillery officer in the [[British Indian Army]] to participate in [[World War II]], he rose to command the 8th and 15th [[infantry]] [[Division (military)|divisions]] in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|war with India in 1965]]. In 1969, he was appointed as the commander of [[IV Corps (Pakistan)|IV Corps]] while acting as [[martial law administrator]] in [[West Pakistan]] under President Yahya Khan. In 1971, he took over the command of army's [[Pakistan Eastern Command|Eastern Command]] in [[East Pakistan]] and appointed as [[East Pakistan#Governors|Governor of East Pakistan]] where he oversaw the planning and the military deployments to execute the [[Operation Searchlight|military operations]] to quell the [[Bangladesh Liberation War|liberation war efforts]] by the [[Awami League]].<ref name="Hamid Mir">{{cite news |author=Hamid Mir |date=26 March 2010 |title=Apology Day for Pakistanis |url=http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=131584 |newspaper=The Daily Star |access-date=25 May 2013}}</ref> His tough rhetoric to deal with political enemies earned him notoriety and a nickname of ''Touka'' (meaning ''Cleaver'')<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://articles.latimes.com/2002/mar/30/local/me-passings30.1 |title=Gen. Tikka Khan, 87; 'Butcher of Bengal' Led Pakistani Army |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=30 March 2002 |issn=0458-3035 |access-date=6 June 2022}}</ref> and he was soon relieved of his command by President Yahya Khan.
General Tikka Khan was born in the village of Jochha Mamdot (Tehsil Kahuta) near [[Rawalpindi]] in 1915 (in what was then British India). He was a graduate of the [[Indian Military Academy]] at [[Dehradun]], and was commissioned in 1939.


After commanding the [[II Corps (Pakistan)|II Corps]] in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|war with India in 1971]], Tikka Khan was promoted to four-star rank and appointed as the first chief of army staff of the Pakistan Army in 1972. As an army chief, Tikka Khan provided support to the [[Pakistan and its Nuclear Deterrent Program|Pakistan nuclear programme]] alongside [[bureaucrat]] [[Ghulam Ishaq Khan]].<ref name="A.Q. Khan memoirs">{{cite web |title=RANDOM THOUGHTS : Unsung Heroes (Part XXII)- By: Dr. A.Q. Khan – South Asian Pulse |url=http://www.sapulse.com/new_comments.php?id=A9732_0_1_0_M |website=sapulse.com |publisher=A.Q. Khan memoirs |access-date=19 August 2016}}</ref> Upon retirement from the [[Pakistan Military|military]] in 1976, he was subsequently appointed as [[National Security Advisor (Pakistan)|National Security Advisor]] by Prime Minister [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]], only to be removed in 1977 as a result of enforced [[1977 Pakistani coup d'état|martial law]]. In the 1980s, he remained active as a political worker of the [[Pakistan Peoples Party]] (PPP) and emerged as its leader when appointed as [[Governor of Punjab, Pakistan|Governor]] of [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]] after the [[1988 Pakistani general elections|general elections]] held in 1988. His tenure ended when President Ghulam Ishaq Khan [[Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan|dismissed]] Prime Minister [[Benazir Bhutto]]'s government in 1990 and he was succeeded by [[Mian Muhammad Azhar]]. He retired from [[Politics of Pakistan|politics]] in 1990. He died on 28 March 2002 and was buried with full [[State funeral|military honours]] in [[Westridge, Rawalpindi|Westridge cemetery]] in [[Rawalpindi]], Punjab, Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Former administrator of East Pakistan Lt-General Tikka Khan dies |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/obituary/story/20020415-former-administrator-of-east-pakistan-lt-general-tikka-khan-dies-795526-2002-04-14 |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=India Today |language=en}}</ref>
He fought in [[World War II]] as part of the [[British Indian Army]], and was injured on multiple occasions during the fighting. He was in action in numerous battles on both the [[Burma|Burmese]] and [[Italy|Italian]] fronts. He was also a prisoner of war for more than two years during the war, before he and his fellow troops escaped from their captors.


== Early life and education ==
After his return from World War II, he was an instructor at the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun for some time. During the [[Partition of India]], Major Tikka Khan remained in what is now Pakistan, and became an officer in the [[Military of Pakistan|Pakistan Army]].
Tikka Khan was born on 10 February 1915<ref name="headstone" /> into a [[Punjabi Muslims|Punjabi]] family of the [[Janjua]] [[Muslim Rajputs|Rajput]] clan<ref>{{Cite book|last=Nawaz|first=Shuja|title=Crossed Swords: Pakistan, its Army, and the Wars Within|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=2008|pages=266|quote=Word spread within the army that Yaqub had lost his nerve. This was further strengthened by the choice of Lt. Gen. Tikka Khan as Yaqub's replacement. Tikka, a Janjua Rajput from a village near Kahuta in Rawalpindi district, was seen as a commander who followed orders to the letter.}}</ref> in the Jochha Mamdot village of [[Kahuta Tehsil]], [[Rawalpindi District]], [[British Punjab|Punjab]], [[British Indian Empire|British India]] (now [[Punjab, Pakistan]]).<ref name="Yale University Press, Tripathi">{{cite book |last1=Tripathi |first1=Salil |year=2016 |title=The Colonel Who Would Not Repent: The Bangladesh War and Its Unquiet Legacy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bcffCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA127 |publisher=Yale University Press |page=127 |isbn=978-0-300-22102-2}}</ref>


After his education in Rawalpindi, he joined the [[Army Cadet College]] in [[Nowgong, Chhatarpur|Nowgong]], Madhya Pradesh in 1933 and joined the [[British Indian Army]] as a [[sepoy]] in 1935; he gained his commission in the army from the [[Indian Military Academy]] on 22 December 1940.<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar">{{cite book|last1=Sagar|first1=Krishna Chandra|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XM5oZYYvEmYC&pg=PA57|title=The War of the Twins|publisher=Northern Book Centre|year=1997|isbn=978-81-7211-082-6|page=57|access-date=19 August 2016}}</ref>
He was promoted to the rank of Major General in 1962. One of General Tikka's greatest successes on the battlefield came in the spring of 1965, during the series of clashes between India and Pakistan in the [[Rann of Kutch]]. By most accounts, the Pakistani forces performed very well on the battlefield, routing the Indian forces; this led to a very high level of confidence among Pakistani Army commanders.


During these early years he was known to be a particularly good boxer.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Abdul Wahab |first=A.T.M. |title=Mukti Bahini Wins Victory: Pak Military Oligarchy Divides Pakistan in 1971 |publisher=Columbia Prokashani |year=2004 |pages=86 |isbn=978-984-713-044-6}}</ref>
General Tikka Khan was at the [[Sialkot]] front during the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|1965 India-Pakistan war]], and successfully defended the city from an Indian attack. Due to his performance there, and his victory during the Rann of Kutch clashes, General Tikka became something of a hero to the Pakistani people, having the image of being an extremely tough commander and a loyal soldier who strictly followed the army chain of command.


== Military career ==
General Tikka was also the core commander of [[Lahore]] during the late 1960s, during which time he earned a reputation of being a tough administrator and strict disciplinarian. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General in 1969.


=== World War II ===
In early 1971 [[East Pakistan]] was in severe turmoil. The long years of [[martial law]] had alienated the East Pakistanis, and the delay in handing over power to [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman|Sheikh Mujeeb]], who had won the 1970 Pakistani elections, led to an explosion of pent-up rage against the West Pakistanis. In the wake of the resignations of two East Pakistan governors, General Sahibzada Yakub Khan and Admiral Ahsan, General Tikka Khan was sent to East Pakistan as the Governor by the President, General Yahya Khan. Yahya correctly believed that Tikka would not disobey the orders of a superior officer.
He participated in [[World War II]] and fought with the [[2 Medium Regiment (Self Propelled) (Letse & Point 171)|2nd Field Regiment]], [[Regiment of Artillery (India)|Regiment of Artillery]] in Libya against the [[Afrika Korps]] led by German Field Marshal [[Erwin Rommel]] in 1940.<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar" /> He was captured by German troops and held as a [[Prisoner of War|POW]] in Libya for more than a year.<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar" /> After successfully escaping, he saw military action in the [[Burma Campaign 1944–45|Burma campaign]] against [[Imperial Japan|Japan]] in 1945 where he was wounded and hospitalised for some time.<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar" /> In 1946, he was posted in different parts of India such as [[Deolali]], [[Mathura]], and [[Kalyan]].<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar" />


During the same time, he served as an instructor at the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun.<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar" />
As General Tikka landed in [[Dacca]] on [[7 March]] [[1971]], he was ordered to keep the Army in the barracks as negotiations between Yahya Khan and [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman|Sheikh Mujeeb]] proceeded; this he did. With the failure of negotiations, General [[Yahya Khan]] ordered General Tikka to commence a crackdown on the [[Awami League]] and its militant supporters. On [[25 March]], [[Operation Searchlight]] commenced and Sheikh Mujeeb was arrested. Heavy fighting erupted between Bangladeshi separatists and the Pakistan Army, causing high civilian casualties. The [[Bangladesh|Bangladeshi]] separatists were actively supported by the Indians.


=== New beginnings in Pakistan ===
After many weeks of heavy fighting, General Tikka and the Pakistan Army managed to extend the writ of the government to most of [[East Pakistan]], although the separatists frequently committed acts of sabotage and enjoyed support from the locals. The lack of support from the local populace meant that the Pakistan Army had problems gathering intelligence. For some time in April&ndash;June 1971 there was a lull in the fighting, and the Pakistani Army felt that it had achieved military success. However, the insurgency continued with active support from the Indians. With the fighting continuing and pressure on [[Yahya Khan]] to seek a political solution to the conflict, General Tikka Khan was called back to West Pakistan in early September, even though President Yahya Khan felt he had done a good military job. [[Lieutenant-General A. A. K. Niazi]], however was left to bear the brunt of the loss that would seal the fate of East Pakistan.
After the [[Pakistan Movement|efforts of Pakistani nationalists]] culminated in the [[Partition of India|partition of British India]] and the creation of Pakistan, Tikka Khan joined the [[Pakistan Army]] as a major in the Pakistan Army's [[Pakistan Army Regiment of Artillery|Regiment of Artillery]] in 1947.<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar" /> His military career progressed well and he got accelerated promotions in the army.<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar" /> In 1949, he was promoted to [[Lieutenant-Colonel|lieutenant colonel]]. He worked hard to raise the Medium Regiment in the new army.<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar" /> In 1950–54, he was promoted to [[Colonel (Pakistan)|colonel]] and became the deputy director at the directorate of artillery in the [[GHQ (Pakistan Army)|GHQ]].<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar" />


In 1955, he was promoted to [[brigadier]].<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar" /> In 1962, he was promoted to [[Major-General|major general]] and posted at the GHQ in Rawalpindi.<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar" />
After Pakistan's defeat, and the break up of the country, [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]] became the Prime Minister. After a brief tenure by General [[Gul Hasan]] at the helm of the Pakistan Army, Bhutto appointed General Tikka Khan as the Chief of the Army Staff in March 1972. One of Tikka Khan&#8217;s earliest responsibilities was to oversee Pakistan's nascent [[Pakistan and weapons of mass destruction|nuclear program]], which Bhutto had initiated in early 1972. The goal of the nuclear program was to enhance Pakistan's security, and the program's pace was accelerated after India's 1974 nuclear test. Tikka Khan did not intrude into politics, and for the first time in many years, the policy making was left to the civilian Prime Minister Bhutto. Another major task undertaken by Tikka Khan was the repatriation and re-settlement of 93,000 Prisoners of War from India, which included many civilians as well.


=== Between the wars: 1965–1971 ===
Tikka Khan&#8217;s tenure ended in March 1976, and he was later appointed Defence Minister by Bhutto. [[Zia ul-Haq]]&#8217;s July 1977 coup led to the arrest of both Bhutto and General Tikka Khan. Bhutto was executed in 1979, after which General Tikka Khan took over the leadership of the Pakistan People&#8217;s Party (PPP) and became its Secretary General, during a time when many party stalwarts abandoned it. General Tikka was imprisoned numerous times for his political activities during the late 1970s and 1980s, until [[Zia ul-Haq]] died in August 1988. General Tikka Khan was appointed the [[Governor]] of Pakistan&#8217;s largest province, the [[Punjab]], in December 1988. His tenure as the Governor was cut short by the dismissal of the [[Benazir Bhutto|Benazir]] government in August 1990, after which he retired from active politics.
{{Main|Battle of Rann of Kutch|Indo-Pakistani war of 1965|Indo-Pakistani war of 1971}}


In 1965, Major-General Tikka Khan was the [[General officer commanding|GOC]] of the 8th Infantry Division that was positioned in Punjab, Pakistan.<ref name="Skyhorse Publishing, Inc." /> At that time, the 8th Infantry Division consisted of the 51st [[Paratrooper]] [[Brigade]] and the 52nd Infantry Brigade.<ref name="Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.">{{cite book |last1=Cloughley |first1=Brian |title=A History of the Pakistan Army: Wars and Insurrections |year=2016 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JE1kCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT84 |publisher=[[Skyhorse Publishing]] |page=84 |isbn=978-1-63144-039-7 |access-date=19 August 2016}}</ref> In April 1965, the 8th Infantry Division intruded into the [[Rann of Kutch]].<ref name="Vij Books India Pvt Ltd">{{cite book |last1=Khanna |first1=K. K. |title=Art of Generalship |year=2015 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uAmqCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA176 |publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd |page=176 |isbn=978-93-82652-93-9}}</ref> Hostilities broke out between India and Pakistan and Tikka Khan's 8th Division fought the [[Indian Army]] in the [[Battle of Rann of Kutch]].<ref name="Hurst Publishers">{{cite book |last1=Bajwa |first1=Farooq |title=From Kutch to Tashkent: The Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 |year=2013 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5a0NAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA71 |publisher=[[Hurst Publishers]] |page=71 |isbn=978-1-84904-230-7 |access-date=19 August 2016}}</ref><ref name="Motorbooks International">{{cite book |last1=Haskew |first1=Michael E. |title=Tank: 100 Years of the World's Most Important Armored Military Vehicle |year=2015 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O8JQCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA201 |publisher=Motorbooks International |page=201 |isbn=978-0-7603-4963-2 |access-date=19 August 2016}}</ref> During the war, Tikka Khan earned a reputation as a victor of Rann of Kutch and was credited widely by the [[Pakistani press]] for the victories he gained over the Indian Army.<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar" /> He made a bold stand against the Indian Army's encirclement in the Sialkot sector in 1965.<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar" /> He later led the 15th Infantry Division in the [[Indo-Pakistani war of 1965]].<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar" />
As a politician, Tikka Khan will be remembered for his intense loyalty to the Bhutto political clan, whatever the political climate in the country, first to [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]] and then later to [[Benazir Bhutto]]. As a soldier, he will be remembered as a loyal man who would strictly observe the army chain of command and never disobey a senior officer.


After President [[Ayub Khan (President of Pakistan)|Ayub Khan]] handed over the [[Pakistani presidency|presidency]] to his army chief General [[Yahya Khan]] in 1969, Tikka Khan was promoted to [[Lieutenant general (Pakistan)|lieutenant general]] to command the [[IV Corps (Pakistan)|IV Corps]], stationed in [[Lahore]].<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar" /> He was the [[martial law administrator]] of Punjab under President Yahya Khan who appointed him after replacing with [[Attiqur Rahman]].<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar" /> His personality was well known in Pakistan as being tough and ruthless.<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar" /> In March 1971, Tikka Khan was sent to [[Dacca]] and left the post to Lieutenant General Bahadur Sher in March 1971.<ref name="Northern Book Centre, Sagar" />
General Tikka Khan died on [[28 March]] [[2002]] after several years of illness. Benazir Bhutto, who had spent many years campaigning with the General, remembered him as a person who "rose to the highest offices of this country due to his hard work and respect for the rule of law". He was buried with full military honours in the Army Graveyard in [[Rawalpindi]], [[Pakistan]].


=== Bangladesh Liberation and 1971 war ===
==See also==
{{Main|1971 Bangladesh genocide|Operation Searchlight|1971 Dhaka University massacre|Indo-Pakistani war of 1971}}
*[[Zia ul-Haq]]
The situation was very complex in both [[West Pakistan|West]] and [[East Pakistan]] after the [[1970 Pakistani general election|general elections]] held in 1970 where the [[Bengali nationalism|Bengali nationalist]] [[Awami League]] won 160 of the 162 seats in East Pakistan, whereas the [[Socialism in Pakistan|leftist-socialist]] [[Pakistan Peoples Party]] (PPP) won 81 seats out of 138 in West Pakistan.<ref name="Story Of Pakistan Fall of Dhaka 1971" /> By constitutional law, [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]] of the Awami League was supposed to be the candidate for the post of [[Prime Minister of Pakistan]] but [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]] of the Pakistan Peoples Party was not ready to accept his role as [[Leader of the Opposition (Pakistan)|Leader of the Opposition]] and refused to sit in the [[National Assembly of Pakistan|National Assembly]] in this role.<ref name="Story Of Pakistan Fall of Dhaka 1971" />
*[http://pakistanspace.tripod.com/47.htm Chronicles Of Pakistan]
{{sequence|prev=Gen. [[Gul Hasan]]|next=General [[Zia ul-Haq]]|list=[[:Category:Chiefs of Army Staff, Pakistan|Chiefs of Army Staff, Pakistan]]}}


Under pressure by Bhutto and the Pakistan Peoples Party, President Yahya Khan postponed the National Assembly session despite meeting with and inviting the Awami League to form the government on 7 March.<ref name="Story Of Pakistan Fall of Dhaka 1971" /> Sheikh Mujibur Rahman reacted by calling upon the [[Bengali people]] to launch an [[Bangladesh Liberation War|armed liberation movement]] against Pakistan at a mass rally.<ref name="Story Of Pakistan Fall of Dhaka 1971" /> Responding to this, President Yahya Khan accepted the resignation of Lieutenant General [[Sahabzada Yaqub Khan|Yaqub Khan]] as governor of East Pakistan and commander of the army's [[Evolution of Pakistan Eastern Command plan|Eastern Command]] in March 1971 and appointed Lieutenant General Tikka Khan as his successor. Tikka Khan arrived in Dacca the same month and took over the governorship. He assumed command of the Eastern Command on 7 March 1971. He has faced accusations of killing thousands of civilians.<ref name="Story Of Pakistan Fall of Dhaka 1971">{{cite web |url=http://storyofpakistan.com/fall-of-dhaka-1971 |title=Fall of Dhaka 1971 |date=4 June 2002 |website=Story of Pakistan |access-date=19 August 2016}}</ref>{{user-generated source|date=November 2016}}<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |url=http://www.thestatesman.com/news/opinion/unfinished-agenda-of-1971/132671.html |title=Unfinished agenda of 1971 |work=The Statesman |type=Opinion |access-date=27 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Chowdhury |first=Prabir Barua |date=26 March 2016 |title=A friend in need |url=http://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/friend-need-1199776 |newspaper=The Daily Star |access-date=27 March 2016}}</ref>


{{Gallery|File:Hilal-e-Jurat Medal.png|[[Hilal-e-Jurat]]|width=100|height=210|align=left|mode=nolines|noborder=no}}Acting on the instructions of President Yahya Khan's administration, Lieutenant General Tikka Khan began preparations of "direct-wise military operation" against the Awami League on the evening of 25 March 1971.<ref name="Routledge, Dixit">{{cite book |last1=Dixit |first1=J. N. |author-link=Jyotindra Nath Dixit |title=India-Pakistan in War and Peace |year=2003 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mdWCAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA169 |publisher=Routledge |page=169 |isbn=978-1-134-40758-3 |access-date=19 August 2016}}</ref> Tikka Khan's order to his soldiers was ''I want the land and not the people''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/newsdetail/index/6/20147/how-genocide-triggered-bangladesh-bid-for-independence|title=How Genocide Triggered Bangladesh Bid for Independence|publisher=The Citizen India|date=25 March 2021|accessdate=23 January 2022}}</ref> Tikka Khan took assistance from loyal Bengalis and [[Stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh|Biharis]] for the operation and organized a paramilitary force called [[Razakar (Pakistan)|Razakars]].{{citation needed|date=December 2023}} He ordered the arrest of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, outlawed the Awami League, and ordered a midnight [[1971 Dhaka University massacre|attack on the University of Dhaka]].<ref name="Nation Books, Bhutto">{{cite book |last1=Bhutto |first1=Fatima |author-link=Fatima Bhutto |title=Songs of Blood and Sword: A Daughter's Memoir |year=2011 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mjo3xkGSV6cC&pg=PA100 |publisher=Nation Books |page=100 |isbn=978-1-56858-632-8 |access-date=1 December 2023}}</ref> Tikka Khan was the architect and top planner of [[Operation Searchlight]].<ref name="Hamid Mir" /> Thousands were killed in this operation, including academics and other members of civil society, and the country was plunged into a bloody civil war.<ref name="Nation Books, Bhutto" /> [[Fatima Bhutto]] called him "a soldier known for his eager use of force."<ref name="Nation Books, Bhutto" /> He became notorious as the "Butcher of Bengal."<ref name="APH Publishing, Ahmad">{{cite book |last1=Ahmed |first1=Salahuddin |title=Bangladesh: Past and Present |year=2004 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Szfqq7ruqWgC&pg=PA174 |publisher=APH Publishing |page=174 |isbn=978-81-7648-469-5 |access-date=19 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Muktijuddho (Bangladesh Liberation War 1971) - Butcher of Bengal General Tikka Khan takes charge in East Pakistan - History of Bangladesh|url=http://www.londoni.co/index.php/23-history-of-bangladesh/1971-muktijuddho/108-muktijuddho-bangladesh-liberation-war-1971-butcher-of-bengal-general-tikka-khan-takes-charge-in-east-pakistan-history-of-bangladesh|access-date=2020-09-08|website=Londoni|language=en-gb}}</ref>
{{bio-stub}}


In West Pakistan, domestic criticism and disapproval of Lieutenant General Tikka Khan grew to the point that President Yahya Khan replaced him with a civilian [[Form of government|government]] led by a governor and a cabinet drawn from different political parties.<ref name="Columbia University Press, Elora">{{cite book |last1=Shehabuddin |first1=Elora |title=Reshaping the Holy: Democracy, Development, and Muslim Women in Bangladesh |year=2008 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ovbVLZ2G6pMC&pg=PA66 |publisher=Columbia University Press |page=66 |isbn=978-0-231-51255-8 |access-date=19 August 2016}}</ref> Tikka Khan was recalled to Pakistan, relinquishing the Eastern Command to Lieutenant General [[Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi|Amir Khan Niazi]],<ref name="Lancer Publishers, Pran Nath">{{cite book |last1=Kathpalia |first1=Pran Nath |title=Mission with a Difference: The Exploits of 71 Mountain Brigade |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PZ62tP_5a2AC&pg=PA53 |publisher=Lancer Publishers |page=53 |access-date=19 August 2016}}</ref> and given command of the [[II Corps (Pakistan)|II Corps]] based in [[Multan]], Punjab.<ref name="Lancer Publishers, Palit">{{cite book |last1=Palit |first1=Maj Gen DK |title=The Lightning Campaign: The Indo-Pakistan War, 1971 |year=1998 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PKvmgfHewHcC&pg=PA83 |publisher=Lancer Publishers |page=83 |isbn=978-1-897829-37-0 |access-date=19 August 2016}}</ref> He commanded the II Corps during the [[Indo-Pakistani war of 1971|1971 war with India]].<ref name="Lancer Publishers, Palit" /> Indian Major General D. K. Palit has questioned the wisdom of Tikka Khan's tactics used in the [[Battle of Chhamb]] in December, citing high II Corps casualties incurred during Pakistani frontal attacks.<ref name="Lancer Publishers, Palit" />

=== Chief of Army staff ===
{{Main|Chief of Army Staff (Pakistan)|1970s Baloch Insurgency and Rahimuddin's Provincial Stabilization}}

In 1972, President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto removed Lieutenant General [[Gul Hassan Khan]] from his position as commander-in-chief of the army<ref name="Oxford University Press, Jeffrelot">{{cite book |last1=Jaffrelot |first1=Christophe |author-link=Christophe Jaffrelot |title=The Pakistan Paradox: Instability and Resilience |year=2015 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i5GMCwAAQBAJ&pg=PG22 |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=226 |isbn=978-0-19023-518-5}}</ref> and reorganized the army leadership to replace the position with that of the [[Chief of Army Staff (Pakistan)|Chief of Army Staff (COAS)]]. Bhutto then promoted Tikka Khan to [[Four-star rank|four-star]] [[General (Pakistan)|general]] and appointed him as COAS.<ref name="Routledge, Ravi">{{cite book |last1=Kalia |first1=Ravi |title=Pakistan: From the Rhetoric of Democracy to the Rise of Militancy |year=2011 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8pUHFgtuwtoC&pg=PA142 |publisher=Routledge |page=142 |isbn=978-0-415-67040-1|access-date=20 August 2016}}</ref> Tikka Khan was a highly unpopular choice in [[Military of Pakistan|military circles]] for the chief of army staff because it was felt strongly that he was professionally unprepared for the assignment.<ref name="Routledge, Abbas">{{cite book |last1=Abbas |first1=Hassan |author-link=Hassan Abbas (academic) |title=Pakistan's Drift into Extremism: Allah, the Army, and America's War on Terror: Allah, the Army, and America's War on Terror |year=2015 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N3GsBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT102 |publisher=Routledge |page=102 |isbn=978-1-317-46327-6 |access-date=20 August 2016}}</ref> On the other hand, Tikka Khan was steadfastly loyal to Bhutto.<ref name="Oxford University Press, Jeffrelot" /> In 1972, he supported the [[militarisation]] of the [[Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission]] by supporting [[Munir Ahmad Khan]] to take over the commission's chairmanship and the directorship of the clandestine [[Pakistan and its Nuclear Deterrent Program|atomic bomb programme]].<ref name="Transaction Publishers">{{cite book |last1=Israeli |first1=Raphael |author-link=Raphael Israeli |title=Years of Upheaval: Axial Changes in Islam Since 1989 |year=2016 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_jX_CQAAQBAJ&pg=PT84 |publisher=Transaction Publishers |page=84 |isbn=978-1-4128-6190-8}}</ref> He was implicated in the [[Hamoodur Rahman Commission|Hamoodur Rahman Commission's]]{{citation needed|date=September 2020}} report on the 1971 war with India over East Pakistan, but much of the report remains [[Classified information|classified]].

In 1974, Tikka Khan led the [[1970s Baloch Insurgency and Rahimuddin's Provincial Stabilization|counterinsurgency military operation]] in [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]] and successfully crushed [[Baloch nationalism|Baloch independence movement]].<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/424827-killings-of-zehris-and-history-of-balochistan’s-plight|title= Killings of Zehris and history of Balochistan's plight|access-date=17 April 2013|work=The News International}}</ref> In 1976, he provided his support to [[Ghulam Ishaq Khan]] and Bhutto to expand the clandestine nuclear weapons programme.<ref name="A.Q. Khan memoirs" /> The same year, Tikka Khan was preparing to retire from the military, and evaluated the eight serving lieutenant generals who were his potential successors as chief of army staff. When asked by Bhutto for his opinion on Lieutenant General [[Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq]], Tikka Khan did not recommend him. Tikka Khan later remarked, "I thought he was dull. In any case, he was the most junior of all the eight lieutenant generals."<ref name="Penguin Books India">{{cite book |last1=Elliott |first1=John |last2=Imhasly |first2=Bernard |last3=Denyer |first3=Simon |title=Foreign Correspondent: Fifty Years of Reporting South Asia |year=2008 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GlM7e_1dCjoC&pg=PA129 |publisher=Penguin Books India |page=129 |isbn=978-0-670-08204-9|access-date=20 August 2016}}</ref> However Bhutto by-passed his recommendations, approved Lieutenant General Zia-ul-Haq to four-star rank, and appointed him as army chief.<ref name="Penguin Books India" /> Upon retirement from the army, Khan joined the Pakistan Peoples Party.

== Political career ==

=== National Security Advisor to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto ===
Tikka Khan was appointed [[National Security Advisor (Pakistan)|National Security Advisor]] in 1976 by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.<ref>{{cite news |date=30 March 2002 |title=Tikka Khan dead |work=[[The Hindu]] |quote=In 1976, he joined the Pakistan People's Party and became Special Assistant on National Security to the then Prime Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto}}</ref> However, his tenure was short and ended when [[1977 Pakistani coup d'état|martial law]] was imposed by army chief General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq in 1977. General Zia ordered the [[Pakistan Army Corps of Military Police|military police]] to arrest both Bhutto and General Tikka Khan and placed them under house arrest.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://nation.com.pk/columns/25-Mar-2016/an-unwell-commando|title=An unwell commando|work=The Nation|access-date=27 March 2016}}</ref> Bhutto was executed in 1979, after which General Tikka Khan emerged as one of the leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), becoming its [[secretary general]].<ref name="Rowman & Littlefield">{{cite book |last1=Burki |first1=Shahid Javed |author-link=Shahid Javed Burki |title=Historical Dictionary of Pakistan |year=2015 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rk-sBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA544 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |page=544 |isbn=978-1-4422-4148-0 |access-date=20 August 2016}}</ref>

=== Jail under Zia-ul-Haq ===
In 1980–88, Tikka Khan faced imprisonment numerous times for his political activities until President Zia-ul-Haq [[Death and state funeral of Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq|died]] in August 1988 in an aircraft explosion over [[Bahawalpur]].{{citation needed|date=April 2024}} In spite of Tikka's leadership position within the political opposition, many of his army protégés such as [[Sawar Khan]], [[Iqbal Khan (general)|Iqbal Khan]] and [[Rahimuddin Khan]] were promoted to four-star rank and remained on deferential terms with him.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}} In the [[1988 Pakistani general election|1988 general election]], Tikka Khan ran unsuccessfully for a seat representing [[Constituencies of Pakistan|Rawalpindi]].<ref name="Rowman & Littlefield" />

=== Governor of Punjab under Benazir Bhutto ===
He was appointed as the [[Governor of Punjab, Pakistan|Governor]] of Punjab by Prime Minister [[Benazir Bhutto]] in December 1988.<ref name="Rowman & Littlefield" /> His governorship ended when President Ghulam Ishaq Khan [[Eighth Amendment to the Constitution of Pakistan|dismissed the government]] of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in August 1990, after which Tikka Khan retired from active politics.<ref name="Rowman & Littlefield" />

== Later life and death ==
[[File:Gen Tikka Khan (Deathstone).jpg|thumb|200px|Tikka Khan's grave at Army graveyard, [[Rawalpindi]]]]

Throughout the 1990s, he battled with illness and was hospitalised in [[Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi|CMH Rawalpindi]] for several years. He refused many television interviews on the subject of the [[1971 war of independence|controversial events of 1971]] and died on 28 March 2002.<ref name="Tribune India, 2002">{{cite news|last1=Singh|first1=Khushwant|title=This Above All|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020413/windows/above.htm|access-date=15 October 2016|work=The Tribune|date=13 April 2002}}</ref> He was survived by three sons and two daughters.<ref name="Dawn 2002">{{cite news|title=Tikka Khan passes away|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/27758/tikka-khan-passes-away|access-date=20 August 2016|work=Dawn|date=29 March 2002}}</ref>

He was laid to rest with [[State funeral|military honours]] in the [[Westridge, Rawalpindi|Westridge cemetery]] in Rawalpindi.<ref name="Dawn 2002" /> [[Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee]] [[Aziz Khan (general)|Aziz Khan]] attended his funeral, accompanied by the [[Army Chief of Staff (Pakistan)|Army Chief of Staff]], [[Chief of Air Staff (Pakistan)|Chief of Air Staff]], [[Chief of Naval Staff (Pakistan)|Chief of Naval Staff]] and other senior military and civil officials.<ref name="Dawn 2002" /> Former prime minister and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto paid Tikka Khan tribute in a message to his son Colonel Khalid Masud; she described the Colonel's father as one who "rose to the highest offices of this country due to his hard work and respect for the rule of law."<ref name="Dawn 2002" />

== Awards and decorations ==
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Hilal-e-Jurat.png|width=130}}
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Hilal-e-Quaid-e-Azam (1957-76).png|width=130}}
|
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Sitara-e-Pakistan (SPk) (1957-86).png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Diffa.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War Ribbon.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War.png|width=130}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award‐star|ribbon=Pakistan Independence Medal 1947.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Republic Medal 1956 (Pakistan).png|width=130}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Order of Crown (Imperial Iran).png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=1939–1945 Star.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Africa Star 1945.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Burma Star BAR.svg|width=130}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Italy Star 1945.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Ribbon - War Medal.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Ribbon India Service Medal.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=QE II Coronation Medal 1953.png|width=130}}
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
| colspan="2" |'''[[Hilal-i-Jurat|Hilal-e-Jurat]]'''
''(Crescent of Courage)''

'''[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|1971 War]]'''
| colspan="2" |'''[[Civil decorations of Pakistan|Hilal-e-Quaid-e-Azam]]'''
''(HQA)''
|-
|'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces#Commemorative medals|Sitara-e-Pakistan]]'''
''(Star of Pakistan)''

''(SPk)''
|'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces#Campaign / war medals|Tamgha-e-Diffa]]'''
''(General Service Medal)''

'''1. [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|Rann of Kutch]] Clasp'''
|'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces#Campaign / war medals|Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War]]'''
''(War Star 1965)''
|'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces#Campaign / war medals|Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War]]'''
''(War Star 1971)''
|-
|'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces#Campaign / war medals|Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War]]'''
''(War Medal 1965)''
|'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces#Campaign / war medals|Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War]]'''
''(War Medal 1971)''
|'''[[Pakistan Medal|Pakistan Tamgha]]'''
''([[Pakistan Medal]])''

'''1947'''
|'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces|Tamgha-e-Jamhuria]]'''
''(Republic Commemoration Medal)''

'''1956'''
|-
|[[Order of the Crown (Iran)|'''Order of the Crown''']]
([[Pahlavi Iran]])
|'''[[1939-1945 Star]]'''
|'''[[Africa Star]]'''
|'''[[Burma Star]]'''
|-
|'''[[Italy Star]]'''
|'''[[War Medal 1939-1945|War Medal]]'''
'''[[War Medal 1939-1945|1939-1945]]'''
|'''[[India Service Medal]]'''
[[India Service Medal|'''1939–1945''']]
|'''[[Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal|Queen Elizabeth II]]'''
'''[[Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal|Coronation Medal]]'''

'''(1953)'''
|}

=== Foreign decorations ===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="3" style="background:#006400; color:#FFFFFF; text-align:center" |'''Foreign Awards'''
|-
!'''{{flag|Imperial Iran}}'''
|[[Order of the Crown (Iran)|'''Order of the Crown''']]
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Order of Crown (Imperial Iran).png|width=130}}
|-
!'''{{flag|UK}}'''
|'''[[1939-1945 Star]]'''
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=1939–1945 Star.png|width=130}}
|-
!'''{{flag|UK}}'''
|'''[[Africa Star]]'''
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Africa Star 1945.png|width=130}}
|-
!'''{{flag|UK}}'''
|'''[[Burma Star]]'''
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Burma Star BAR.svg|width=130}}
|-
!'''{{flag|UK}}'''
|[[Italy Star|'''Italy Star 1945''']]
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Italy Star 1945.png|width=130}}
|-
!'''{{flag|UK}}'''
|'''[[War Medal 1939-1945]]'''
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Ribbon - War Medal.png|width=130}}
|-
!'''{{flag|UK}}'''
|[[India Service Medal|'''India Service Medal 1939–1945''']]
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Ribbon India Service Medal.png|width=130}}
|-
!'''{{flag|UK}}'''
|'''[[Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal]]'''
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=QE II Coronation Medal 1953.png|width=130}}
|}

== See also ==
* [[The Blood telegram]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Further reading ==
* Zaheer, Hasan: ''The separation of East Pakistan : The rise and realisation of Bengali Muslim nationalism,'' Oxford University Press, 1994.
* Sisson, Richard & Rose, Leo: ''War and secession : Pakistan, India, and the creation of Bangladesh'', University of California Press (Berkeley), 1990.
* Matinuddin, General Kamal: ''Tragedy of Errors : East Pakistan Crisis, 1968–1971'', Wajidalis, Lahore, Pakistan, 1994.
* Salik, Siddiq: ''Witness to surrender'', Oxford University Press, Karachi, Pakistan, 1977.

== External links ==
* [http://pakistanarmy.gov.pk/AWPReview/TextContent.aspx?pId=149 Official profile at Pakistan Army website]
* [http://www.dawn.com/2002/03/29/top12.htm Tikka Khan Passes Away—DAWN]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20010823065553/http://pakistanlink.com/Letters/2001/Mar/30/06.html Article rebutting General A.A.K. Niazi's accusations against General Tikka Khan, by Nasir M. Khan, Pakistan Link, 30 March 2001]
* [http://www.dawn.com/2003/09/14/op.htm Article mentioning General Tikka Khan's tenure as Chief of Army Staff (1972–1976), A.R. Siddiqui, Dawn, 14 September 2003.]
* [http://www.dawn.com/report/hrc/hrsp3c6.htm Hamood-ur-Rehman Commission Report, The Report of the Commission of Inquiry – 1971 War as Declassified by The Government of Pakistan, Volume-I: Supplementary Report – Top secret, PART III – MILITARY ASPECT, CHAPTER VI.]
* [http://www.dawn.com/report/hrc/hrsp5c2.htm Hamood-ur-Rehman Commission Report, The Report of the Commission of Inquiry – 1971 War as Declassified by The Government of Pakistan, Volume-I: Supplementary Report – Top secret, PART IV – SURRENDER IN EAST PAKISTAN, CHAPTER II – Alleged atrocities by the Pakistan Army.]
* [http://www.dawn.com/report/hrc/hrmp4c3.htm Hamood-ur-Rehman Commission Report, The Report of the Commission of Inquiry – 1971 War as Declassified by The Government of Pakistan, PART IV – MILITARY ASPECT, Chapter III, The formulation of defence plans.]
* [http://www.dawn.com/report/hrc/hrsp5c1.htm Hamood-ur-Rehman Commission Report, The Report of the Commission of Inquiry – 1971 War as Declassified by The Government of Pakistan, Volume-I: Supplementary Report – Top secret, PART IV – SURRENDER IN EAST PAKISTAN, CHAPTER I – The moral aspect.]
* [http://www.dawn.com/report/hrc/hrmp5c6.htm Hamood-ur-Rehman Commission Report, The Report of the Commission of Inquiry – 1971 War as Declassified by The Government of Pakistan, PART V: MISCELLANEOUS, CHAPTER VI: Summary and recommendations.]
* [http://www.dawn.com/2002/04/05/nat1.htm Amin Fahim pays rich tributes to General Tikka Khan, Dawn, 5 April 2002.]
* [http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_3-7-2005_pg1_2 General Yahya Khan agreed to withdraw forces, India did not, by Khalid Hasan, Daily Times, 3 July 2005.]

{{S-start}}
{{S-off}}
{{s-bef|rows=2|before=[[Attiqur Rahman]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Martial Law Administrator of Zone A, ([[West Pakistan]]) |years=1969–1971}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Bahadur Sher]]}}
|-

{{s-ttl|title=Governor of [[West Pakistan]]|years=1969}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Nur Khan]]}}

|-

{{s-bef|rows=2|before=[[Sahabzada Yaqub Khan]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Martial Law Administrator of Zone B, ([[East Pakistan]]) |years=1971}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi]]}}

|-

{{s-ttl|title=Governor of [[East Pakistan]] |years=1971}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Abdul Motaleb Malik]]}}

{{Succession box| title=[[Governor of Punjab (Pakistan)|Governor of Punjab]]| before=[[Makhdoom Sajjad Hussain Qureshi]]| after=[[Mian Muhammad Azhar]]|years=1988–1990}}
|-
{{S-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Lieutenant General]] [[Sahabzada Yaqub Khan]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Commander of [[Evolution of Pakistan Eastern Command plan|Eastern Command]] |years=7 March 1971 – 7 April 1971}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Lieutenant General]] [[Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Lieutenant-General|Lt. Gen.]] [[Gul Hassan Khan]]|as=[[Commander-in-Chief, Pakistan Army]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Chief of Army Staff (Pakistan)|Chief of Army Staff]] |years=1972–1976}}
{{s-aft|after=[[General|Gen]]. [[Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{Pakistan Army Staff Chief}}
{{Governors of Punjab, Pakistan}}
{{Indo-Pakistani War of 1971}}
{{Pakistan NSA}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Khan, Tikka}}
[[Category:1915 births]]
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:Bangladesh Liberation War]]
[[Category:British Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:Causes and prelude of the Bangladesh Liberation War]]
[[Category:Chiefs of Army Staff, Pakistan]]
[[Category:Chiefs of Army Staff, Pakistan]]
[[Category:Pakistani people]]
[[Category:Escapees from Italian detention]]
[[Category:Military of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Generals of the Bangladesh Liberation War]]
[[Category:Generals of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
[[Category:Governors of East Pakistan]]
[[Category:Governors of West Pakistan]]
[[Category:Governors of Punjab, Pakistan]]
[[Category:Indian Army personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Indian escapees]]
[[Category:Indian prisoners of war]]
[[Category:Military personnel of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
[[Category:Pakistan Army Artillery officers]]
[[Category:Pakistani generals]]
[[Category:Pakistan People's Party politicians]]
[[Category:People from Kallar Syedan Tehsil]]
[[Category:People of the insurgency in Balochistan]]
[[Category:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany]]
[[Category:World War II prisoners of war held by Italy]]
[[Category:1971 Bangladesh genocide perpetrators]]
[[Category:Pakistani war criminals]]
[[Category:Pakistan Command and Staff College alumni]]
[[Category:People from Punjab Province (British India)]]

Latest revision as of 15:11, 18 May 2024

General
Tikka Khan
HJ HQA SPk NePl
ٹِکّا خاں
1st Chief of Army Staff
In office
3 March 1972 – 1 March 1976
PresidentZulfikar Ali Bhutto
Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry
Prime MinisterZulfikar Ali Bhutto
Preceded byGul Hassan
(as C-in-C of the Army)
Succeeded byZia-ul-Haq
National Security Advisor
In office
1 March 1976 – 4 July 1977
PresidentFazal Ilahi Chaudhry
Prime MinisterZulfikar Ali Bhutto
Preceded byGhulam Omar
Succeeded byRao Farman Ali
Military Governor of East Pakistan
In office
25 March 1971 – 31 August 1971
PresidentYahya Khan
Preceded byLt-Gen. Yaqub Ali Khan
Succeeded byAbdul Motaleb Malik
23rd Governor of Punjab
In office
9 December 1988 – 6 August 1990
PresidentGhulam Ishaq Khan
Prime MinisterBenazir Bhutto
Preceded byS.J. Qureshi
Succeeded byMuhammad Azhar
Personal details
Born
Tikka Khan

(1915-02-10)10 February 1915[1]
Kahuta, Punjab, British India
Died28 March 2002(2002-03-28) (aged 87)
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Resting placeWestridge cemetery
CitizenshipBritish India (1915–1947)
Pakistan (1947–2002)
Political partyPakistan Peoples Party
Children1
Alma materIndian Military Academy
Civilian awards Hilal-e-Quaid-e-Azam
Sitara-e-Pakistan
NicknameButcher of Bengal[2]
Military service
AllegianceBritish Raj British India (1935-47)
Pakistan Pakistan (1947-76)
Branch/serviceBritish Raj British Indian Army
Pakistan Pakistan Army
Years of service1935–1976
Rank General
UnitRegiment Artillery
CommandsEastern Command
IV Corps
II Corps
8th Infantry Division, Rann of Kutch
15th Infantry Division, Sialkot
Battles/wars
Military awards Hilal-e-Jurat
Hilal-e-Quaid-e-Azam
Sitara-e-Pakistan
1939-1945 Star
Africa Star
Burma Star
Italy Star
War Medal 1939-1945
Service numberPA – 124

Tikka Khan HJ HQA SPk NePl (Urdu: ٹِکّا خاں‎; 10 February 1915 – 28 March 2002)[3] was a Pakistani military officer who served as the first chief of the army staff from 1972 to 1976.[4] Along with Yahya Khan, he is considered a chief architect of the 1971 Bangladesh genocide[5] which according to independent researchers led to the deaths of 300,000 to 500,000 people.[6][7]

Gaining a commission in 1940 as an artillery officer in the British Indian Army to participate in World War II, he rose to command the 8th and 15th infantry divisions in the war with India in 1965. In 1969, he was appointed as the commander of IV Corps while acting as martial law administrator in West Pakistan under President Yahya Khan. In 1971, he took over the command of army's Eastern Command in East Pakistan and appointed as Governor of East Pakistan where he oversaw the planning and the military deployments to execute the military operations to quell the liberation war efforts by the Awami League.[8] His tough rhetoric to deal with political enemies earned him notoriety and a nickname of Touka (meaning Cleaver)[9] and he was soon relieved of his command by President Yahya Khan.

After commanding the II Corps in the war with India in 1971, Tikka Khan was promoted to four-star rank and appointed as the first chief of army staff of the Pakistan Army in 1972. As an army chief, Tikka Khan provided support to the Pakistan nuclear programme alongside bureaucrat Ghulam Ishaq Khan.[10] Upon retirement from the military in 1976, he was subsequently appointed as National Security Advisor by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, only to be removed in 1977 as a result of enforced martial law. In the 1980s, he remained active as a political worker of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and emerged as its leader when appointed as Governor of Punjab after the general elections held in 1988. His tenure ended when President Ghulam Ishaq Khan dismissed Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's government in 1990 and he was succeeded by Mian Muhammad Azhar. He retired from politics in 1990. He died on 28 March 2002 and was buried with full military honours in Westridge cemetery in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan.[11]

Early life and education[edit]

Tikka Khan was born on 10 February 1915[1] into a Punjabi family of the Janjua Rajput clan[12] in the Jochha Mamdot village of Kahuta Tehsil, Rawalpindi District, Punjab, British India (now Punjab, Pakistan).[13]

After his education in Rawalpindi, he joined the Army Cadet College in Nowgong, Madhya Pradesh in 1933 and joined the British Indian Army as a sepoy in 1935; he gained his commission in the army from the Indian Military Academy on 22 December 1940.[14]

During these early years he was known to be a particularly good boxer.[15]

Military career[edit]

World War II[edit]

He participated in World War II and fought with the 2nd Field Regiment, Regiment of Artillery in Libya against the Afrika Korps led by German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in 1940.[14] He was captured by German troops and held as a POW in Libya for more than a year.[14] After successfully escaping, he saw military action in the Burma campaign against Japan in 1945 where he was wounded and hospitalised for some time.[14] In 1946, he was posted in different parts of India such as Deolali, Mathura, and Kalyan.[14]

During the same time, he served as an instructor at the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun.[14]

New beginnings in Pakistan[edit]

After the efforts of Pakistani nationalists culminated in the partition of British India and the creation of Pakistan, Tikka Khan joined the Pakistan Army as a major in the Pakistan Army's Regiment of Artillery in 1947.[14] His military career progressed well and he got accelerated promotions in the army.[14] In 1949, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. He worked hard to raise the Medium Regiment in the new army.[14] In 1950–54, he was promoted to colonel and became the deputy director at the directorate of artillery in the GHQ.[14]

In 1955, he was promoted to brigadier.[14] In 1962, he was promoted to major general and posted at the GHQ in Rawalpindi.[14]

Between the wars: 1965–1971[edit]

Main articles: Battle of Rann of Kutch, Indo-Pakistani war of 1965, and Indo-Pakistani war of 1971

In 1965, Major-General Tikka Khan was the GOC of the 8th Infantry Division that was positioned in Punjab, Pakistan.[16] At that time, the 8th Infantry Division consisted of the 51st Paratrooper Brigade and the 52nd Infantry Brigade.[16] In April 1965, the 8th Infantry Division intruded into the Rann of Kutch.[17] Hostilities broke out between India and Pakistan and Tikka Khan's 8th Division fought the Indian Army in the Battle of Rann of Kutch.[18][19] During the war, Tikka Khan earned a reputation as a victor of Rann of Kutch and was credited widely by the Pakistani press for the victories he gained over the Indian Army.[14] He made a bold stand against the Indian Army's encirclement in the Sialkot sector in 1965.[14] He later led the 15th Infantry Division in the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965.[14]

After President Ayub Khan handed over the presidency to his army chief General Yahya Khan in 1969, Tikka Khan was promoted to lieutenant general to command the IV Corps, stationed in Lahore.[14] He was the martial law administrator of Punjab under President Yahya Khan who appointed him after replacing with Attiqur Rahman.[14] His personality was well known in Pakistan as being tough and ruthless.[14] In March 1971, Tikka Khan was sent to Dacca and left the post to Lieutenant General Bahadur Sher in March 1971.[14]

Bangladesh Liberation and 1971 war[edit]

Main articles: 1971 Bangladesh genocide, Operation Searchlight, 1971 Dhaka University massacre, and Indo-Pakistani war of 1971

The situation was very complex in both West and East Pakistan after the general elections held in 1970 where the Bengali nationalist Awami League won 160 of the 162 seats in East Pakistan, whereas the leftist-socialist Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) won 81 seats out of 138 in West Pakistan.[20] By constitutional law, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of the Awami League was supposed to be the candidate for the post of Prime Minister of Pakistan but Zulfikar Ali Bhutto of the Pakistan Peoples Party was not ready to accept his role as Leader of the Opposition and refused to sit in the National Assembly in this role.[20]

Under pressure by Bhutto and the Pakistan Peoples Party, President Yahya Khan postponed the National Assembly session despite meeting with and inviting the Awami League to form the government on 7 March.[20] Sheikh Mujibur Rahman reacted by calling upon the Bengali people to launch an armed liberation movement against Pakistan at a mass rally.[20] Responding to this, President Yahya Khan accepted the resignation of Lieutenant General Yaqub Khan as governor of East Pakistan and commander of the army's Eastern Command in March 1971 and appointed Lieutenant General Tikka Khan as his successor. Tikka Khan arrived in Dacca the same month and took over the governorship. He assumed command of the Eastern Command on 7 March 1971. He has faced accusations of killing thousands of civilians.[20][user-generated source][21][22]

Acting on the instructions of President Yahya Khan's administration, Lieutenant General Tikka Khan began preparations of "direct-wise military operation" against the Awami League on the evening of 25 March 1971.[23] Tikka Khan's order to his soldiers was I want the land and not the people.[24] Tikka Khan took assistance from loyal Bengalis and Biharis for the operation and organized a paramilitary force called Razakars.[citation needed] He ordered the arrest of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, outlawed the Awami League, and ordered a midnight attack on the University of Dhaka.[25] Tikka Khan was the architect and top planner of Operation Searchlight.[8] Thousands were killed in this operation, including academics and other members of civil society, and the country was plunged into a bloody civil war.[25] Fatima Bhutto called him "a soldier known for his eager use of force."[25] He became notorious as the "Butcher of Bengal."[26][27]

In West Pakistan, domestic criticism and disapproval of Lieutenant General Tikka Khan grew to the point that President Yahya Khan replaced him with a civilian government led by a governor and a cabinet drawn from different political parties.[28] Tikka Khan was recalled to Pakistan, relinquishing the Eastern Command to Lieutenant General Amir Khan Niazi,[29] and given command of the II Corps based in Multan, Punjab.[30] He commanded the II Corps during the 1971 war with India.[30] Indian Major General D. K. Palit has questioned the wisdom of Tikka Khan's tactics used in the Battle of Chhamb in December, citing high II Corps casualties incurred during Pakistani frontal attacks.[30]

Chief of Army staff[edit]

Main articles: Chief of Army Staff (Pakistan) and 1970s Baloch Insurgency and Rahimuddin's Provincial Stabilization

In 1972, President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto removed Lieutenant General Gul Hassan Khan from his position as commander-in-chief of the army[31] and reorganized the army leadership to replace the position with that of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS). Bhutto then promoted Tikka Khan to four-star general and appointed him as COAS.[32] Tikka Khan was a highly unpopular choice in military circles for the chief of army staff because it was felt strongly that he was professionally unprepared for the assignment.[33] On the other hand, Tikka Khan was steadfastly loyal to Bhutto.[31] In 1972, he supported the militarisation of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission by supporting Munir Ahmad Khan to take over the commission's chairmanship and the directorship of the clandestine atomic bomb programme.[34] He was implicated in the Hamoodur Rahman Commission's[citation needed] report on the 1971 war with India over East Pakistan, but much of the report remains classified.

In 1974, Tikka Khan led the counterinsurgency military operation in Balochistan and successfully crushed Baloch independence movement.[35] In 1976, he provided his support to Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Bhutto to expand the clandestine nuclear weapons programme.[10] The same year, Tikka Khan was preparing to retire from the military, and evaluated the eight serving lieutenant generals who were his potential successors as chief of army staff. When asked by Bhutto for his opinion on Lieutenant General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, Tikka Khan did not recommend him. Tikka Khan later remarked, "I thought he was dull. In any case, he was the most junior of all the eight lieutenant generals."[36] However Bhutto by-passed his recommendations, approved Lieutenant General Zia-ul-Haq to four-star rank, and appointed him as army chief.[36] Upon retirement from the army, Khan joined the Pakistan Peoples Party.

Political career[edit]

National Security Advisor to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto[edit]

Tikka Khan was appointed National Security Advisor in 1976 by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.[37] However, his tenure was short and ended when martial law was imposed by army chief General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq in 1977. General Zia ordered the military police to arrest both Bhutto and General Tikka Khan and placed them under house arrest.[38] Bhutto was executed in 1979, after which General Tikka Khan emerged as one of the leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), becoming its secretary general.[39]

Jail under Zia-ul-Haq[edit]

In 1980–88, Tikka Khan faced imprisonment numerous times for his political activities until President Zia-ul-Haq died in August 1988 in an aircraft explosion over Bahawalpur.[citation needed] In spite of Tikka's leadership position within the political opposition, many of his army protégés such as Sawar Khan, Iqbal Khan and Rahimuddin Khan were promoted to four-star rank and remained on deferential terms with him.[citation needed] In the 1988 general election, Tikka Khan ran unsuccessfully for a seat representing Rawalpindi.[39]

Governor of Punjab under Benazir Bhutto[edit]

He was appointed as the Governor of Punjab by Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in December 1988.[39] His governorship ended when President Ghulam Ishaq Khan dismissed the government of Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in August 1990, after which Tikka Khan retired from active politics.[39]

Later life and death[edit]

Tikka Khan's grave at Army graveyard, Rawalpindi

Throughout the 1990s, he battled with illness and was hospitalised in CMH Rawalpindi for several years. He refused many television interviews on the subject of the controversial events of 1971 and died on 28 March 2002.[40] He was survived by three sons and two daughters.[41]

He was laid to rest with military honours in the Westridge cemetery in Rawalpindi.[41] Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Aziz Khan attended his funeral, accompanied by the Army Chief of Staff, Chief of Air Staff, Chief of Naval Staff and other senior military and civil officials.[41] Former prime minister and PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto paid Tikka Khan tribute in a message to his son Colonel Khalid Masud; she described the Colonel's father as one who "rose to the highest offices of this country due to his hard work and respect for the rule of law."[41]

Awards and decorations[edit]

Hilal-e-Jurat

(Crescent of Courage)

1971 War

Hilal-e-Quaid-e-Azam

(HQA)

Sitara-e-Pakistan

(Star of Pakistan)

(SPk)

Tamgha-e-Diffa

(General Service Medal)

1. Rann of Kutch Clasp

Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War

(War Star 1965)

Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War

(War Star 1971)

Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War

(War Medal 1965)

Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War

(War Medal 1971)

Pakistan Tamgha

(Pakistan Medal)

1947

Tamgha-e-Jamhuria

(Republic Commemoration Medal)

1956

Order of the Crown

(Pahlavi Iran)

1939-1945 Star Africa Star Burma Star
Italy Star War Medal

1939-1945

India Service Medal

1939–1945

Queen Elizabeth II

Coronation Medal

(1953)

Foreign decorations[edit]

Foreign Awards
 Imperial Iran Order of the Crown
 UK 1939-1945 Star
 UK Africa Star
 UK Burma Star
 UK Italy Star 1945
 UK War Medal 1939-1945
 UK India Service Medal 1939–1945
 UK Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b General Tikka Khan's Headstone (Headstone in graveyard). Army Graveyard, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. 2011.
  2. ^ "Gen. Tikka Khan, 87; 'Butcher of Bengal' led Pakistani Army". Los Angeles Times. 30 March 2002. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Chiefs of Army Staff (Pakistan)". 24 October 2017.
  4. ^ "General Tikka Khan". pakistanarmy.gov.pk. Pakistan Army. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  5. ^ Totten, Samuel; Parsons, William S.; Charny, Israel W. (2004). Century of Genocide: Critical Essays and Eyewitness Accounts. Psychology Press. pp. 295–303. ISBN 978-0-415-94430-4. The Pakistani government (the Yahya regime) was primarily responsible for the genocide. Not only did it prevent the Awami League and Rahman from forming the federal government, but it opted for a military solution to a constitutional crisis. In doing so, it decided to unleash a brutal military operation in order to terrorize the Bengalis. Yahya's decision to put General Tikka Khan (who had earned the name of "Butcher of Baluchistan" for his earlier brutal suppression of Baluchi nationals in the 1960s) in charge of the military operation in Bangladesh was an overt signal of the regime's intention to launch a genocide.
  6. ^ Dummett, Mark (16 December 2011). "Bangladesh war: The article that changed history". BBC News. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  7. ^ Payne, Robert (1973). Massacre: The tragedy at Bangla Desh and the phenomenon of mass slaughter throughout history. Macmillan Publishers. p. 13. ISBN 9780025952409.
  8. ^ a b Hamid Mir (26 March 2010). "Apology Day for Pakistanis". The Daily Star. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  9. ^ "Gen. Tikka Khan, 87; 'Butcher of Bengal' Led Pakistani Army". Los Angeles Times. 30 March 2002. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  10. ^ a b "RANDOM THOUGHTS : Unsung Heroes (Part XXII)- By: Dr. A.Q. Khan – South Asian Pulse". sapulse.com. A.Q. Khan memoirs. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  11. ^ "Former administrator of East Pakistan Lt-General Tikka Khan dies". India Today. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  12. ^ Nawaz, Shuja (2008). Crossed Swords: Pakistan, its Army, and the Wars Within. Oxford University Press. p. 266. Word spread within the army that Yaqub had lost his nerve. This was further strengthened by the choice of Lt. Gen. Tikka Khan as Yaqub's replacement. Tikka, a Janjua Rajput from a village near Kahuta in Rawalpindi district, was seen as a commander who followed orders to the letter.
  13. ^ Tripathi, Salil (2016). The Colonel Who Would Not Repent: The Bangladesh War and Its Unquiet Legacy. Yale University Press. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-300-22102-2.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Sagar, Krishna Chandra (1997). The War of the Twins. Northern Book Centre. p. 57. ISBN 978-81-7211-082-6. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  15. ^ Abdul Wahab, A.T.M. (2004). Mukti Bahini Wins Victory: Pak Military Oligarchy Divides Pakistan in 1971. Columbia Prokashani. p. 86. ISBN 978-984-713-044-6.
  16. ^ a b Cloughley, Brian (2016). A History of the Pakistan Army: Wars and Insurrections. Skyhorse Publishing. p. 84. ISBN 978-1-63144-039-7. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  17. ^ Khanna, K. K. (2015). Art of Generalship. Vij Books India Pvt Ltd. p. 176. ISBN 978-93-82652-93-9.
  18. ^ Bajwa, Farooq (2013). From Kutch to Tashkent: The Indo-Pakistan War of 1965. Hurst Publishers. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-84904-230-7. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  19. ^ Haskew, Michael E. (2015). Tank: 100 Years of the World's Most Important Armored Military Vehicle. Motorbooks International. p. 201. ISBN 978-0-7603-4963-2. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  20. ^ a b c d e "Fall of Dhaka 1971". Story of Pakistan. 4 June 2002. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  21. ^ "Unfinished agenda of 1971". The Statesman (Opinion). Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  22. ^ Chowdhury, Prabir Barua (26 March 2016). "A friend in need". The Daily Star. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  23. ^ Dixit, J. N. (2003). India-Pakistan in War and Peace. Routledge. p. 169. ISBN 978-1-134-40758-3. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  24. ^ "How Genocide Triggered Bangladesh Bid for Independence". The Citizen India. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  25. ^ a b c Bhutto, Fatima (2011). Songs of Blood and Sword: A Daughter's Memoir. Nation Books. p. 100. ISBN 978-1-56858-632-8. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  26. ^ Ahmed, Salahuddin (2004). Bangladesh: Past and Present. APH Publishing. p. 174. ISBN 978-81-7648-469-5. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  27. ^ "Muktijuddho (Bangladesh Liberation War 1971) - Butcher of Bengal General Tikka Khan takes charge in East Pakistan - History of Bangladesh". Londoni. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  28. ^ Shehabuddin, Elora (2008). Reshaping the Holy: Democracy, Development, and Muslim Women in Bangladesh. Columbia University Press. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-231-51255-8. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  29. ^ Kathpalia, Pran Nath. Mission with a Difference: The Exploits of 71 Mountain Brigade. Lancer Publishers. p. 53. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  30. ^ a b c Palit, Maj Gen DK (1998). The Lightning Campaign: The Indo-Pakistan War, 1971. Lancer Publishers. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-897829-37-0. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  31. ^ a b Jaffrelot, Christophe (2015). The Pakistan Paradox: Instability and Resilience. Oxford University Press. p. 226. ISBN 978-0-19023-518-5.
  32. ^ Kalia, Ravi (2011). Pakistan: From the Rhetoric of Democracy to the Rise of Militancy. Routledge. p. 142. ISBN 978-0-415-67040-1. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  33. ^ Abbas, Hassan (2015). Pakistan's Drift into Extremism: Allah, the Army, and America's War on Terror: Allah, the Army, and America's War on Terror. Routledge. p. 102. ISBN 978-1-317-46327-6. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  34. ^ Israeli, Raphael (2016). Years of Upheaval: Axial Changes in Islam Since 1989. Transaction Publishers. p. 84. ISBN 978-1-4128-6190-8.
  35. ^ "Killings of Zehris and history of Balochistan's plight". The News International. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  36. ^ a b Elliott, John; Imhasly, Bernard; Denyer, Simon (2008). Foreign Correspondent: Fifty Years of Reporting South Asia. Penguin Books India. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-670-08204-9. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  37. ^ "Tikka Khan dead". The Hindu. 30 March 2002. In 1976, he joined the Pakistan People's Party and became Special Assistant on National Security to the then Prime Minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
  38. ^ "An unwell commando". The Nation. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  39. ^ a b c d Burki, Shahid Javed (2015). Historical Dictionary of Pakistan. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 544. ISBN 978-1-4422-4148-0. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  40. ^ Singh, Khushwant (13 April 2002). "This Above All". The Tribune. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  41. ^ a b c d "Tikka Khan passes away". Dawn. 29 March 2002. Retrieved 20 August 2016.

Further reading[edit]

  • Zaheer, Hasan: The separation of East Pakistan : The rise and realisation of Bengali Muslim nationalism, Oxford University Press, 1994.
  • Sisson, Richard & Rose, Leo: War and secession : Pakistan, India, and the creation of Bangladesh, University of California Press (Berkeley), 1990.
  • Matinuddin, General Kamal: Tragedy of Errors : East Pakistan Crisis, 1968–1971, Wajidalis, Lahore, Pakistan, 1994.
  • Salik, Siddiq: Witness to surrender, Oxford University Press, Karachi, Pakistan, 1977.

External links[edit]

Political offices
Preceded by Martial Law Administrator of Zone A, (West Pakistan)
1969–1971 		Succeeded by
Governor of West Pakistan
1969 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Martial Law Administrator of Zone B, (East Pakistan)
1971 		Succeeded by
Governor of East Pakistan
1971 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of Punjab
1988–1990 		Succeeded by
Military offices
Preceded by Commander of Eastern Command
7 March 1971 – 7 April 1971 		Succeeded by
Preceded byas Commander-in-Chief, Pakistan Army Chief of Army Staff
1972–1976 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tikka_Khan&oldid=1224459428"