October 1947: Maqbool Sherwani Stood Up To Barbaric Tribals From Pakistan Looting And Plundering Kashmiri People
Strap
Tribals were supported by Pakistan government, give aid and ammunition for blood-thirsty attack on Kashmiri people
Faizal Aziz
The name and glory of Shaheed Maqbool Sherwani must reach every Indian who loves our glorious nation. We can say with pride that our children and our youth in Kashmir are now aware of this great son of the soil.
It is important to remember that the sacrifice of Shaheed Maqbool Sherwani happened when the entire Kashmir valley was distressed and petrified by the terror unleashed by the Pakistani raiders.
Pakistan had taken the position that the raiders who attacked Kashmir in October 1947 were irregulars, and were not a force sponsored by the newly-formed nation. Pakistan had also taken the position that these men were lawless tribesmen could not be controlled by the government.
Thorough Support Of Pakistan Government
This was a blatant lie. More and more evidence emerged after the attack by the raiders that these so-called “lawless tribesmen” received thorough support of the government of Pakistan at both federal and provincial level.
One of the leading works which demolished Pakistan’s lie regarding the attack by tribal raiders in October 1947 came to the fore in the book written by Maj Gen Akbar Khan, titled ‘Raiders in Kashmir’. Maj Gen Khan was part of the Kashmir Liberation Committee. Some analysts have referred to Maj Gen Akbar Khan as the “self-proclaimed Commander-in chief in Kashmir in 1947-48.”
Pak General Gave Detailed Account Of Attack
Maj Gen Akbar Khan wrote in his book: ‘Our own safety and welfare (read Western Punjab) demand that the state (Kashmir) should not go over to India. If Indian troops came to be stationed along Kashmir’s western border(with Pakistani Punjab), she (India) could establish its forces within a few miles of the 180-miles-long vital road and rail route between Lahore and Pindi (the entire stretch he speaks is in West Punjab).
‘From an economic point of view the position was equally clear. Our agricultural economy (again in Punjab) was dependent particularly upon the rivers coming out of Kashmir.’
According to the narrative spread by Pakistan, the tribesmen were incited to a ‘holy war’ by stories of atrocities. According to Pakisatan’s claim, these stories had been spread by some Muslims who had fled to Peshawar from Kashmir. These claims were concocted by Pakistan.
Attack On Baramulla: Untold Cruelty On Local Population
Brig Rakesh Bhatia writes on epilogue.in that waging a ‘holy war’ was never on the agenda of these primitive tribesmen. They were lured with a promise of Zar(wealth), Sar (head) and Zan (women) of the innocent Kashmiris. The tribals from Pakistan were told to target the Kashmiris irrespective of their religion, gender or position. They did not differentiate between Muslims, Hindus or Sikhs.
It was on account of this that during the savage attack at Baramulla, the Pakistani raiders indulged in untold cruelty on the local population. Anybody who dared to stop their savage acts was brutally killed. It is vital to remember that Shaheed Maqbool Sherwani stopped their barbarous and blood-thirsty march. For this reason, he was ruthlessly killed by the tribal raiders.
Horrific Genocide Of All Kashmiris
Pakistan’s intention was not to show any kind of solidarity with the Muslims here. Women and children belonging to all faiths were subjected to vicious sexual assault and were slaughtered. Pakistan wanted the land of Kashmir, not the people. This has been brought out by account after account of that time.
October 1947 was the time when the Pakistan forces indulged in ethnic cleansing of all local Kashmiris – whether Muslim, Hindu or Sikh. Jammu and Kashmir’s first prime minister Sheikh Abdullah apprised the United Nations in 1948 about the Pakistan Army’s October 1947 raid in Kashmir. Sheikh Abdullah informed the United Nations that 11,000 people were killed in Baramulla alone on October 26, 1947.
Sheikh Abdullah said on March 16, 1948: We shall prefer death rather than join Pakistan. Pakistan is the place where our daughters and sisters were sold for a paltry sum.
The horrific genocide carried out by the Pakistan tribals in Kashmir shook the secular, inclusive and tolerant fabric of the valley. All Kashmiris fell victims to the brutal tribal invaders. The savage tribal invaders looted and plundered Kashmir. The tribal invaders looted and plundered the Kashmiri people. In his book, ‘Raiders In Kashmir’, General Akbar Khan shattered the myth that in 1947 Kashmir was raided by tribals who were not connected to the Pakistan state.
For Pakistan, Kashmiri Lives Don’t Matter
General Akbar Khan’s book was published in 1970. The book demolishes all claims made by Pakistan that it has ever bothered about the welfare of the Kashmiri people. Kashmir has always been only a piece of valuable land for Pakistan. As has been said by thinker after thinker in Kashmir – For Pakistan, Kashmiri lives don’t matter.
The book by General Akbar Khan of Pakistan Army is a treatise on Pakistan’s real intentions in Kashmir. This subject was further studied by many eminent thinkers and journalists. Veteran journalist Mr Prem Shanker Jha wrote in his book ‘Kashmir, 1947, Rival Version of History’: The raiders were to be the real spearhead of the Pakistan Government’s annexation plan. According to him ‘The instigation of insurrectionary activity and communal mayhem in Poonch and Jammu was a diversionary tactic designed to disperse and pin down the state forces and prevent them from regrouping at the mouth of Uri gorge which raiders had to pass before entering the Kashmir Valley.
Pakistan own highly decorated officer, General Akbar Khan, busted the fake narrative of the country by giving minute details of how Pakistan Army planned the killing of the Kashmiri people in an effort to grab and annex Kashmir.
BLURB 1
Pakistan Army incited the primitive tribals for attack on Kashmir by luring them with promises of Zar (wealth), Sar (head) and Zan (women) of the innocent Kashmiris. The tribals were told to target the Kashmiris irrespective of their religion, gender or position. They did not differentiate between Muslims, Hindus or Sikhs.
BLURB 2
During the savage attack at Baramulla, the Pakistani raiders indulged in untold cruelty on the local population. Anybody who dared to stop their savage acts was brutally killed. It is vital to remember that Shaheed Maqbool Sherwani stopped their barbarous and blood-thirsty march, and was ruthlessly killed by them
