‘If it were not for mutual rivalry, Kashmir issue would have been resolved’
Historians share their perspectives on the role of key personalities in the war of 1947.
ISLAMABAD:
Bacha Khan had offered to convince Jammu and Kashmir’s chief minister to support an autonomous Kashmir soon after independence if Pakistan gave autonomy to its federating units. This was said by Professor Dr Syed Minhajul Hassan at the Quaid-i-Azam University here on Saturday.
Hassan, from the Department of Government and International studies Hong Kong Baptist University, was presenting his paper on “Qaiyum Khan, Tribesmen and the War of Kashmir” on the second day of the International History Conference “Historiography on South Asia”.
Referring to the Kashmir invasion by tribal chiefs, Hassan claimed that were it not for the mutual rivalry between Qaiyum Khan and Major Khursheed, who were leading two groups of Muslim freedom fighters, Srinagar would have been occupied. “If there was consensus, coordination and unity between the two groups, the Kashmir issue would have been resolved before the arrival of the Indian regular forces.”
Minhaj said Qaiyum wanted to liberate Sringar without giving any credit to Khursheed and present it to Jinnah as an Eid gift. He asserted that Qaiyum used the Kashmir issue for his own vested interest and wanted to divert attention from the issues prevailing in North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
The professor said Qaiyum had special camps in Peshawar to train tribesmen; he enjoyed full support of Jinnah and had complete authority to send them to take part in “jihad”. Furthermore the tribesmen fought valiantly but have also been reported to have been involved in arms smuggling, and looting and plundering.
Renowned historian Dr Naeem Qureshi said that the last Viceroy of the Sub-continent Mountbatten knew about the possible communal riots following independence but did not take any step to improve the situation. However, Qureshi continued, this could also pertain to the fact that there were at least six British generals in the Pakistani army at the initial stage and therefore he was not in a position to take every decision independently.
According to the historian, Bacha Khan sent a political leader, Qurban Ali Khan, to Jinnah in 1947 with the message that in turn for provincial autonomy for NWFP, he would convince Sheikh Abdullah, a popular political figure and the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, to support the agenda for an autonomous state of Kashmir. Sheikh Abdullah was not whole heartedly supporting India at the initial stage of independence, Hassan told the audience.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2011.
Bacha Khan had offered to convince Jammu and Kashmir’s chief minister to support an autonomous Kashmir soon after independence if Pakistan gave autonomy to its federating units. This was said by Professor Dr Syed Minhajul Hassan at the Quaid-i-Azam University here on Saturday.
Hassan, from the Department of Government and International studies Hong Kong Baptist University, was presenting his paper on “Qaiyum Khan, Tribesmen and the War of Kashmir” on the second day of the International History Conference “Historiography on South Asia”.
Referring to the Kashmir invasion by tribal chiefs, Hassan claimed that were it not for the mutual rivalry between Qaiyum Khan and Major Khursheed, who were leading two groups of Muslim freedom fighters, Srinagar would have been occupied. “If there was consensus, coordination and unity between the two groups, the Kashmir issue would have been resolved before the arrival of the Indian regular forces.”
Minhaj said Qaiyum wanted to liberate Sringar without giving any credit to Khursheed and present it to Jinnah as an Eid gift. He asserted that Qaiyum used the Kashmir issue for his own vested interest and wanted to divert attention from the issues prevailing in North West Frontier Province (NWFP).
The professor said Qaiyum had special camps in Peshawar to train tribesmen; he enjoyed full support of Jinnah and had complete authority to send them to take part in “jihad”. Furthermore the tribesmen fought valiantly but have also been reported to have been involved in arms smuggling, and looting and plundering.
Renowned historian Dr Naeem Qureshi said that the last Viceroy of the Sub-continent Mountbatten knew about the possible communal riots following independence but did not take any step to improve the situation. However, Qureshi continued, this could also pertain to the fact that there were at least six British generals in the Pakistani army at the initial stage and therefore he was not in a position to take every decision independently.
According to the historian, Bacha Khan sent a political leader, Qurban Ali Khan, to Jinnah in 1947 with the message that in turn for provincial autonomy for NWFP, he would convince Sheikh Abdullah, a popular political figure and the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, to support the agenda for an autonomous state of Kashmir. Sheikh Abdullah was not whole heartedly supporting India at the initial stage of independence, Hassan told the audience.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2011.