Indo-Pak war of 1965: Who was responsible?

Nur Khan's comment has surprised me most. He held very high positions in the Pakistan administration including Chief of the Air Force and for many years the head of the Pakistan International Airlines. In other words he belonged to the power elite of Pakistan. Kuldip Nayar's putting the responsibility on Bhutto is perhaps due to his lack of information of the power structure of Pakistan. Bhutto was a player within that power structure but a small one. He belonged to the Sind province and all the shots in Pakistan are called from Punjab.

In 1964 after completing my assignment in New York, where I was, for nearly five years, Press Attache of the Pakistan Permanent Mission to the UN, returned to Pakistan. I had been transferred to our Mission in New Delhi but I was not keen since I felt in the light of Indo-Pak relations, I had hardly any role to play. I tried instead to join the Personal Staff of Field Marshal Ayub Khan. I had known Ayub Khan since my first posting in Istanbul in 1953, where he was a frequent visitor and relations between Pakistan and Turkey were blossoming on all fronts. I was the lone representative of Pakistan in Istanbul. This friendship continued during my posting in New York. Ayub Khan met my wife, a young student in Istanbul and fondness grew between him, his family and my wife and myself. Based on this strong bond I made a determined bid to see him in the President's House and succeeded. He ordered that I join his staff as the Public Relations Officer to the President and I did that the same day.

It created a sensation among the power elite of Pakistan. I was the first Bangalee to join the personal staff of the President of Pakistan. One of the major events was the death of Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1964. I used to sit on the first floor of a two-storey building and one April morning I saw the news on my ticker that the Deputy Prime Minister of India had announced in the Parliament that Nehru was gravely ill. I rushed downstairs where the Cabinet meeting was in progress and whispered in the ear of Ayub Khan the news concerning Nehru. He told me that I should inform him directly when the news of his death came. I had already established a working relationship with Ayub Khan that I had direct immediate access whenever I needed it.

The news of the death of Pandit Nehru came in the afternoon and I went immediately to the residence of Ayub Khan. Every afternoon he used to have a nap on his spartan 'charpoy' and I saw him immediately. He telephoned Bhutto and asked him to prepare a warm message of condolence and told him that I would go immediately to see him and help in the preparation of the message. He ordered lowering of the Pakistani flag. It was evident that Ayub Khan was determined to probe the possibility of improvement of relations between Pakistan and India.

This long narration does not square with the observation of Air Marshal Nur Khan that it was Ayub Khan, who engineered the war against India. In the summer of 1964 I and my wife joined Ayub Khan and his family in their annual visit to the cool hills of Murree. I used to see daily visit by the powerful Information Secretary Altaf Gauhar, who would appear with a tape recorder and record parts of the book of Ayub Khan, which would be titled, 'Friends not Masters'. I also observed intense activity of the Intelligence community and learnt that troops were being positioned near the Line of Control between the two Kashmirs. As usual the Inter Services Intelligence, (ISI) the powerful outfit of Pakistan was calling the shots.

I have personal experience of the operation of the ISI. In the summer of 1964 I and my wife joined Field Marshal Ayub Khan and his delegation to a trip, which took us to Kabul, Tehran, Ankara, London and Dublin. In London Ayub Khan attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference. We stayed at the Claridge's Hotel. The meeting was held in the Lancaster House. One afternoon I was informed by our Foreign Secretary that for the first time in the history of Commonwealth Conference there would be mention of Kashmir. This was big news and according to my practice of UN days I held a press briefing where I broke this important news. The Indian Press officer was taken by total surprise and he had a lot of difficulty while facing a volley of questions. The day it was splashed in the entire Indian media and the Statesman wrote an editorial praising me and strongly criticised the Indian performance. I crossed the Field Marshal on the steps of the Claridge's and he patted on my back and said, 'well done'.

The next day we flew off to Dublin for Ayub Khan's official visit. That venerable warrior for Irish Independence Eamon de Valera invited us to lunch. Next day we proceeded towards the Shannon airport and spent the night in a luxurious hotel. Bhutto, who enjoyed female company stayed up late and spent an amusing evening with Irish college girls. That evening I learnt that the Head of the Pakistan Intelligence had arrived. The next morning as we moved towards the airport I was told by an ADC to the President that the Military Secretary to the President was upset with me. When I enquired the reason I was told that 'it were the Irish girls'. In the flight from Shanon to London and later to Istanbul Ayub Khan had stopped all communication with me. On my return to the Islamabad airport I met the correspondent of the Hindu of India, who told me that I was sure to be rewarded by the Pakistan Government in view of my coup in London. I gave him a weak smile.

Field Marshal Ayub Khan had no desire to fight another war with India. If anything he wanted to see an improvement of relations between India and Pakistan. The point that I wish to underline is that within the power structure of Pakistan ISI has a central role. It is surprising that Nur Khan, who was a member of that power elite makes no mention of it. Kuldip Nayar knows the sub-continent well and it is surprising that the responsibility for the war of 1965 is put on the shoulder of Z.A. Bhutto and no mention is made of the ISI.

Arshad-uz-Zaman is a former Ambassador.