|
New
Delhi, 31 May 2005
There is hot news from Pakistan as Gen Ayub Khan's son Gohar Khan ex Pak Foreign Minister released details of an Intelligence scoop in 1965 when the Pak DA in London paid Rs 20000 into
the account of an Indian Brigadier and the only lead according to
Gohar, is that the Brig needed the money for his wife who wanted to buy equipment for fulfilling her hobby of canning fruits and
vegetables. In another hint he said the Brigadier went on to higher ranks and left the Army honourably.
The only people in the Armed Forces privy to the War Ops Orders are the operational staff that draft these orders in AHQ and keep them sealed, so the story needs to be verified by the
DMI and intelligence agencies as IB is also supposed to look after counter intelligence. This could also be a ploy as there is a clear feeling all over the world that information warfare is going to play tricks in world diplomacy and tactics . Many countries are planning stategy on this and
we had written on the Chinese system and how software companies out side China are contriibuting.
The story given below also shows how Pakistani Defence Attaches are active in the intelligence game unlike
the Indian system. However in Intelligence you never
reveal the source but then this event is going to make more news.
In New York the Fleet Week is being celebrated with great gusto and PNS Tippu Sultan a type 21 and tanker PNS Moawin are in town and will be going to the Battle of Trafalgar in UK where and Indian Naval Ship and INS Tarangini will represent India with Vice Admiral Madanjit Singh. The sailors of Tippu Sultan are almost the same as Indian Navy sailors and equally smart and well informed. However French Frigate Jean Bart that exercised in India while berthing went in to PNS Moawin at the Statten Island and had a gash of 30 feet while Moawin was dented.
INDIAN BRIGADIER GAVE 1965 WAR PLANS TO PAKISTAN
ISLAMABAD, May 29: Former president Ayub Khan bought an Indian secret plan to attack Pakistan in 1965 from an Indian army brigadier for only Rs 20,000, revealed former president’s son Gohar Ayub Khan in an exclusive interview to The News.
Indian brigadier, according to Gohar, needed the money for his wife who wanted to buy equipment for fulfilling her hobby of canning fruits and vegetables.
He said Pakistani agents active in New Delhi exploited this passion of Brigadier’s wife and bought the plan.
Gohar Ayub is now 68-year old and writing his autobiography that would hit the market in December this year.
He is an eye-witness to imposition of first martial law by his father General Ayub and has been attending many important meetings during his father’s 10-year rule. He also remained as Speaker of the National Assembly and foreign minister of Pakistan.
When asked about the name of Indian army brigadier, Gohar said he would give clear indications in his book to expose identity of the Indian military officer, who is still alive.
This would be a ‘bomb shell’ for the Indian army as the same officer later served at a very top position before retiring ‘honourably’. He said he met the Indian officer in London in 1967.
Gohar said Ayub Khan was preparing the Pakistan army to fight a war with India to get Kashmir liberated. For this very purpose, he followed a long term policy, he said.
He said the first thing Ayub did was to join the Baghdad pact as it enabled Pakistan to get American military aid in the shape of ammunition, guns, tanks, submarines, fighter planes, naval ships that otherwise Pakistan could not afford at all.
The equipment given to Pakistan by the Americans was more advance in technology than that available to the Indian army, he said.
He claimed that the Pakistani army was secretly saving the ammunition to dodge the Americans who were keeping the record of military equipment being given to Pakistan.
Secondly, he said, Ayub Khan deputed his intelligent network active in New Delhi to penetrate into Indian Directorate of Military Operations to get their war plan.
Giving details of the purchase of the war plan, Gohar said a brigadier was traced who agreed to sell the war plan against payment of Rs 20,000. After initial secret negotiations, it was agreed between the Pakistani agents and the Indian army officer that payment would be made in London and he would deliver the war plan in New Delhi after getting confirmation of receipt of the money.
Gohar claimed that Pakistani military attache in London Brigadier Said Ghaus made the payment. When the GHQ in Pakistan received the secret plan of the Indian army, every body, including Ayub Khan, was surprised to know the comprehensive details mentioned in the plan. Pakistani generals even doubted its credibility by assuming that Indian officer might have planted these secrets with the collaboration of Indian high command. The plan was rechecked from other intelligence sources in New Delhi and it turned out to the actual plan.
Gohar said Ayub Khan issued instructions to his own military command that in future the Pakistan army should not keep its own plans with so much details as Indians had done so that these plans were not leaked to the enemy. Ayub Khan deployed Pakistani forces on those fronts where Indians planned to attack and also sent some forces to those areas that Indian army did not plan to attack.
According to Gohar, it was decided that reinforcement would be ensured on those fronts where Indian army was expected to launch attacks. That was why, when Indians launched attacks on Pakistan they found its forces fully prepared. The Lahore military commander, however, failed to implement the plan as he moved his forces late to the much disappointment and annoyance of the top military brass, Gohar said.
He said initially, the Pakistan army defended its positions when Indians launched attacks. After stabilising those fronts, the Pakistan army launched its attack at Chamb Jorian that was left unguarded by Indians as indicated in their secret war plan. No Indian soldier was found to defend the border and the Pakistan army started its advance secretly.
Gohar said the Pakistani forces were supposed to cross River Bias bridge to besiege the Indian army in east Punjab and other three division forces that had no idea that the Pakistan army was advancing. When Pakistani forces launched the attack, the Indian fighter jets monitored their movements. Pakistani strike force had been hiding in that area since January 1965, without being noticed by the Indian army.
A panicked Indian army chief, General Chaudhry, in a meeting told his high command that India should withdraw its forces from Bias as the Pakistan army was advancing from this side and might slaughter his soldiers. However, bad luck struck the Pakistani troops when they were crossing the Bias bridge as one of their tank hit the bank of the bridge that collapsed and blocked the advance into Indian areas.
According to Gohar, this development put Ayub Khan and other military commanders in a fix as every body was solely depending on this attack but all of a sudden the operation had come to a halt. Major General Sher Bahadur was sent from GHQ, Rawalpindi, by a helicopter to ensure the immediate repair of the bridge. But the bridge could not be repaired even in three days and it enabled Indians to breach their canals to flood the entire area to stop the Pakistan army advance.
Gohar said Pakistan lost one of the biggest chances of conquering Indian territories because of a small fault of a tank driver and it greatly disappointed Ayub Khan as despite the availability of the secret plan of Indian aggression, Pakistan failed to utilise its advantages in the war. But, he said, payment of Rs 20,000 at least enabled Pakistani forces to defend the massive Indian attack.
|