Gul Hassan Khan: Difference between revisions

{{Use Pakistani English|date=September 2016}}

| name          =Gul Hassan Khan

| image        =Lieutenant-General Gul Hassan Khan of Pakistan Army..jpg

| caption      =Khan as a Major General

| term_start          = 20 December 1970

| predecessor        = General [[Yahya Khan]]

| successor          = General [[Tikka Khan]] (as Chief of Army Staff)

| placeofburial =[[Pabbi]], [[Nowshera District]], [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province|Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa]], [[Pakistan]]

| rank          =[[File:OF-8 PakistanArmy.svg|20px]] [[Lieutenant general (Pakistan)|Lieutenant General]]

| unit          =[[Frontier Force Regiment]]

'''Gul Hassan Khan''' ({{lang-ur|گل حسن خان}}) (1921; b. 1921—10 October 1999<ref name="Col. A. Quyyum, Defence Journal" />), was a former [[Lieutenant-General|lieutenant-general]] and the last [[Commander in Chief (Pakistan)|Commander-in-Chief]] of [[Pakistan Army]], serving under [[President of Pakistan|President]] [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]] from 20 December 1971 until 3 March 1972.

He was succeeded by [[Tikka Khan]] who was promoted as [[Four-star general|four-star]] rank and designated as the [[Chief of Army Staff (Pakistan)|Chief of Army Staff]].

Gul Hassan Khan was born in [[Quetta]], [[British Balochistan|Balochistan]], [[British Indian Empire|British India]] into a [[middle class]] [[Pashtun Peoples|Pashtun family]] in 1921.<ref name="Trafford Publishing">{{cite book|last1=Alikozai|first1=Hamid|title=A Concise History of Afghanistan-Central Asia and India in 25 Volumes|publisher=Trafford Publishing|isbn=9781490735948|page=40|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sHxRBgAAQBAJ&q=gul+hassan+khan+pashtun&pg=PA42|access-date=2 September 2016|language=en|date=19 January 2015}}</ref><ref name="Rowman & Littlefield">{{cite book|last1=Burki|first1=Shahid Javed|title=Historical Dictionary of Pakistan|date=1999|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9781442241480|pages=236–237|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rk-sBwAAQBAJ&q=gul+hassan+khan+&pg=PA235|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.rediff.com/news/mar/19gul.htm |title = Rediff on the NeT: An interview with General Gul Hassan Khan, the former Pakistani army chief|work=Rediff|access-date=24 September 2020}}</ref> In 1939, he was admitted and joined the Royal Indian Military College in [[Dehradun]] and moved to the [[Indian Military Academy]] at [[Dehra Dun]] to graduate from there in 1942. He was an excellent [[Field hockey|Hockey]] player and gained fame as [[Boxing|boxer]] at the [[Indian Military Academy|Military Academy]].<ref name="Partridge Publishing">{{cite book|last1=Bhattacharya|first1=Brigadier Samir|title=NOTHING BUT!|publisher=Partridge Publishing|isbn=9781482814767|pages=488–489|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZTlcAgAAQBAJ&q=gul+hassan+khan+born&pg=PA488|language=en|date=12 November 2013}}</ref>

He was [[Commissioned officer|commissioned]] as [[Second lieutenant|2nd Lieutenant]] in [[Frontier Force Regiment]] (FF Regiment) and posted in [[GHQ India (British)|Army GHQ]] in [[New Delhi]].{{rp|488}}<ref name="Partridge Publishing"/> He was later stationed in [[Assam]] with [[Assam Rifles]] and participated in [[Burma Campaign 1944–45|Burma Campaign]] in 1944–45 on the side of the [[Great Britain]].{{rp|236–237}}<ref name="Rowman & Littlefield"/> During [[World War II]], he selected to serve as [[Aide-de-Camp]] (ADC) to [[William Joseph Slim, 1st Viscount Slim|Viscount Slim]] who commanded the [[Fourteenth Army (United Kingdom)|14th Army]].{{rp|488}}<ref name="Partridge Publishing"/> He was promoted to [[Two star rank|two-star]] rank and elevated as [[Major-General]] in the army.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Khan|first1=Gul Hassan|title=Memoirs of Lt. Gen. Gul Hassan Khan|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=438|language=en}}</ref>

During the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|war]] with [[India]] in 1965, he was Director-General of Military Operations, DGMO (then known as Director of Military Operations, DMO) and directed military operations against the [[Indian Army]].<ref name="SAGE Publications India">{{cite book|last1=Koithara|first1=Verghese|title=Crafting Peace in Kashmir: Through A Realist Lens|publisher=SAGE Publications India|isbn=9788132103370|page=94|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VZOHAwAAQBAJ&q=Gul+Hassan&pg=PA94|language=en|date=10 August 2004}}</ref> His actions of valor won him the nomination of prestigious [[Sitara-e-Pakistan]] by the [[President of Pakistan|President]]. In 1967, he was made [[General Officer Commanding|GOC]] of the [[Pakistan Army Armoured Corps|1st Armoured Division]] of the [[Pakistan Army Armoured Corps|Armoured Corps]] stationed in [[Multan]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]].<ref name="Col. A. Quyyum, Defence Journal">{{cite web|last1=Qayyum|first1=Colonel Abdul|title=Remembering Lt Gen Gul Hasan|url=http://www.defencejournal.com/2000/mar/gul-hassan.htm|website=defencejournal.com|publisher=Col. A. Quyyum, Defence Journal|access-date=2 September 2016|language=en|date=March 2000}}</ref> In 1969, he was promoted to [[three-star rank]] as [[Lieutenant-General|lieutenant-general]] and subsequently was the [[Chief of General Staff (Pakistan)|Chief of General Staff (CGS)]] at the [[GHQ (Pakistan Army)|Army GHQ]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Chaudhry|first1=Praveen K.|last2=Vanduzer-Snow|first2=Marta|title=The United States and India: A History Through Archives: The Later Years|publisher=SAGE Publications|isbn=9788132104773|page=443|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AZPJtOkc3qcC&q=gul+hassan+khan+Chief+of+General+Staff&pg=PA443|language=en|date=6 January 2011}}</ref>

According to the testimonies provided by [[Major-General]] [[Aboobaker Osman Mitha|A.O. Mitha]], it was Gul Hasan's lobbying at the [[GHQ (Pakistan Army)|Army GHQ]] who also saved then Brigadier [[Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq|Zia-ul-Haq]] (Chief of [[Pakistan Armed Forces deployments|Pakistan military mission]]) from being terminated. [[Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq|Brigadier Zia]] who was in Jordan in 1971 was recommended to be [[court-martialled]] by Major-General Nawazish in his submission to [[President of Pakistan|President]] [[Yahya Khan]] for disobeying GHQ orders by commanding a Jordanian armoured division against the Palestinians, as part of actions in which thousands were killed.<ref name="Oxford University Press, Mitha">{{cite book|last1=Mitha|first1=A.O.|title=Unlikely beginnings : a soldier's life|date=2003|publisher=Oxford University Press, Mitha|location=Karachi|isbn=978-0-19-579413-7|pages=500}}</ref> That event is known as "Operation [[Black September in Jordan|Black September]]". It was Gul Hasan who interceded for Zia and Yahya Khan let Zia off the hook.<ref name="Dawn Newspapers">{{cite news|last1=Newspaper|first1=the|title=Zia: A Counter-view|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1279709|access-date=2 September 2016|work=Dawn|date=25 August 2016}}</ref>

In 1971, he was the [[Chief of General Staff (Pakistan)|Chief of General Staff]] at the [[GHQ (Pakistan Army)|Army GHQ]] and allegedly either executed or approved [[Operation Searchlight|military operations]] in [[East Pakistan]].<ref name="genwatch" /> As [[Chief of General Staff (Pakistan)|CGS]] of Pakistan Army, he was heading the military operations and intelligence during this period.<ref name= genwatch>{{cite web|url=http://www.gendercide.org/case_bangladesh.html |title=''Genocide in Bangladesh, 1971.'' Gendercide Watch |publisher=Gendercide.org |access-date=10 November 2011}}</ref> It is also alleged that he was the "intellectual planner" of Pakistan Army's crackdown in the [[East Pakistan|East]] and that he preferred a military solution of the political crisis looming over the horizon of Pakistan during 1971.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.banglar.webng.com/banglar/liberation/bangla/article7.htm |title=Gul Hassan Khan |last=Ullah |first=A. H. Jaffor |access-date=13 November 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.is/20120722124559/http://www.banglar.webng.com/banglar/liberation/bangla/article7.htm |archive-date=22 July 2012}}</ref> He lacked foresight as was viewed by some of his colleagues in Pakistan Army as "short on strategic vision but good as field commander".<ref name="Qayyum">{{cite web |url=http://www.defencejournal.com/2000/mar/gul-hassan.htm |title=Remembering Gen Gul Hassan |last=Qayyum |first=Col(Rtd) Abdul |publisher=Defence Journal |access-date=13 November 2011}}</ref>

He, along with [[Air Marshal]] [[Abdul Rahim Khan|A.R. Khan]], played a crucial role in forcing [[Yahya Khan]] to step down from the [[Pakistani presidency|presidency]].<ref name="Mittal Publications">{{cite book|last1=Prabhakar|first1=Peter Wilson|title=Wars, Proxy-wars and Terrorism: Post Independent India|publisher=Mittal Publications|isbn=9788170998907|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qYK0BhcgwaQC&q=Gul+Hassan+Khan+Hamoodur+Rahman+Commission&pg=PA113|language=en|year=2003}}</ref>

==Army Commander (1971–72)==

After the [[Indo-Pakistani war of 1971|1971 war]] which ended with [[Instrument of Surrender (1971)|unilateral surrender]] to [[India]], [[President of Pakistan|President]] [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]] called Lieutenant-General Gul Hassan to take over the post of [[Commander in Chief (Pakistan)|Commander in Chief]] of [[Pakistan Army]], which he refused.<ref name="Oxford University Press, Jaffrelot">{{cite book|last1=Jaffrelot|first1=Christopher|title=The Pakistan Paradox: Instability and Resilience|publisher=Oxford University Press, Jaffrelot|isbn=9780190613303|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_XdeCwAAQBAJ&q=gul+hassan+khan+1971+war&pg=PT151|access-date=2 September 2016|language=en|date=15 August 2015}}</ref> However, he reluctantly accepted the post on several of his set conditions and took over the command of [[Pakistan Army]].<ref name="Oxford University Press, Jaffrelot"/> In controversy, Khan was avoided to be promoted the [[four-star rank]] as opposed to his predecessors, by Bhutto.{{rp|210}}<ref name="Sang-e-Meel Publications"/>

Initially, he provided his support to [[President of Pakistan|President]] [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto|Bhutto]] but began [[Obstruction of justice|obstructing]] the hearings of [[Hamoodur Rahman Commission]].<ref name="Sang-e-Meel Publications">{{cite book|last1=Rizvi|first1=Hasan Askari|title=The Military & Politics in Pakistan, 1947–1997|date=2000|publisher=Sang-e-Meel Publications|isbn=9789693511482|pages=382|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xMreAAAAMAAJ&q=Gul+Hassan+Khan+Hamoodur+Commission|access-date=2 September 2016|language=en}}</ref> Reports were surfacing that Gul Hassan Khan, alongside with [[Air Marshal]] [[Abdul Rahim Khan|A.R. Khan]], were interfering in state's affairs and influencing on [[Hamoodur Rahman Commission]].{{rp|213}}<ref name="Sang-e-Meel Publications"/>

As [[Commander in Chief (Pakistan)|Army Commander-in-Chief]], he lessened the role and value of the [[Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence|Inter–Services Intelligence]] which lost its importance throughout this time, and the new Army Commander did not pay any attention to ISI as he relied on [[Intelligence Bureau (Pakistan)|Intelligence Bureau]] (IB) instead.<ref name="Routledge">{{cite book|last1=Sirrs|first1=Owen L.|title=Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate: Covert Action and Internal Operations|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317196099|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_S-TDAAAQBAJ&q=Gul+Hassan+Khan+ISI&pg=PA88|access-date=2 September 2016|language=en|date=July 2016}}</ref> The ISI's covert operations were never revealed to him and Khan was reluctant and incompetent commander to control the ISI; instead the ISI began directly reporting to [[President of Pakistan|President]] [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto|Bhutto]].{{rp|88}}<ref name="Routledge"/>

In 1972, the [[Hamoodur Rahman Commission]] implicated him for his role in [[1971 East Pakistan genocide|atrocities]] committed in [[East Pakistan]] which eventually led towards his termination. Upon approval of his termination papers, the [[Governor of Punjab, Pakistan|Governor of Punjab]] [[Ghulam Mustafa Khar]] allegedly huddled up in a car and taken to Lahore.{{rp|122}}<ref name="Harvard University Press">{{cite book|last1=Shah|first1=Aqil|title=The Army and Democracy|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=9780674419773|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ShihAwAAQBAJ&q=Gul+Hassan&pg=PA334|access-date=2 September 2016|language=en|date=21 April 2014}}</ref> Khan's alleged involvement and his controversial approvals of military operations during 1971 in East Pakistan<ref name="genwatch"/> created a public resentment towards him, as he was the Director-General of the Director-general for the Military Operations (DGMO). When it was cleared by [[Hamoodur Rahman Commission]], led by [[Chief Justice of Pakistan|Chief Justice]] [[Hamoodur Rahman]], Bhutto fired Khan as Army Commander-in-Chief and appointed General Tikka Khan instead.

After his stint as the commander-in-chief of Pakistan Army, Khan was appointed as Pakistan's ambassador to Austria.<ref name="Khan1993">{{cite book|author=Gul Hassan Khan|title=Memoirs of Lt. Gen. Gul Hassan Khan|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FRVuAAAAMAAJ|year=1993|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-577447-4}}</ref><ref name="SinghMishra1997">{{cite book|author1=Bikram Singh|author2=Sidharth Mishra|title=Where Gallantry is Tradition: Saga of Rashtriya Indian Military College : Plantinum Jubilee Volume, 1997|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9w-4VTtJ2xkC&pg=PA68|year=1997|publisher=Allied Publishers|isbn=978-81-7023-649-8|pages=68–}}</ref> He also served as ambassador to Greece from April 1975 to April 1977.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pakistanembassy.gr/former-ambassadors|title=Ambassadors of Pakistan - Athens, Greece|work=Embassy of Pakistan, Athens|access-date=24 September 2020|date=2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924163156/https://www.pakistanembassy.gr/former-ambassadors|archive-date=24 September 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> He resigned from the latter position in protest against alleged rigging during the [[1977 Pakistani general election]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/04/16/archives/two-bhutto-envoys-assail-his-actions-military-men-who-helped-leader.html|title=TN BHUTTO ENVOYS ASSAIL HIS ACTIONS|work=The New York Times|date=16 April 1977|access-date=24 September 2020}}</ref>

In the last few years of his life he was dividing his time between [[Vienna]], [[Austria]] and [[Rawalpindi]], Pakistan. He has one son, Sher Hassan Khan, who resides in Vienna with his mother. He wrote a book ''[[Memoirs of Lt. Gen. Gul Hassan Khan]]''.

*General [[Muhammad Musa]]

*[http://www.defencejournal.com/2000/mar/gul-hassan.htm Article about General Gul Hassan]

[[Category:Pakistan Army Armored Corps officers]]