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Sunday, November 08, 2009
A banker by profession, Salim Ansar has a passion for history and historic books. His personal library already boasts a treasure trove of over 7,000 rare and unique books.
Every week, we shall take a leaf from one such book and treat you to a little taste of history.
BOOK NAME: Political Conspiracies in Pakistan
AUTHOR: Jamna Das Akhtar
WRITTEN BY: Ian Stephens
PUBLISHER: Asia Publishing House - Delhi
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 1969
The following excerpt has been taken from Page: 13 - 16
Liaquat Ali’s assassination — A mystery
“It was a tragedy. A cold-blooded murder, Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, was murdered in broad daylight in Rawalpindi. About an hour earlier, he had come from Karachi. He was to deliver an important speech and to make a historic announcement regarding the foreign policy of his government.
“He was angry with the British Government because it had failed to force India to surrender Kashmir to Pakistan. He was angry with the Soviet Union because the Soviet Government was anxious to strengthen bonds of friendship with India. He had thrown a challenge to India. He was angry and frustrated because, despite Pakistan’s renewed military pressure on the borders, India did not seem to be frightened. Liaquat Ali Khan had an eye on ‘Arakani Mujahids’ who wanted to establish another Pakistan in Burma. In fact, he was negotiating with leaders of fanatic groups in a number of Moslem countries in order to lay the foundations of an Islamic Bloc under his own leadership.
“In his own country, his authority was being challenged in all provinces. Hussain Shahid Suharawardy, the ex-Chief Minister of East Bengal, after successfully alluding the income-tax authorities of India, has settled down in Pakistan to wage a political fight against Liaquat Ali Khan. He had joined hands with the Nawab of Mamdot and Khan Abdul Wali Khan (son of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan) respectively in Punjab and NWFP. Liaquat Ali denounced Suharawardy as a traitor. In Sind, Ayub Khurho was conspiring against the Prime Minister. In NWFP, Chief Minister Abdul Qayyum Khan refused to submit to his dictates. In ‘Azad Kashmir’, Sardar Mohammad Ibrahim had threatened to form a parallel government.
“The unfortunate Prime Minister of Pakistan had incurred the wrath of Miss Fatima Jinnah who abused him publicly. A few weeks ago, the Prime Minister had told his countrymen that a powerful group of army officers had conspired to overthrow his government.
“It is claimed that Liaquat Ali Khan found out a solution to all these problems and had come to Rawalpindi to unfold his dynamic programme. A welcome address was presented to him in a crowded public meeting held in Company Bagh (now Jinnah Garden) [presently Liaquat Bagh]. Liaquat Ali Khan stood up. The atmosphere resounded with slogans. He recited a verse from the Holy Quran. He smiled and decided to start his speech. But hardly had he uttered the words ‘Bradran-e-Millat’ when someone from the audience fired two shots in rapid succession. The Prime Minister felt down on the dais. The audience was terrified. People ran helter skelter for shelter. Then more shots rang out. After a few minutes, people saw the body of a young man lying in a pool of blood in front of the dais. The Prime Minister was taken to the hospital where, despite the best available medical aid, he could not survive. This happened on October 16, 1951. The whole of Pakistan was engulfed in gloom.
“ ‘Nawa-i-Waqt’ and the weekly ‘Star’ of Lahore had expressed their opinion in the following words: ‘Saed Akbar’s shots have made Liaquat Ali a martyr of Pakistan. Had he been spared, the future historians would have called him a traitor.’
“It is significant to note that these two newspapers supported the Nawab of Mamdot against Mian Mumtaz Khan Daultana in Punjab politics. Liaquat Ali Khan had dismissed the ministry headed by the Nawab of Mamdot while the latter had joined hands with Suharawardy. The ‘Nawa-i-Waqt’ published an article in its issue of October 19, 1968, in which the writer (Abdul Qadar Hassan) says: ‘In those days, I was a student in Rawalpindi. I was present in the public meeting where Liaquat Ali Khan was assassinated. Someone fired resulting in confusion. Someone felt down on the stage and I heard people saying that someone had got him (Liaquat Ali Khan) murdered. On that day, it was a mystery to me and still it is a mystery to all of us.’
“The daily ‘Mashriq’ an influential semi-official newspaper (owned by the National Trust of Pakistan) is also not satisfied by the statement made by then President (Ayub Khan). The ‘Mashriq’ in its issue of October 17, 1968 published a lengthy article on the life of the late Prime Minister. Mahmud Javed who was present in the fateful public meeting in Rawalpindi says: ‘Before the arrival of the Prime Minister, Sardar Amir Ahzam Khan, General Secretary of the City Muslim League, and Mr. J. D. Hardy, the District Magistrate had unpleasant talks. Sardar Amir Ahzam Khan insisted and Mr. Hardy had to agree to withdraw the police around the dais ... ... Liaquat Ali Khan came near the microphone. He was smiling and waving his hand on slogans for about five minutes. Everybody was looking towards him. Hardly had he uttered the words ‘Bradran-e-Millat’ that we heard two shots in quick succession. For a few seconds, nobody could understand as to what had happened. The first impression was that someone had fired to welcome the Prime Minister but when Liaquat Ali suddenly tumbled and Nawab Siddiq Ali Khan went forward to help him, we apprehended the mischief. The Prime Minister was lying in the arms of his Political Secretary and there was a lot of confusion on and around the dais. All those ‘heroes’ who had taken vows to shed their blood for the Premier and the country ran away. Some of them took shelter under the dais. Now only Nawab Siddiq Ali Khan and wounded Prime Minister were seen on the dais. The first person who climbed to reach the stage was Mr. Hardy. I followed him. The employees of the Radio Pakistan had taken refuge under their table. Mr. Hardy was crying for an ambulance or a big car but there was none to hear him. The Prime Minister was profusely bleeding. After a few minutes he lost consciousness. After much difficulty he was placed in a car and taken to the Combine Military Hospital, but it was too late. There was a pool of blood on the dais. A section of the audience feared the outbreak of revolt or some other serious incident of this nature with the result that it ran away. Some persons got hold a young man and started saying that he was the assassin. He was Saed Akbar. He had wrapped a blanket on his body. People started beating him. In the meanwhile a police Sub-Inspector Mohammad Shah reached there. He drew out his revolver and killed the alleged assassin of the Prime Minister.’
“ ‘Several explanations have been given during the last seventeen years but people are not satisfied. They ask that as the alleged assassin had been caught and rendered helpless what was the necessity of killing him. The death of Saed Akbar removed the only clue which could have helped to reveal the motives of this crime.’ Mahmud Javed has raised an important point. He says: ‘There is another mystery which has remained unsolved. On that fateful day two ministers were present in Rawalpindi but they did not attend the meeting. It is difficult to believe that members of the cabinet of such a powerful and popular Prime Minister could have afforded to keep themselves absent from his meeting without any solid reason.’
“While referring to the remarks made by Ayub Khan in his book ‘Friends, Not Masters’, Mahmud Javed writes: ‘Only a future historian would reveal the motives behind this heinous crime-whether it was the individual act of the assassin or he murdered Liaquat Ali at the instance of his patrons. People are still bewildered over the fact that although the security staff and officials of other relevant departments failed to protect the life of the Prime Minister, no action was taken against any officials on account of their criminal negligence towards the performance of their duties. Only Mr. Mohammed Shah was discharged and given pension. A few years ago, a report received about him revealed that he was leading a very prosperous life. Then he became a lunatic and died. It is strange that the secret agencies of the government which know the minds of the people remained ignorant about this conspiracy.’
“Saed Akbar’s name was already there on the police list of doubtful and dangerous characters. The police was expected to watch activities of these persons. Lamenting on this thesis, Mahmud Javed says: ‘It is strange that although the police authorities in Rawalpindi had received reports about Saed Akbar’s journey from Abbottabad and the police admits that he was being shadowed by them in Rawalpindi, he succeeded in throwing dust into the eyes of the police officials concerned and reached the public meeting. He was sitting in the first row of the audience but nobody apprehended him.’
“Javed seems to forget that in case some police officials were themselves involved in the conspiracy, how could they have apprehended him. I shall, however, deal with this point later. Javed further says: ‘It is strange that all the officers serving in Rawalpindi at that time got themselves upgraded. Only Mr. Inam-ur-Rahim, the Commissioner was forced to retire. Perhaps it was due to the reason that he was much vocal. Although different quarters have assured that there was no conspiracy behind the murder of Liaquat Ali Khan, yet we do not know why our conscious does not believe these statements. And the circumstances in which the plane carrying Mr. Aziz Uddin, a senior officer of the Special Police was wrecked during its journey from Lahore to Rawalpindi, strengthens our doubts. It is important to note that before starting from Lahore, Mr. Aziz Uddin had said that he had found new evidence in regard to the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan. Later investigations revealed that the cause of this incident was an act of sabotage.’
“Ayub Khan’s statement has not satisfied his countrymen. He does not explain as to why the services of Scotland Yard had been acquired to investigate the assassination of Liaquat Ali Khan especially when it was known that the victim had turned against the British a few weeks before his death. What was the reason that Mohammad Ali Bogra (who succeeded as Prime Minister after the dismissal of the pro-British Nazimuddin) was not allowed to acquire the services of the American Intelligence (FBI) for the investigation of the assassination of a political colleague and successor to the founder of Pakistan. The future historians may confirm that one for the reasons for the dismissal of Bogra was that he was determined to unfold the mystery of this murder.
“Ayub Khan has not yet told his countrymen the reasons behind the withholding of publication of the report submitted by the Scotland Yard’s officials. It is not sufficient to say that he (Ayub Khan) was satisfied that there was no conspiracy behind this assassination. In a democracy, the people of the country have to be satisfied. They still suspect that there was a deep-rooted conspiracy behind the murder of Liaquat Ali Khan.
salimansar52@yahoo.com
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ISSN 1563-9479 
