Gen.A.A.K.Niazi (right) signing the surrender documents seated next to him is General Aurora

Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi (1915-2004) was a Pakistani lieutenant general who fought the overwhelming might of India in Bengal in 1971 and was never forgiven by his country for losing. He was born in a Pathan family in Punjab. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... 1915 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... For the breed of cat, see Bengal cat; for the tiger, see Bengal Tiger; for the American football franchise , see Cincinnati Bengals Bengal (Banga, Bangla, Bangadesh, or Bangladesh in Bengali) comprises a region in the northeast of the Indian subcontinent, today divided between the independent country of Bangladesh and the... The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. ... Punjab, 1903 Punjab Province, 1909 The Punjab (also Panjab) is a region straddling the border between India and Pakistan. ...

A Single day in the life of Lieutenant-General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi of Pakistan overshadowed a distinguished career and cast a pall over the rest of his life.On December 16, 1971, Niazi, as commander of the Eastern Command, signed the surrender document that ended the 1971 war between India and Pakistan in East Pakistan (Bangladesh). December 16 is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... East Pakistan, which is now Bangladesh, was the eastern half of Pakistan, created from the eastern half of the Bengal region of British India in 1947. ...

In the bitter break-up of Pakistan the public forgot that as a young officer in the British Indian Army, Niazi had won an on-the-spot Military Cross (MC) for exceptional bravery after action on June 11, 1944, in the Kekrima area of the Assam-Burma front. Describing Niazi’s gallantry in the citation for the MC, his commanding officers wrote at length of his judgment about the best course of action, which they accepted, his skill in taking the enemy completely by surprise, as well as his personal leadership of his men, coolness under fire, ability to change tactics, create diversions, extricate his wounded and withdraw his men. At the Bauthi-Daung tunnels, Niazi impressed his commanding officers so much that they wanted to award a DSO. He was, however, too junior. A "mention" had to suffice. The Indian Army in the time of the British Raj (1857–1947) See Indian Army for the post-independence (and post-partition) army of the Republic of India. ... Military Cross The Military Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army, and formerly also to officers of the armies of other Commonwealth countries, for distinguished and meritorious services in battle. ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Assam (অসম) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur. ... DSO may stand for: Distinguished Service Order Dallas Symphony Orchestra Darkstar Orchestra Deep sky object Defense Science Organization Defense Spectrum Office (US DoD) Detroit Symphony Orchestra Deutsche Stiftung Organtransplantation (dso. ...

The nickname "Tiger" was given him by Brigadier D. F. W. Warren, commander of 161 Infantry Brigade, after a ferocious fight with the Japanese.

After independence Niazi became a highly decorated general in the Pakistan Army, twice receiving Pakistan’s highest military honour, the Hilal-e-Jurat. When he was sent to East Pakistan in April 1971, General Tikka Khan had already launched a brutal crackdown against Bengalis. Niazi condemned this but was saddled with the consequences: mutiny among Bengali regiments, a totally hostile population and Pakistan’s tarnished reputation. Yet, in a couple of months under him the Eastern Command systematically regained the territory, creating the opportunity for a political settlement - though none was ever achieved. 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... Gen. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Lt.General A. A. K. Niazi

Instead,Niazi and his men found themselves fighting a protracted guerrilla war against Bengalis, aided by India and eventually involved in a full-scale war with India. The small, battle-weary Eastern Command, cut off from headquarters, with meagre resources, put up a valiant fight, but the outcome was never in doubt. Pakistan’s failure to secure external assistance or United Nations intervention sealed its fate. This work is copyrighted. ... This work is copyrighted. ... Guerrilla (also called a partisan) is a term borrowed from Spanish (from guerra meaning war) used to describe small combat groups. ... The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization established in 1945 and now made up of 191 states. ...

Niazi’s reputation as a "soldier’s general" lasted to the end. After spending two years as a prisoner of war in India, he was the last to cross the border after the repatriation of prisoners. He then found himself vilified in his own country for losing the war with India.

His requests for a court martial to clear his name were never granted. He was removed from the army and stripped of pensions, without trial. When he entered politics to try to be heard, he was jailed. He lived his last years quietly in Lahore. His memoir, The Betrayal of East Pakistan, was published in 1998. A court-martial (plural courts-martial) is a military court that determines punishments for members of the military subject to military law. ... Lahore (لاةور) is a major city in Pakistan and is the capital of the province of Punjab. ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

His wife predeceased him. He died on February 1, 2004, aged 89.He is survived by their five children. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Also See

• General Gul Hasan
• General Sahabzada Yaqub Khan
• General Mitha
• General Rao Farman Ali
• General Yahya Khan
• General Jagjit Singh Aurora
• Instrument of Surrender (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Surrender.jpg)

Categories: People stubs | Chiefs of Army Staff, Pakistan | Pakistani people ... See also Pakistan Category:Pakistani people Cold War Category:Foreign Ministers of Pakistan Afghanistan timeline 1981-1985 Categories: Stub | Cold War | Cold War people | Foreign Ministers of Pakistan ... ... Major General (R) Rao Farman Ali Maj Gen Rao Farman Ali Khan was born in 1923. ... Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan (February 4, 1917–August 10, 1980) was the President of Pakistan from 1969 to 1971, following the resignation of Ayub Khan. ... Lt-Gen Jagjit Singh Aurora (February 13, 1917, Jhelum, Pakistan - May 3, 2005, New Delhi, India) was a lieutenant general in the Indian Army. ...

External Links

• Pakistan: Partition and Military Succession (http://www.icdc.com/%7Epaulwolf/pakistan/pakistan.htm)
• Video of Surrender By General Niazi, A. A. K. (http://indianarmy.nic.in/arimage/Pak_surrender.WMV)