Mian Ghulam Jilani (

Pashto Pashto ( , ; , ) is an eastern Iranian language in the Indo-European language family, natively spoken in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. It has official status in Afghanistan and the Pakistani province of Khyb ...

, ; 1913 – March 1 2004) also known as ''Kaka'', ''Speen Dada'', and ''Jilly'', was a politician, businessman, and former two-star general in the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...

. As a

British Indian Army The Indian Army was the force of British Raj, British India, until Indian Independence Act 1947, national independence in 1947. Formed in 1895 by uniting the three Presidency armies, it was responsible for the defence of both British India and ...

officer during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he survived a Japanese

POW camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, internment camps, an ...

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

. He played a key role in establishing the

ceasefire A ceasefire (also known as a truce), also spelled cease-fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions often due to mediation by a third party. Ceasefires may b ...

during the

First Kashmir War First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

. During his stint as the

Military attaché A military attaché or defence attaché (DA),Defence Attachés
''Geneva C ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

, he helped negotiate Pakistan's membership in the

Baghdad Pact The Central Treaty Organization (CENTO), formerly known as the Middle East Treaty Organization (METO) and also known as the Baghdad Pact, was a military alliance of the Cold War. It was formed on 24 February 1955 by Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, ...

and the

Southeast Asia Treaty Organization The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) was an international organization for collective defense in Southeast Asia created by the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty signed in September 1954 in Manila, Philippines. The formal insti ...

. An ethnic

Pashtun Pashtuns (, , ; ;), also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are an Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in southern and eastern Afghanistan and northwestern Pakistan. They were historically also referred to as Afghans until 1964 after the ...

, he retired from the

in 1962 due to the autocratic rule of

Ayub Khan Mohammad Ayub Khan (14 May 1907 – 19 April 1974) was a Pakistani military dictator who served as the second president of Pakistan from 1958 until his resignation on 1969. He was the first native commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army, se ...

. Afterwards, he was involved in business and joined politics. He was repeatedly arrested by

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (5 January 1928 – 4 April 1979) was a Pakistani barrister and politician who served as the fourth president of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973 and later as the ninth Prime Minister of Pakistan, prime minister of Pakistan from 19 ...

in the 1970s for his political beliefs and was in jail for more than three years with

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...

declaring him a prisoner of conscience in 1974. During a medical checkup, he escaped from custody and took political asylum in the United States in 1975 becoming a citizen in 1981.

Early life

Jilani was born in 1913 in

Sibi Sibi (; ;) is a city situated in the Balochistan (Pakistan), Balochistan Subdivisions of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. The city serves as the administrative headquarters of the Sibi District, district and Sibi Tehsil, tehsil of the same name ...

in the Chief Commissioner's Province of Balochistan.

Education

He was educated at Forman Christian College in

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

and later in Law at the

Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh Muslim University is a Collegiate university, collegiate, Central university (India), central, and Research university, research university located in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Kh ...

, in India.

Personal life

He married Nancy Habiba Jilani in 1949 and they had 4 children. Their son Mian Arshad Jilani and three daughters Hadia Jilani Roberts, Halima Jilani Raza, and Habiba Jilani Freeman. At the time of his death, Mian Ghulam Jilani had 9 grandchildren.

British Indian Army career

He completed his officer's training at the

Rashtriya Indian Military College The Rashtriya Indian Military College (abbreviated RIMC; formerly known as Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College) () is a military school for boys situated in Doon Valley, Dehradun in India. The RIMC is a feeder institution for the Nation ...

Dehra Dun Dehradun (), also known as Dehra Doon, is the winter capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, ...

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

and was commissioned as second lieutenant on to the Special List, Indian Land Forces on 1 February 1936 and attached to the 2nd battalion the

Royal Scots Regiment The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment), once known as the Royal Regiment of Foot, was the oldest and most senior infantry regiment of the line of the British Army, having been raised in 1633 during the reign of Charles I. The regiment existed co ...

on 24 February 1936 for a years experience before joining his

regiment. He was accepted for the Indian Army on 24 February 1937 and posted to the 4th battalion

19th Hyderabad Regiment The 19th Hyderabad Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army. It was formed at the time of reforms of the Indian Army after the First World War, when it moved from single-battalion regiments to multi-battalion regiments. The reg ...

. His seniority as a second lieutenant was antedated to 3 February 1935 and he was promoted Lieutenant 3 May 1937. He was later appointed acting Captain and then appointed Adjutant of the 4/19th 1 October 1940.

Captured at Singapore

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the fourth battalion

was sent to

with the

. Jilani was captured and taken prisoner by the Japanese in 1942. He was a prisoner of war for nearly forty months. During this period, he was tortured and kept in solitary confinement for seven months. Whilst a prisoner of war he was promoted Captain. He was mentioned in despatches in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Malaya in 1942. Shortly after

, the movement for independence from the British resulted in

Partition of British India The partition of India in 1947 was the division of British India into two independent dominion states, the Union of India and Dominion of Pakistan. The Union of India is today the Republic of India, and the Dominion of Pakistan is the Islam ...

in 1947. Jilani threw his energy and enthusiasm behind it.

Pakistan Army career

Kashmir Operations

He joined the newly formed

and was the 42nd senior most officer (PA–42), commanding 4 Frontier Regiment. A few weeks later he took a leave of absence from the army to volunteer as a fighter in

Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...

, fighting for its independence and right to join Pakistan. In April 1948, he was appointed Commanding Officer at

Gilgit Gilgit (; Shina language, Shina: ; ) is a city in Pakistani-administered Gilgit-Baltistan, Gilgit–Baltistan in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kas ...

where he remained until the ceasefire. His troops played a major role in establishing what would later become the

Line of Control The Line of Control (LoC) is a military control line between the Indian and Pakistanicontrolled parts of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir—a line which does not constitute a legally recognized international boundary, but ser ...

between

India and Pakistan India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. He fought a guerrilla war in northern

engaging two divisions of the

Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...

subsequently taking over

Baltistan Baltistan (); also known as Baltiyul or Little Tibet, is a mountainous region in the Pakistani-administered territory of Gilgit-Baltistan and constitutes a northern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a dispute bet ...

. He played a key role in the ceasefire of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947.

Relations with the United States

As a Brigadier, he was posted as the first

Military attaché A military attaché or defence attaché (DA),Defence Attachés
''Geneva C ...

in October 1952. He was accredited Military Attache to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Awarded by Eisenhower

He brought about the military aid treaty, known as the

between the United States and Pakistan in May 1954 for which in 1955 he was awarded the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

by President

Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he was Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionar ...

. The

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan () (abbreviated as GoP), constitutionally known as the Federal Government, commonly known as the Centre, is the national authority of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a federal republic located in South Asia, con ...

awarded him the Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam (Star of the Quaid), named after the Founder of Pakistan,

Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 187611 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the inception of Pa ...

Senior Commander

On promotion to Major General, he served as GOC

East Pakistan East Pakistan was the eastern province of Pakistan between 1955 and 1971, restructured and renamed from the province of East Bengal and covering the territory of the modern country of Bangladesh. Its land borders were with India and Burma, wit ...

commanding 14th Infantry Division (

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

), Commandant of the Command and Staff College (July 1957 – December 1958), Master General of Ordnance (GHQ) and GOC 15th Infantry Division (

Sialkot Sialkot (Punjabi language, Punjabi, ) is a city located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the capital of the Sialkot District and the List of most populous cities in Pakistan, 12th most populous city in Pakistan. The boundaries of Sialkot are joined ...

). As GOC 15th Div he along with (then) Brig Rakhman Gul Inspector General Frontier Corps served under (then) Maj Gen

Attiqur Rahman Mohammed Attiqur Rahman ( Punjabi, ) (24 June 1918 – 1 June 1996), also known by his nickname as General Turk, was a senior general in the Pakistan Army, a noted military historian, and a senior government official. He was the martial law admi ...

GOC 7th Infantry Division who was the Force Commander for the

Bajaur Campaign The Bajaur Campaign was an armed conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan that began in September 1960 and ended in September 1961. It primarily took place in and around Bajaur District in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas. Hos ...

of October 1960. After the Nawab of Dir Sir Shah Jehan Khan and his son Khan Shahabud Din Khan of Jandol were captured on 28 October 1948, Maj Gen Attiqur Rahman MC moved back to

Peshawar Peshawar is the capital and List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It is the sixth most populous city of Pakistan, with a district p ...

and Jilani took over as Force Commander.

Retirement

After retiring from the army, he was hired by Fakhrudin Valika as a General Manager with the Valika Group in

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

Political career

He joined the

National Awami Party (Wali) The Wali Khan faction of the National Awami PartyThe National Awami Party of Pakistan: Leftist Politics in Crisis M. Rashiduzzaman Pacific Affairs, Vol. 43, No. 3 (Autumn, 1970), pp. 394-409 Published by: Pacific Affairs, University of British ...

and became a member of the provincial assembly of

North West Frontier Province The North-West Frontier Province (NWFP; ) was a province of British India from 1901 to 1947, of the Dominion of Pakistan from 1947 to 1955, and of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan from 1970 to 2010. It was established on 9 November 1901 from ...

from his home constituency in

Mardan Mardān is a city in the Mardan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Located in the Valley of Peshawar, Mardan is the List of cities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by population, second-largest city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (after Peshawar). ...

in the

1970 Pakistani general election General elections were held in Pakistan on 7 December 1970 to elect members of the National Assembly. They were the first direct general elections since the independence of Pakistan and ultimately the only ones held prior to the independence o ...

after receiving 16,346 votes. He was the head of the NAP-Ws youth wing, Zalmay Pakhtun.

Arrest

He was an outspoken critic of the government of

and was arrested by the

Pakistan Peoples Party The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) is a political party in Pakistan and one of the three major List of political parties in Pakistan, Pakistani political parties alongside the Pakistan Muslim League (N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. With a Cent ...

government on 15 February 1973. His wife Mrs. Nancy Habiba Jilani filed a writ petition against his detention, and the judgment of the Lahore High Court was authored by Nasim Hasan Shah, J. and is reported as: ''Mrs. Habiba Jilani V Federation of Pakistan (PLD 1974 Lahore 153)''. The

Lahore High Court The Lahore High Court () is a provincial court house based in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was established as a high court on 21 March 1882. The Lahore High Court has jurisdiction over the province of Punjab. The High Court's principal seat is ...

declared the detention valid. In a crackdown on his party, a smear campaign was launched against him and Jilani was frequently arrested.

then attempted to bribe Jilani with offers of high positions—all to no avail. Nonetheless, all charges against Jilani were repeatedly dismissed by the courts.

adopted him as a "prisoner of conscience" in 1974.

Escape from Jail

Jilani managed to escape from guards during a hospital visit in 1975 and was granted political asylum in the United States. He became a US citizen in 1981.

US Residency

After becoming a citizen of the United States, he gave speeches at colleges, government organizations, and veterans organizations. He shared his experiences in Pakistan and discussed global military affairs.

Death

He died of

Pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...

at his daughter's home in

Fairfax, Virginia Fairfax ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia and the county seat of Fairfax County, Virginia, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 24,146. Fairfax is pa ...

on 1 March 2004.

Bibliography

*''Judgments on the Constitution, Rule of Law, and Martial Law in Pakistan'' by Chief Justice Dr Nasim Hassan Shah, edited by Prof Dr M A Mannan (OUP 1993) *''Pakistan. Problems of Governance'' by Mushahid Hussain & Akmal Hussain (Vanguard Books 1993) (p. 30, 87 & 90)

Foreign decorations

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jilani, Mian Ghulam 1913 births 2004 deaths Aligarh Muslim University alumni Amnesty International prisoners of conscience held by Pakistan British Indian Army officers Forman Christian College alumni Foreign recipients of the Legion of Merit Frontier Force Regiment officers Indian Army personnel of World War II Indian prisoners of war Naturalized citizens of the United States Pakistani emigrants to the United States Pakistan Army major generals 20th-century Pakistani military personnel People from Sibi District Rashtriya Indian Military_College alumni World War II prisoners of war held by Japan Pakistani escapees Escapees from Pakistani detention Pakistani torture victims Pashtun politicians Pashtun military personnel Pashtun businesspeople