Ghulam Rasul Raja
| Ghulam Rasul Raja | |
|---|---|
| Born | British Indian Empire |
| Died | Sarai Alamgir, Pakistan |
| Buried at | Sarai Alamgir, Pakistan |
| Allegiance |
 United Kingdom Pakistan |
| Service/branch |
 British Army Pakistan Army |
| Years of service | 1917–1948 |
| Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit | 16th Punjab Regiment |
| Battles/wars |
World War II Indo-Pakistan War of 1947 |
| Awards |
Sitara-e-Jurat Military Cross |
Lieutenant Colonel Ghulam Rasul Raja was a Pakistan Army officer who served in the 16th Punjab regiment [1] under the British Raj. He later served Pakistan when the regiment was ceded to the Pakistan. He was from Panjeri (Azad Kashmir) and settled in Sarai Alamgir (Punjab, Pakistan).[2]
Military Cross (WW2)
While stationed in Tripoli (Libya), Raja fought against an Italian offensive in which he helped repulse the Italian forces, leading to their subsequent surrender. For his actions he was awarded a Military Cross.[3] Libya was strategically important for the British because the amassing of a large Italian army at Tripolitania and Cyrenaica threatened the Suez Canal and Alexandria.[4]
Sitara-e-Jurrat (1947–1948 Kashmir War)
Raja was again at the forefront of the offensive. In this particular instance, he was involved in pushing the Indian armed forces out of Kashmir as the first struggle for Pakistan to take Kashmir began in 1947. Pakistan roughly gained 2/5 of Kashmir in this war, although the outcome was a UN Intervention ceasefire, it is seen as a victory from the Pakistani perspective. Raja was stationed in front of a peak which was held by the Indian forces. Numerous Pakistani soldiers had been killed by fire from the higher ground due to the elevated Indian position. Raja realised that the Indian's had a great strategic advantage and thus a plan must be devised to advance further. His unit tried to concentrate artillery fire on the Indian stronghold but did not succeed. Thus he ordered for the artillery units to be elevated to higher positions, trying best to keep this hidden from enemy view.
Raja and his men monitored Indian movement for a number of days in order to find gaps in their guard and times when their defences were weak. He was thus able to devise a strategically timed offensive. He asked men to come forward to aid him in the apex of the ambush, in complete awareness that it was almost certainly a fatal mission since the Indian forces heavily outnumbered the Pakistani force at that position. They prepared for the offensive, waiting for the Indian defence to weaken, they attacked with aid of the artillery that had been repositioned. The Indians were stunned at the scale of the attack and fell immediately under the pretense that a large Pakistani force had arrived. They surrendered and subsequently the peak had been liberated by Pakistani forces. For his exemplary bravery he was awarded the honor of Sitara-e-Jurrat.
He later went on to found the 9th Azad Kashmir Battalion, to whom he became a symbol of valor. He is remembered on their various commemorative meetings.
References
- ↑ "The Punjab Regiment". Pakistanarmy.gov.pk. Retrieved 2015-09-30.
- ↑ Punjab district Gujrat Census 1999
- ↑ British Colonial Military Archive, 16th Punjab Regiment Archive
- ↑ "North African campaigns in World War 2, including French North African landings". Naval-history.net. Retrieved 2015-09-30.