ISLAMABAD, Oct 31: Col Yahya Effendi, a writer on defence subjects, Thursday recalled the exploits of two British officers, Maj William Alexander Brown and Capt Mathison, which, according to him, had resulted in the accession of Gilgit to Pakistan.

In a talk under the aegis of the Asian Study Group, Col Effendi said Maj Brown was deputed with the Gilgit Scouts in 1947 when Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir, the de jure ruler of Gilgit Agency, Hunza and Nagar states and Yasin and Kohi-i-Ghizer, where the British were the de facto rulers, decided to join India.

However, Maj Brown thougt that the Muslim majority areas of Gilgit, Baltistan, Hunza, Nagar and Chitral, should join Pakistan.

Since August 1, 1947, he had been advising the Maharaja of Kashmir and Governor of Gilgit and Baltistan agencies, Ghansara Singh, that the correct course of action for Kashmir would be to join Pakistan. But the Maharaja was bent upon acceding Kashmir to India and that was what he did on October 26.

The news of Kashmir’s accession to India were received in Gilgit calmly. However, the situation in other areas got out of control with the Wali of Swat marching on Chilas and the Mahtar of Chitral collecting an army to seize Koh Ghizar and Yasin.

Maj Brown and his associate, Subedar-Major Babar Khan, realised that Gilgit would be surrounded and attacked by other rulers of Northern Areas and the Gilgit Scouts would defy orders if asked to take up arms against their Muslim brethren.

Maj Brown sent the scouts to take Gov Gansara Singh into custody to ensure his safety.

On November 1, 1947, Maj Brown declared that the Hindu rule had come to an end and added that Gilgit and the adjoining areas would join Pakistan in accordance with the wishes of the people.

He sent Capt Mathison, a trusted offcier, to Chilas, who, with the help of another officer, Muzaffaruddin Shah, kept fanatics in check and gathered the non-Muslims in the fort in protective custody.

After an intense activity in the Northern Areas in the 45 days between October 1 and November 14, 1947, that bordered on an outright rebellion against Maharaja Hari Singh, Maj Brown received a message of the NWFP chief minister that Pakistan had accepted Gilgit as a part of the country.

Thus the political representative of Pakistan, Khan Sahib Mohammad Alam, was able to arrive Gigit on November 16 as the political agent in deference to people’s wishes, Col Effendi remarked.

The defence writer recalled that Gilgit had never been a natural part of Kashmir, having only been sold to the Maharaja of Kashmir by the British — the sale having always been resented by the local Muslim population.

Col Effendi said the heroic action of Maj Brown had been acknowledged, albeit belatedly, in the GHQ’s report of the Kashmir campaign.

In recognition of his outstanding services, Maj Brown was posthumously awarded Sitara-i-Pakistan by President Farooq Leghari in 1993. —Jonaid Iqbal