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Gen. Tikka Khan the Butcher of Bengal: a presentation by Pakistani journalist Bilal Ghauri

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In this YouTube video, Bilal Ghauri, a Pakistani journalist from the Jang Group, profiles General Tikka Khan with respect to the role he played as Commander Eastern Command and Governor of East Pakistan in Operation Searchlight (the massacre of the Bengalis by the Pakistan Army in 1971) and in 1970s operation in Balochistan. 
The narration is in Urdu.
I have provided here Bilal Ghauri's narrative in Devanagari script along with its para-wise English translation.
(This video was published on 05 May 2019. Bilal Ghauri is currently in news in Pakistani media circles. Three ISI men visited his family home in South Punjab on 30 July 2019 to threaten his family harm because "he writes against the military and also abuses it on YouTube".) 
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जनरलअमीरअब्दुल्लाहख़ाननियाज़ी (..केनियाज़ी) नेअपनीकिताब'The Betrayal of East Pakistan'मेंएकपाकिस्तानीजरनैलकोचंगेज़ख़ानऔरहलाकूख़ानसेतश्बीहदेतेहुएलिखाहैकिजितनेसितमउसनेबंगालियोंपरढाएउतनेमज़ालिमतोचंगेज़औरहलाकूनेबग़दादऔरबुख़ारामेंनहींकिएहोंगे।
जनरलनियाज़ीकेबक़ौलइसक़द्रबेरहमीसेक़त्ल--आमकाइर्तिकाबतोजलियांवालाबाग़मेंजनरलडायरनेनहींकियाजिसक़द्रसफ़्फ़ाकियतसेउसशख़्सनेबंगालियोंकाख़ूनबहाया।

इसपाकिस्तानीजरनैलकानामहैटिक्काख़ानजोपाकिस्तानकेसिपहसालारबने.
आपदेखरहेहैं'तराज़ू'. मैंहूँबिलालग़ौरीऔरआजहमइसीमौज़ूपरबातकरेंगें।

In his book, The Betrayal of East Pakistan, General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi (A.A.K. Niazi) compares a Pakistani army general to Genghis Khan and Hulagu Khan. Niazi writes that the atrocoties that this general perpetrated against the Bengalis would probably be greater than the havoc Genghis and Hulagu wreaked in Baghdad and Bukhara.

In fact, the brutality with which General Dyer massacred people in Jallianwala Bagh pales in comparison to the cold-bloodedness with which this general shed the blood of the Bengalis, writes Niazi.

This Pakistani general is Tikka Khan who also became the chief of army staff (March 1972 - March 1976).

You are watching Tarazoo. I am Bilal Ghauri. And that's the subject we're going to discuss today.
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जनरलटिक्काख़ान 07 मार्चकोकमांडरईस्टर्नकमांडऔरगवर्नरमशरिक़ीपाकिस्तानकाचार्जलेनेकेलिएढाकाएयरपोर्टपहुंचेतोजूतोंकेहारसेउनकाइस्तक़बालकियागया.
मशरिक़ीपाकिस्तानकेचीफ़जस्टिसनेउनसेबतौरगवर्नरहलफ़लेनेसेइन्कारकरदिया।
मशरिक़ीपाकिस्तानमें 23 मार्च 1971 को'यौम--पाकिस्तान'केबजाए'यौम--मज़ाहमत'केतौरपरमनायागया

When Gen. Tikka Khan arrived in Dhaka to take charge of Eastern Command and Governorship of East Pakistan, he was greeted at the airport with a garland of shoes!

The Chief Justice of East Pakistan refused to be sworn in by him as Governor.

Instead of being celebrated as Pakistan Day, 23rd March 1971 was observed as the 'Day of Resistance' in East Pakistan.
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जनरलयाह्याख़ानऔरज़ुल्फ़िक़ारअलीभुट्टोमुजीबुर्रहमानसेमिलनेढाकागए, मगरमुजीबुर्रहमानअपनेमुतालबातसेदस्तबरदारहोनेपरतैयारहुए.
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मार्चकीशामजनरलयाह्यानेढाकासेकराचीरवानाहोतेवक़्तजनरलटिक्काख़ानकोग्रीनसिग्नलदेतेहुएकहा: 'Sort them out'.
बंगालियोंकोसीधाकरनेकेलिए'ऑपरेशनसर्चलाईट'कीतैयारियांपहलेसेहीमुकम्मलथीं

Gen. Yahya Khan and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto went to Dhaka to meet Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, but the Bengali leader would not cede ground on any of his demands.

On 25th of March, before leaving for Karachi, Gen. Yahya Khan gave the 'green light' to Gen. Tikka Khan with the words: Sort them out.

The preparations for 'Operation Searchlight' to 'sort out' Bengalis had already been completed by then.
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फ़ील्डकमांडर्सनेटिक्काख़ानकोकहाकिदुश्मनकोऑपरेशनकीभनकपड़चुकीहै; क्योंकार्रवाईकाआग़ाज़अभीसेकरदियाजाएताकिवोसंभलपाएं।
जनरलटिक्काख़ाननेघड़ीपरवक़्तदेखातोअभीआठबजेथे. टिक्काख़ाननेकहा'हमेंकमांडरइनचीफ़याह्याख़ानकातय्याराकराचीपहुँचजानेतकइंतज़ारकरनाहोगा'
'
कहींऐसाहोकिइसऑपरेशनकीइत्तिलामिलनेपरभारतउनकेतय्यारेकोनिशानाबनानेकीकोशिशकरे.'

Field commanders told Tikka Khan: 'Since the enemy have already got wind of the impending Operation, why don't we start the campaign straight away, so that they don't have any more time to be prepared?'

Gen. Tikka looked at his watch. It was eight o'clock.

'We must wait until Commander in Chief Yahya Khan's plane has landed in Karachi. There is a risk that Indians might seek to target his plane when they learn about this Operation.'
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रातगएअफ़वाज--पाकिस्तानने'ऑपरेशनसर्चलाईट'काआग़ाज़कियातोइन्सानीतारीख़केएकऔरअलमनाकबाबकाआग़ाज़हुआ.
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और 26 मार्चकेदरम्यानउसभयानकरातकितनेलोगमारेगए - येबाततोशायदहतमीतौरपरनहींकहीजासकती, मगरइसऑपरेशनकेनतीजेमेंजनरलटिक्काख़ान'Butcher of Bengal'केतौरपरमशहूरहोगए.

When Pakistani troops started Operation Searchlight that night, it was the beginning of another tragic chapter in human history.

It's difficult to say definitively as to how many people were killed on the terrible night between 25 and 26 March, but by the time this Operation ended Gen. Tikka Khan had acquired the sobriquet 'Butcher of Bengal'.
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एकमशहूरआलमीजरीदेकोइंटरव्यूकेदौरानजनरलटिक्काख़ानसेपूछागया, 'क्यायेसचहैकिउसरातआपनेलाखोंलोगोंकोक़त्लकिया?'
टिक्काख़ाननेइसइल्ज़ामकीतरदीदकरतेहुएकहा, 'नहींसिर्फ़ 30,000 लोगमारेगए'.
टिक्काख़ानकेइसबयानकोआलमीमीडियानेएतराफ़--जुर्मकेतौरपरशायाकिया। 

In an interview with a popular international magazine, Gen. Tikka Khan was asked: 'Is it true that you killed hundreds of thousands of people that night?'

Rejecting the allegation, he responded: 'No. Only 30,000 people got killed'.

The international media published this statement of Tikka Khan as an admission of guilt.
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मशरिक़ीपाकिस्तानकीअलहदगीकेबादमुजीबुर्रहमाननेभुट्टोकोमेजरजनरलरावफ़रमानअलीकीवोडायरीदिखाईजोसरेंडरकेवक़्ततहवीलमेंलेलीगईथी

इसडायरीकेएकसफ़्हेपरमेजरजनरलरावफ़रमानअलीनेअपनेहाथसेलिखाथा: 'मशरिक़ीपाकिस्तानकीसरसब्ज़ज़मीनकोसुर्ख़करदियाजाएगा'.
हमूदुर्रहमानकमीशनरिपोर्टमेंमेजरजनरलरावफ़रमानअलीनेयेबाततोतस्लीमकीकितहरीरउसीकीहैमगरअपनीसफ़ाईमेंयेकहाकीअलफ़ाज़उसकेनहींबल्किकिसीमीटिंगकेदौरानलिएगएनोट्सहैं.

After the separation of East Pakistan, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman showed Bhutto a diary of Maj. Gen. Rao Farman Ali which had been confiscated during the surrender.

On one of the pages Rao Farman Ali had written: 'The verdant land of East Pakistan will be turned red.'

Before the Hamoodur Rahman Commission, Maj. Gen. Rao Farman Ali admitted to scribbling that sentence in the diary but defended himself by saying that the words were not his but were part of the notes he'd taken in a meeting. 
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बहरहालबांग्लादेशनेइसजुमलेकीमुनासबतसेअपनाक़ौमीपरचमइसतरहतरतीबदियाकिउसपरसब्ज़सरज़मीनकोसुर्ख़होतेहुएदिखायागयाहै.
जनरलटिक्काख़ानइसक़द्रबेरहमऔरख़ौफ़नाक soldier थेकिमशरिक़ीपाकिस्तानमेंऑपरेशनकेदौरानबरमलाकहाकरतेथेकि'मुझेलोगनहींज़मीनदरकारहै'.
काशउन्होंनेयेहक़ीक़तजाननेकीकोशिशकीहोतीकिज़मीननहींलोगअहमहुआकरतेहैं.
जबलोगोंकेदिलफ़तहहोतेहैंतोज़मीनभीउनकेसाथहीआपकेमफ़्तूहाइलाक़ेमेंशामिलहोजातीहै.

Anyway, those terrible words do find a reflection in the design of the Bangladeshi national flag: green background turning red in the middle.

General Tikka Khan was so ruthless a soldier that during the Operation he would declare quite openly that all he wanted was the territory, not the people.

Sad that he never made the effort to appreciate the truism that it's the people that mattered, not the territory.

For when the hearts of the people are won, their land automatically merges with the territory you've conquered.
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ज़ुल्फ़िक़ारअलीभुट्टो -- जोऑपरेशनसर्चलाईटकेदौरानमशरिक़ीपाकिस्तानमेंथेऔरहोटलइंटरकांटिनेंटलकीखिड़कीसेढाकाकोडूबतेदेखरहेथे -- जबदोरोज़बादकराचीपहुंचेतोउन्होंनेक़ौमकोयेख़ुशख़बरीदीकि: 'अल्लाहकेफ़ज़लसेपाकिस्तानकोबचालियागयाहै'.
हालांकिउनकेकराचीपहुँचनेसेपहलेसिर्फ़रेडियोमशरिक़ीपाकिस्तानसेबांग्लादेशकेक़यामकाबाज़ाब्ताऐलानकरदियागयाथाबल्किभारतमेंजिलावतनअवामीलीगकीक़यादतनेमुतवाज़ीहुकूमतकाऐलानभीकरदियाथा.

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who was in East Pakistan while Operation Searchlight was on and was watching Dhaka fall from the window of Hotel Intercontinental, 'broke the good news' upon his return to Karachi: 'With Allah's grace, Pakistan has been saved'.
That is when East Pakistan radio had already made a formal announcement of the creation of Bangladesh and the exiled Awami League leadership in India had already declared a parallel government!
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जनरलगुलहसनसेइस्तीफ़ालेनेकेबादकमांडरइनचीफ़काओहदाचीफ़ऑफ़आर्मीस्टाफ़सेबदलदियागयाऔरजबनयाआर्मीचीफ़ढूंढनेकीज़रुरतपेशआईतोपहलेलेफ्टिनेन्टजनरलअब्दुलमजीदमलिककेनामपरवोटहुआ.
लेकिनभुट्टोको'येसमैन'दरकारथा; इसलिएजनरलटिक्काख़ानकोअफ़वाज--पाकिस्तानकासिपहसालारबनानेकाफ़ैसलाहुआ.
डॉक्टरमुबश्शिरहसन Cessna तय्यारेकेज़रिएलेफ़्टिनेंटजनरलटिक्काख़ानकोओकाड़ासेढूंढकरलाएऔरयेख़ुशख़बरीदीकिक़ुरआ--फ़ालआपकेनामनिकलाहै

After Gen. Gul Hassan Khan was made to resign the office of Commander in Chief (in 1972), the post was re-designated 'Chief of Army Staff'. 

When a new Chief of Army Staff was required to be appointed, Lieutenant Gen. Abdul Majeed Malik got the votes.

However, Bhutto wanted a yes-man, which is why it was decided that Gen. Tikka Khan would be made the Chief of Army Staff.

Dr. Mubashir Hassan utilized a Cessna aircraft to look for Tikka Khan who was found in Okara and given the good news that drawing of lots had thrown his name.
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जनरलटिक्काख़ानभुट्टोकीतवक़्क़ोआतपरपूराउतरेऔरचारबरसतकसिविल-मिलिट्रीताल्लुक़ातमेंकिसीक़िस्मकीदरारपैदाहुई.
ताहमजनरलटिक्काख़ानकेदौरमेंमातहतफ़ौजीअफ़सरोंकीजानिबसेमार्शललॉलगानेकीकोशिशकीगईजिसकाबरवक़्तसुराग़लगालियागयाऔरयूँयेफ़ौजीबग़ावतनाकामहोगई.
जनरलटिक्काख़ानकोअपनेएकअज़ीज़, अहमदकमालजंजुआ, सेइससाज़िशकीख़बरमिलीतोइसमंसूबेमेंशरीकलेफ्टिनेंटकर्नलतारिक़रफ़ीनेभांडाफोड़दिया।

Gen. Tikka Khan measured up to Bhutto's expectations; the civil-military relations went on smoothly for four years.

There was, however, an attempt during his tenure by junior officers of the army to declare martial law. The plot was uncovered in time and the coup attempt thus failed.

Gen. Tikka Khan learnt about the conspiracy from one of his dear friends, Ahmad Kamal Janjua, after which Lt. Col. Tariq Rafi, who was one of the conspirators, spilled the beans. 
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30 मार्च 1973 कोपाकफ़ज़ाइया (PAF) के 14 जबकिबर्रीफ़ौज (army) के 21 अफ़सरोंको'अटकसाज़िशकेस'कीमंसूबाबंदीकेइल्ज़ाममेंगिरफ़्तारकियागया.
ज़ुल्फ़िक़ारअलीभुट्टोकीख़्वाहिशथीकिबग़ावतकीमंसूबाबंदीकरनेवालेनौजवानफ़ौजीअफ़सरोंकोकड़ीसज़ादेकरएकमिसालक़ायमकरदीजाए.
इसलिएफ़ौजीअदालतकेसरबराहकेतौरपरनिहायतवफ़ादारफौजीअफ़सरकीतलाशशुरूहुई, तोमेजरजनरलज़िआ-उल-हक़केनामपरइत्तिफ़ाक़हुआ.

फ़ौजीअदालतमेंट्रायलकरनेवालेजजकेतौरपरमेजरजनरलज़िआ-उल-हक़रोज़ानाकीबुनियादपरभुट्टोकोसमाअतमेंहोनेवालीपेशरफ़्तसेआगाहकरतेऔरइसीकेसकीबदौलतज़िआ-उल-हक़भुट्टोकी'गुडबुक्स'मेंगए.

Fourteen Pakistan Air Force (PAF) officers and 21 Pakistan Army officers were arrested on 30 March 1973 for allegedly being involved in the plot which came to be known as Attock Conspiracy.

Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto wanted to make an example of the young conspirators by having them face severe punishment. 

Thus began search for an extremely obedient military officer who would head the court martial -- and ended on the candidature of Major General Zia-ul-Haq.

Zia-ul-Haq would give daily briefings to Bhutto on the progress in the trial that he conducted. That's how he came to be in Bhutto's good books.
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जनरलटिक्काख़ानको'बुचरऑफ़ढाका'काख़िताबतोमिलहीचुकाथा, मगरउन्होंनेबलोचिस्तानमेंफ़ौजीऑपरेशनकरकेएकऔरमैडलअपनेसीनेपरसजालिया।
शाह--ईरानकीतरफ़सेतोहफ़ेमेंमिलनेवालेकोबराहेलीकॉप्टरोंकीमददसेफ़ौजीऑपरेशनशुरूहुआतोबलोचमज़ाहमतकारोंनेपहाड़ोंकारुख़करलिया, जिन्हेंक़ुरआनपरहलफ़औरजानकीअमानदेनेकेबादनीचेउतारागया.
मगरबादअज़ांबद-अहदीकरतेहुएगिरफ़्तारकरकेसिर्फ़हैदराबादजेलभेजदियागयाबल्किवहींपरफाँसीभीदेदीगई.

Having already earned the title of 'Butcher of Dhaka,' General Tikka Khan goes on to lead another military operation -- this time in Balochistan -- to be decorated with another medal.

As the operation started with the help of Cobra helicopters provided by the Shah of Iran, the Baloch resistance fighters fled to the mountains. The government forces persuaded them to surrender by swearing on Quran that their lives would be spared.

The solemn oath was subsequently dishonoured; the resistance fighters were first jailed in Hyderabad and then executed there.
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इसफ़ौजीऑपरेशनकेदौरानपंजाबऔरसिंधसेताल्लुक़रखनेवालेपढ़ेलिखेनौजवानभीबलोचोंकेसाथइज़्हार--यकजहतीकेलिएबलोचिस्तानजापहुँचे।
सिंधकेतालपुरख़ानदानकेदोनौजवान, मीरमुहम्मदअलीऔरमीरहैदर, इसमुहिम-जूईकाहिस्साबने.
बलोचिस्तानकेसंगलाख़पहाड़ोंकारुख़करनेवालोंमेंसुप्रीमकोर्टकेजजजस्टिसएस. . रहमानकेबेटेअसदरहमानऔरराशिदरहमान, एयरफ़ोर्सकेरिटायर्डअफ़सरएयरकमोडोरबलवंतदासकेबेटेदिलीपदास, औरनजमसेठीभीशामिलथे.
बलोचिस्तानऑपरेशनकेदौरानहबीबजालिबनेक़ौमकेइज्तिमाइज़मीरकोयेकहकरजगानेकीकोशिशकी:
उठोपंजाबकेलोगों
बलोचिस्तानजलताहै
बलोचिस्तानजलताहै
तोपाकिस्तानजलताहै
बलोचिस्तानजलतारहा
मगरपंजाबख़्वाब--ग़फ़लतसेबेदारहुआ.

During this military operation, a number of young men from Punjab and Sindh stationed themselves in Balochistan to express solidarity with the resistance fighters.

Two young men from the Talpur clan of Sindh, Mir Mohammad Ali and Mir Haider, were on the side of the resistance campaign.

Included among those who scaled the rocky cliffs of Balochistan were Asad Rahman and Rashed Rahman, both sons of Supreme Court judge S.A. Rahman, Dilip Das, the son of Air Commodore Balwant Das (a PAF officer), and Najam Sethi.

Urdu poet Habib Jalib said the following lines in an effort to prick the collective conscience of the country.

Wake up people of Punjab

Balochistan is burning

For when Balochistan burns

It's Pakistan that burns

While Balochistan continues to burn

Punjab won't rouse from its slumber.
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पाकिस्तानकेसातवेंसिपहसालारजनरलटिक्काख़ानकाबतौरप्रोफ़ेशनलसोल्जरएकहीकारनामाहैकिउन्होंने 1965 कीजंगमेंसियालकोटकेमहाज़परकामयाबीहासिलकीमगरउनकेहम-असरयेक्रेडिटभीउन्हेंदेनेकोतैयारनहीं।
जनरलअमीरअब्दुल्लाहख़ाननियाज़ी (..केनियाज़ी) अपनीकिताब'The Betrayal of East Pakistan'मेंलिखतेहैंकिजनरलटिक्काख़ानकीब्रिगेडनेतोलड़ाईमेंहिस्साहीनहींलिया।
यहीवजहहैकिजंगकेबादजनरलटिक्काख़ानकोकोईअवार्डनहींमिलाजबकिजनरलअबरारहुसैनऔरब्रिगेडियरअब्दुलअलीको'हिलाल--जुरअत'दियागया.
जनरलनियाज़ीकेमुताबिक़जनरलटिक्काकातोइसबातपरकोर्टमार्शलहोतेहोतेरहगयाक्योंकिउन्होंनेभारतीगुरिल्लोंकीजानिबसेपाकिस्तानकीजानिबपेशक़दमीकीग़लतइत्तिलादेदीथी.

The only ostensible achievement of Gen. Tikka Khan, the 7th army chief, was the success in Sialkot sector in the 1965 war, but his contemporaries don't give him even that credit.

Gen. A.A.K. Niazi writes in his book, The Betrayal of East Pakistan, that Gen. Tikka Khan's brigade did not even take part in the fight, which was why he never received any award after the war was over, while Gen. Abrar Hussain and Brigadier Abdul Ali were decorated with 'Hilal-e-Jurat'.

Gen Tikka Khan, on the contrary,  narrowly escaped being court martialed for providing faulty intelligence about the movement of Indian guerillas towards Pakistan, writes Gen. Niazi.
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जनरलटिक्काख़ानकेजाँ-नशीनकीतलाशशुरूहुईतोटिक्काख़ाननेसीनिओरिटीकेऐतबारसेदूसरेनंबरपरमौजूदलेफ्टिनेंटजनरलमुहम्मदअकबरख़ानकोआर्मीचीफ़बनानेकीसिफ़ारिशकीजोइससेक़ब्ल D.G. ISI केतौरपरख़िदमातसर-अंजामदेचुकेथे.
लेकिनज़ुल्फ़िक़ारअलीभुट्टोनेइसमशवरेकेसाथवहीसुलूककियाजोमुफ़्तमशवरादेनेवालोंकेसाथरवारखाजाताहै.
उसवक़्तसीनिओरिटीकेलिहाज़सेलेफ्टिनेंटजनरलशरीफ़पहले, अकबरख़ानदूसरे, आफ़ताबअहमदख़ानतीसरे, अज़मतबख़्शआवानचौथे, लेफ्टिनेंटजनरलआग़ाअलीइब्राहिमअकरमपांचवें, मलिकअब्दुलमजीदछठे, ग़ुलामजीलानीख़ानसातवें, औरज़िआ-उल-हक़आठवेंनंबरपरथे.
भुट्टोनेसातजरनैलोंको supersede करतेहुएजनरलज़िआ-उल-हक़कोआर्मीचीफ़बनानेकाफ़ैसलाक्योंकिया?
इसपरबातहोगीअगलीक़िस्तमें.
सब्सक्राइबकीजिएऔरदेखतेरहिएहमाराचैनल'तराज़ू'. 

When search for Gen. Tikka Khan's successor started, he recommended the name of Lt. Gen. Muhammad Akbar Khan, who ranked second in seniority and had served as D.G. of ISI (May 1966-June 1971).

This recommendation got the same treatment from Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto that one usually expects any unsolicited advice to receive. 

The seniority list at that time had Lt. Gen. Muhammad Shariff, followed by Akbar Khan, Aftab Ahmad Khan, Azmat Bakhsh Awan, Lt. Gen. Agha Ali Ibrahim Akram, Malik Abdul Majid, Ghulam Jilani Khan, and Zia-ul-Haq, in that particular order.

So why did Bhutto supersede seven generals to make Zia-ul-Haq the next army chief?

We shall discuss that in our next episode.

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