Commander of the Eastern Command (Pakistan)
{{Short description|Former Pakistani army position}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Commander of the Eastern Command
| body =
| native_name = {{Nastaliq|چیف آف اسٹاف}}
পাকিস্তানের পূর্বাঞ্চলীয় কমান্ডার
| insignia =
| insigniasize =
| insigniacaption = Chief of Army Staff's Flag (used in cars)
| flag = Flag of the Pakistani Army.svg
| flagborder = yes
| flagcaption = Flag of the Pakistan Army
| imagesize =
| alt =
| acting =
| image =
| department = Ministry of Defence
| style =
| type =
| status =
| abbreviation = CEC
| member_of = General Headquarters GHQ
Army Eastern Command
| residence = Dacca Cantonment, East Pakistan, Pakistan {{small|(now Dhaka, Bangladesh)}}
| seat =
| nominator = C-in-C
Chief of the Army Staff (Pakistan)
| appointer = President of Pakistan
| appointer_qualified =
| termlength = Not fixed
| termlength_qualified =
| constituting_instrument =
| precursor = None
| formation = {{Start date and age|1969|df=y}}
| first = Sahabzada Yaqub Khan
| last = A.A.K. Niazi
| abolished = {{End date and age|1971|12|16|df=y}}
| succession = Army Chief of Bangladesh
| deputy =
| salary =
| website =
}}
The Commander of the Eastern Command was the senior most appointment of Eastern Command of the Pakistan Army. Headed by a lieutenant general, the Commander Eastern Command's primary role was to overview the military operations and implementing orders of GHQ in East Pakistan. The position was abolished following the Pakistani Instrument of Surrender.
Background
During Yahya's tenure as President of Pakistan in 1969, he had established a corps size headquarter at Dacca, East Pakistan. Though initially it was known as III Corps, it is mostly known as Eastern Command. The first person to be appointed as Commander Eastern Command was Sahabzada Yaqub Khan.{{Cite book |last=Matiuddin |first=Kamal |title=Tragedy of Errors: East Pakistan Crisis 1968 – 1971. Lahore: Wajidalis |year=1994 |isbn=978-969-8031-19-0 |pages=337}}{{Cite book |last=Khan Niazi |first=Amir Abdullah |title=The Betrayal of East Pakistan |year=1998 |isbn=9780195792751 |pages=45}}
The last person who held this post was A. A. K. Niazi, who took the command on 10th April 1971. He is often criticized for his military failure in Bangladesh Liberation War, as Pakistan had lost a significant part of it.{{Cite book |last=Khan Niazi |first=Amir Abdullah |title=The Betrayal of East Pakistan |year=1998 |isbn=9780195792751 |pages=53}}
Role and Responsibilities
The Commander Eastern Command was the top military figure in East Pakistan. His primary job was to keep peace, handle anti-rebellion efforts, protect the region and implement the direct orders from GHQ. During the 1971 conflict, his duties extended to fighting against the Mukti Bahini & Pro Bengali rebels and working with East Pakistan’s civilian government to protect the sovereignty and suppress the movement.{{Cite book |last=Salik |first=Siddique |title=Witness to Surrender |isbn=9789392210716 |language=en}}{{Cite book |last=Nawaz |first=Shuja |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jKyfAAAAMAAJ&q=Crossed+Swords:+Pakistan,+Its+Army,+and+the+Wars+Within |title=Crossed Swords: Pakistan, Its Army, and the Wars Within |date=2008 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-547660-6 |language=en}}
The Commander reported directly to the Chief of Staff, General Hamid Khan, in Rawalpindi and worked closely with the President of Pakistan, Yahya Khan and the central government. During martial law, the Commander of Eastern Command often held significant political authority in addition to their military role.{{Cite book |last=Khan Niazi |first=Amir Abdullah |title=The Betrayal of East Pakistan |year=1998 |isbn=9780195792751 |pages=205-206}}
List of Commanders
{{Officeholder table start
| showorder = y
| showimage = y
| image_title = Portrait
| officeholder_title = Commander Eastern Command
| showtermlenght = y
| showparty = n
| showdefencebranch = n
| showaltofficeholder = y
| alt_officeholder_title = Notable Facts
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order = 01
| image = Sahabzada Yaqub Khan.jpg
| military_rank = Lieutenant General
| officeholder = Yaqub Khan
| officeholder_sort = Khan, Yaqub
| born_year = 1920
| died_year = 2016
| term_start = 1 September 1969
| term_end = 7 March 1971
| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1969|09|01|1971|03|07}}
| alt_officeholder = Resigned from his post in March 1971 due to his opposition to the military crackdown in East Pakistan.
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order = 02
| image = Portrait of Tekka Khan.png
| military_rank = Lieutenant General
| officeholder = Tikka Khan
| officeholder_sort = Khan, Tikka
| born_year = 1915
| died_year = 2002
| term_start = 7 March 1971
| term_end = 10 April 1971
| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1971|03|07|1971|04|10}}
| alt_officeholder = Known as “Butcher of Bengal” for initiating Operation Searchlight to suppress dissent.
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order = 03
| image = Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi.png
| military_rank = Lieutenant General
| officeholder = A.A.K. Niazi
| officeholder_sort = Niazi, A.A.K.
| born_year = 1915
| died_year = 2004
| term_start = 10 April 1971
| term_end = 16 December 1971
| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1971|04|10|1971|12|16}}
| alt_officeholder = Commander during insurgency, Signed the instrument of surrender, marking the end of East Pakistan.
}}
{{Officeholder table end}}
Notable events
- Operation Searchlight (March 1971): Initiated by Lieutenant General Tikka Khan, this military operation aimed to suppress the Bengali nationalist movement but resulted in widespread atrocities and increased resistance from the Mukti Bahini.{{Cite web |date=2024-12-01 |title=Military Digest {{!}} An eyewitness account of Pakistan Army's Operation Searchlight in 1971 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/chandigarh/military-digest-pakistan-army-operation-searchlight-1971-tikka-khan-9700218/?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2025-02-22 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}
- Bangladesh Liberation War (April – December 1971): The Eastern Command, under Lieutenant General A. A. K. Niazi, faced a full-scale insurgency supported by India, leading to a decisive defeat and the surrender of 93,000 Pakistani troops in December 1971.