Pindi demands transfer of Bengali hijacker
NEW DELHI JAN. 5-Pakistan Government has demands transfer of dead body of Major Dalim who was reportedly shot by his colleague Lt. Humayun Raza before hijacking a Pakistani military aircraft to India Yesterday be handed over to her says PTI.
Reporting this Radio Pakistan said that India had also been asked to transfer to Pakistani custody Lt. Raza who hijacked the aircraft.
Quoting an Inter-Services Board announcement in Islamabad, the radio said the plane an L 19 which was on a routine flight was reported missing yesterday.
But Lt. Raza told the district authourties of Hoshlarpur that he was able to board the plane after persuading the Pakistani pilot to give him a joy ride.
There was no question of any Bengali officer being allowed by the Pakistani Army to board any military aircraft he said. He had been trying hard to escape from Pakistan and had developed friendship with Major Qasim whom he persuaded to take him on board for a joy ride yesterday.
Lt. Raza told the authorities that after taking off from Mainwali, they had flown torwards the border with India when he asked Major Qasim to fly to India. When the Major refused to do so, Lt. Raza whipped out a pistol and in the ensuring scuffle he shot the pilot three times.
Ii was at this stage that his training at the Dacca Flying Club came to his rescue and he piloted the two-seater aircraft himself to India. He flew deep into India because he wanted to ensure that he succeeded in his flight to freedom.
The plane force- landed on a sand bed near the village of Maili, 18 miles from Hoshiarpur around 2.30 p.m. about two hours after taking off from Pakistan. Immediately after landing, Lt. Raza went to a nearby house where the headmaster of the local school resides. He told the headmaster about himself and inquired if he was in India, the Deputy commissioner of Hoshiarpur, Mr. V. K. Khanna said this morning.
Lt. Raza then requested the headmaster to inform the nearby police station. The villagers immediately informed the police, who rushed to the spot and took the pilot into custody. The Deputy Commissioner and senior police officers also reached the village. Lt. Raza then narrated his story to the district authorities.
Lt. Raza belonged to the 24 Signals, sixth armed division of Pakistan Army, according to the papers he was carrying, an official report said.
The revolver with which Lt. Raza shot Major Qasim dead is now in the possession of Hoshiarpur district authorities. All its bullets were empty when it was taken from Lt. Raza, the report said.
Lt. Raza’s preliminary interrogation confirmed that he hijacked the plane and he was a Bengali who was frustrated from the behavior of his Pakistani friends, a bank account book, cheque book and visiting cards recovered from him proved that he belonged to Bangladesh. He has an account in the Muslim Commercial Bank of Dacca.
Bengali officers in the Pakistan Army have been removed from all important posts and are being subjected to constant harrassement, according to Lt. Raza.
Lt. Raza told district authorities that no Pakistani armymen saluted even senior Bengali officers. Bengali officers and men were treated badly, he said.
Lt. Raza said that like him, several Bengalis were trying to escape from Pakistan. but the Pakistani authorities had put strict, watch on them, “I am very lucky to have escaped to freedom,” he told the authorities.
Lt. Raza said that there is likelihood of more Bengali personnel escaping from Pakistan in future as they are not treated well and are looked down upon in Pakistan.
Reference: Hindustan Standard 6.1.1972