Following the 1965 war between India and Pakistan, a noteworthy development emerged in the form of joint military discussions that took place in Lahore and Amritsar. These meetings involved representatives from both countries who focused on the specifics of the ceasefire agreement and the coordinated withdrawal of military forces.
These discussions, facilitated by the United Nations and aligned with the Security Council resolution dated November 5, 1965, alternated between the two cities and were overseen by Brigadier-General Tulio Marambio, the representative of the UN Secretary-General.
The Indian contingent was led by Lieutenant General Harbaksh Singh, who served as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Command. He was accompanied by Lieutenant Colonel TS Padde, the GSO-1 of Western Command, and Captain Amarinder Singh, the Army Commander’s aide-de-camp. The Pakistani delegation included Lieutenant General Bakhtiar Rana, who headed the 1 Corps, along with Lieutenant Colonels SA Hasan and Riaz Azim, and Brigadier Gul Hassan Khan.
Initially, the UN representative suggested a neutral location equidistant from Lahore and Amritsar for the talks. However, Lieutenant General Harbaksh dismissed this proposal due to the site’s barren conditions, opting instead for the Indian team to visit Lahore first, followed by the Pakistani delegation’s visit to Amritsar. When questioned by the UN envoy about the need for official approval for this arrangement, Harbaksh asserted his autonomy in decision-making, as noted in his memoir, “In the Line of Duty: A Soldier Remembers.”
The Indian delegation arrived in Lahore in February 1966 aboard a UN aircraft, accompanied by General Marambio. Upon their arrival, Lieutenant General Harbaksh inspected a guard of honor from the Pakistan Army. During this event, a personal connection came to light when Captain Amarinder Singh, who is associated with the Maharaja of Patiala, was seen embracing the young Pakistani officer in charge of the guard. Amarinder later revealed that the officer was the son of Colonel Majeed, his father’s former Military Secretary, with whom he had shared childhood memories in the Patiala palace grounds.
While guiding Lieutenant General Harbaksh through Lahore to evoke memories of the pre-partition era, Pakistani officials attempted to engage in psychological maneuvers. They displayed banners in Urdu promoting rides in a captured Indian vehicle for eight annas. This vehicle was a Jonga jeep belonging to Major General Niranjan Prasad, who had narrowly escaped an ambush, leaving behind his starred plate, flag, and personal documents.
Lieutenant General Harbaksh took issue with the provocative banners, insisting that the car be turned around. When his Pakistani counterpart mentioned earning over Rs 10,000 from these rides, Harbaksh claimed he had not lost a Jonga jeep and warned that if such provocations continued, he would produce ten Jongas decorated with Pakistani flags for inspection during the Pakistani delegation’s visit to Amritsar.
During the reciprocal visit to Amritsar, Lieutenant General Harbaksh arranged a tour of the Golden Temple. This visit coincided with a protest by Akali leader Sant Fateh Singh, who was conducting a fast unto death to advocate for the establishment of Punjabi Suba, a separate Sikh-majority state.
Despite the surrounding political tension, the local populace had been notified in advance. “The reception we received was extraordinary. Shopkeepers in Amritsar welcomed us with flowers as we arrived. At the entrance of Harmandir Sahib, we were greeted by the entire Prabandhak Committee, adorned with garlands of flowers for every member of the delegation and the UN officials,” wrote Lieutenant General Harbaksh.
Near the conclusion of the visit, the Pakistani General expressed a desire to meet with Sant Fateh Singh, anticipating critical remarks about the Indian government. Contrary to expectations, Sant Fateh Singh, speaking in Punjabi, emphasized that the people of India and Pakistan should not be adversaries, shared insights on Sikh values, and presented sets of Punjabi religious books to the leaders of both the Pakistani and UN delegations.
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