Escape from Oblivion The Story of a Pakistani Prisoner of War in India

by Sehgal, Ikram

• ISBN13: 9780199066070
• ISBN10: 0199066078
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2013-02-02
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Ikram Sehgal, a Pakistani Army officer, became a prisoner of war (POW) in India in peculiar circumstances after he was handed over to the Indians after the rebellion in East Pakistan in 1971. Along with officers and other ranks of mostly non-Bengali origin, he was held in an Indian POW Campthat was established in April 1971 despite the fact that the India-Pakistan War that led to the creation of Bangladesh did not break out until December 1971. These 100 or so POWs remained undeclared by India throughout 1971. Kept in solitary confinement he escaped on the 100th day of captivity,becoming the first Pakistani Army officer to successfully break out from an Indian POW camp in history. Made from original notes taken during the period of de-briefing on return to Pakistan, this fascinating book gives an insider's account of conditions in Indian custody. It is a spell-binding and gripping tale of individual courage, of disparate friendships made in very adverse circumstances and thewill to survive.

Author Biography

Ikram Sehgal studied in Murari Chand (MC) College, Sylhet and Notre Dame College, Dhaka before graduating from Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), Kakul. Commissioned in October 1965 in 2E Bengal in October 1965, he served in Army Aviation from 1968 to 1971. Taken POW in April 1971 in then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), he was the first Pakistani POW to escape from India in July 1971. He was sent back to West Pakistan in November 1971. Joining 44 Punjab (now 4 Sindh) in the desert, he was given battlefield promotion to the rank of Major on 13 December 1971, leaving the Army on 24 January 1974.

Member of the prestigious World Economic Forum (WEF), Switzerland and a Director of Bank Al Falah since 1998, he is also a Member of the Business Advisory Board (BAB) of International Organization for Migration (IOM), Switzerland, Director of East West Institute (EWI), USA. He is presently Chairman Pathfinder G4S, Pakistan and Wackenhut Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd.

Table of Contents

Prologue
1. 91 BSF
2. Agartala Jail
3. Passage to Panagarh
4. Panagarh Politics
5. The Geneva Convention
6. The Devil's Advocate
7. June, July and Uppal's Ire
8. Sadiq Nawaz's Express
9. Goodbye Uppal
10. The Road to Calcutta
11. O Calcutta!
12. American Aid, 1971 style
13. Run Silent, Run Deep
14. Delhi Days
15. Operation Superstar
16. Kathmandu
17. Bangkok and Home
Epilogue
Index