Brigadier Qayyum Sher-Forgotten War Hero

Brigadier Qayyum Sher-Forgotten War Hero and Outstanding Brigade Commander who launched the finest Pakistani counter attack in 1965 War.

Agha H Amin

It was 1977 that I saw Brigadier Qayyum Sher at Lahore.He was a tough man who tolerated no nonsense.He used to live somewhere on or near Sarwar Road , where my girl friend also lived.

It was later in 1985 that I discovered that the Qayyum Sher who I first saw in Lahore was one of the finest operational commanders of Pakistan Army in 1965 War.

Brigadier Qayyum Sher who had distinguished himself as a brigade commander in 10 Division area in Lahore was also not promoted! Qayyum Sher was one of the few brigade commanders of the army who had led from the front. 



Major General Shaukat Riza who rarely praised anyone had the following to say about Sher's conduct while leading the Pakistan army's most important infantry brigade counter attack on Lahore Front as a result of which the Indian 15 Division despite considerable numerical superiority was completely thrown off balance. Shaukat stated that "Brigadier Qayyum Sher, in his command jeep, moved from unit to unit and then personally led the advance, star plate and pennant visible. This was something no troops worth their salt could ignore". 



But the Army's Selection Boards ignored Qayyum Sher once his turn for promotion came! Qayyum Sher did well in war and was awarded the Pakistani D.S.O i.e. the HJ! 

 

But war performance or even performance in peacetime training manoeuvres was, and still is, no criteria for promotion in the Pakistan Army! Qayyum retired as a brigadier, remembered by those who fought under him as a brave and resolute commander, who was not given an opportunity to rise to a higher rank, which Qayyum had deserved, more than any brigadier of the Pakistan Army did. 

BRIGADIER QAYYUM SHERS COUNTER ATTACK

Pakistani GOC 10 Division Major General Sarfaraz , an outstanding divisional commander , ordered a counterattack to put 15 Division on the defensive. The Divisional Strike Force 22 Brigade commanded by Brigadier Qayyum Sher  was given orders to attack Indians east of BRB, something which they had not practiced in pre-war training manoeuvres. 


The 22 Brigade crossed the BRB at Maqboolpur Syphon with 23 Cavalry leading, Brigadier Qayyum Sher37, captured area Bhaini by 0830 Hours 8th September and had cut the GT Road at Milestone 13 in Dograi area by 1330 Hours. 

This audacious counterattack threw the Indian 15 Division into utter confusion. Harbaksh Singh states that two Indian units 13 Punjab and 15 Dogra in Dograi area broke the line and abandoned their defences.38

 The battalions were later goaded, rallied and brought back to the defences. This forced 11 Indian Corps to reinforce the area with their reserve brigade i.e 96 Infantry Brigade which was now deployed immediately behind 54 Brigade in depth in the Hudiara Drain area.

The 22 Brigade Force was too weak to stay in Dograi area. Therefore, it withdrew back to the west bank of the BRB after executing their counter-attack.

On 10th September 1965, 1 Jat and 6 Kumaon again abandoned Ranian area39 in face of alleged heavy artillery, tank and infantry small arms fire. This produced another crisis in the 11 Corps. The right flank of the Indian 11 Corps was exposed and Amritsar could be threatened from this direction. This produced an operational crisis of magnanimous proportions in the 11 Indian Corps Headquarter. To plug this gap, 96 Infantry Brigade was rushed forward to Ranian area and its position at the Hudiara Drain as the reserve brigade was taken over by the 50 Para Brigade.