It was Jinnah who arranged condemned ammunition for two fronts at the instance of Shaukat Hayat Khan
NWFP Governor Sir George Cunnigham admits that Jinnah knew everything about the Kashmir invasion. Shaukat Hayat Khan corroborates that Jinnah okayed the plan. Infact, Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan fully endorsed Khan Abdul Qayoom Khan’s plan torecruit Pashtun tribesmen. This Plan, conceived by NWFP Chief Minister Khan Abdul Qayoom Khan, involved use of tribal lashkars for invasion of Kashmir. Senior Britishers serving in Pakistan army and NWFP Governor Sir George Cunnigham were kept in loop about this plan. So, It is completely wrong to call Pakistan's blatant occupation of Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 a 'tribal attack'.
By Dr Ramesh Tamiri
‘Operation Gulmarg’
Even in the last week of May 1947, there is evidence that Pakistan was adamant in its plan to forcibly annex Jammu and Kashmir. Major Onkar Singh Kalkat who had opted India and was waiting to return to the country, was posted to the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) Pannu. In a letter dated 20 August 1947 he saw a letter marked a 'personal / top secret'. It was addressed to his Brigade Commander CB Murray, a British Army officer, and signed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army, General Frank Messerway.
The link to this letter describes Operation Gulmarg's plan to invade J&K. The project animed to play an important role for the Pashtun tribe.Pathan officers from the Border Brigade were told to act as commanders of the Lashkar.In August 1947 itself, General Thimayya visited Lahore to meet with Border Forces officers. He asked Pakistani officials about the deployment of their respective battalions in Gulmarg and Pahalgam. At the same time, two senior commanders of the 11 Cavalry (Border Force) were asked to take part in the mission of Jihad-i-Bisabillah ('Freedom for Kashmir').
Two Plans
1. Peshwar Plan
This Plan,conceived by NWFP Chief Minister Khan Abdul Qayoom Khan,involved use of tribal lashkars for invasion of Kashmir. Senior Britishers serving in Pakistan army and NWFP Governor Sir George Cunnigham were kept in loop about this plan.
2. Lahore Plan
This plan had been prepared under the directions of SardarShaukat Hayat Khan, aminister in West Punjab government. In this plan Colonel Mohammad Kiani talkedabout pincer attack from Kashmir and Jammu.
His plan had three main features:
1. Organising armed groups in Poonch which would then march to Srinagar.
2. Organising underground subversive network in Kashmir valley which would stagerevolt when needed.
3. Disruption of line of communication on Kathua-Jammu road to prevent Indianreinforcements to Kashmir.
In the first week of September 1947, Pakistan Prime Minister Liaquat AliKhan directed Col.Akbar Khan to make another plan.
Col.Akbar Khan’s plan ‘Armed Revolt inside Kashmir’ was not much different fromKiani's plan but stressed that Poonchis and Mirpuris be given the main role in theinvasion.
Chief Ministers of NWFP and Punjab were directed to sort out the logisticsfor the invasion. They were given specific instructions to enroll ex-servicemen fromPoonch and Punjab to provoke large-scale violence in Poonch and organize border raidsfrom Kathua to Mirpur.
Recruitment of Pashtun Tribesmen
By the end of second week of September 1947 Major Khurshid Anwar and PirManki
Sharif toured NWFP extensively to recruit tribesmen for ‘Jihad.’ The entire operation ofarming and recruitment of tribesmen for Kashmir campaign was directly undersupervisory control of NWFP govt.
Raw religious emotions were worked up to recruit tribal lashkars and a forcecomprising tribal lashkars and Pakistani soldiers in civvies was mobilised to launch aninvasion.
All criminals in the tribal belt of NWFP were given general amnesty for joining ‘jihad’ forKashmir. The Chief Minister of NWFP also arranged joining of thousands of AfghanParwindas in Kashmir campaign. The tribesmen were also tempted that war booty in Kashmir captured by the invading force would be theirs.
Besides Pathan lashkars other elements that were involved in the invasionforce were workers of Muslim League and Communists led by Latif Afghani.