1955 Poonch uprising

Colonel Sher Ahmed Khan, a sardar (tribal chief) of the Sudhan tribe during 1955 Poonch rebellion

A major uprising occurred around the Rawalakot and Pallandri tehsils of Poonch (then a district, now a division), against the State of Pakistan amongst angry Sudhans. After the ‘bomb shell’ of Ibrahim's dismissal, ‘Colonel (Retired) Sher Ahmed Khan, a sardar and scion of the Sudhan tribe and the senior most military officer from Poonch, was made a cabinet minister with responsibility for defence, education and health. Colonel Sher Ahmed Khan resigned because his community, the Sudhans, were strongly opposed to his appointment in view of the dismissal of Sardar Ibrahim Khan; violent demonstrations had occurred particularly in the Rawalakot and Pallandri areas of Poonch, where Sudhans displeased with the dismissal of Ibrahim Khan, opposed the replacement government. There also had been a showdown between the Sudhans and the Pakistan Army contingents posted in the area’, which caused great concern to the Central Government.

The Poonch situation became so bad that the Azad Kashmir Police could not control it. Members of the Punjab Constabulary of the Pakistani Army were brought in. The Pakistan Army's 12th Division, with headquarters in Murree and with forces already deployed in Azad Kashmir, joined in the suppression, declaring martial law in Poonch. The fighting was not one sided. Some Sudhans had captured 150 soldiers of the Punjab Constabulary, and their weapons. Sudhan's anti government actions started in February 1955 with an assassination attempt in Poonch on the Azad Kashmir President, Sher Ahmed Khan, from which he had a ‘miraculous escape’. Matters escalated when police sought to arrest an ‘absconding accused’ by entering a mosque at Pallandri. There after, Sudhans clashed with the Pakistan Army, and the Punjab Constabulary, which dealt with the insurrection brutally. Similarly, the Punjab Prosecuting Agency was ‘a terror’ to Azad Kashmiris, particularly those incarcerated. It took one year until the uprising was suppressed in 1956.[2][3]

A major cause of the rebellion was the demand of the local people for autonomy in administrative and budgetary affairs.[1]

A resistance movement seeking a more democratic state of Azad Kashmir had been active since September 1950. In 1951 a parallel government was formed in Poonch in retaliation for Pakistan's dismissal of Sardar Ibrahim Khan as head of state.[1] The situation calmed down for some time because of Liaquat Ali Khan's assassination.

When Sardar Ibrahim protested, his government was dismissed. A revolt erupted in Rawalakot and Palandri in the Poonch district as a reaction to this action by the Pakistani State. A military contingent of 120 personnel led by Major Usman was sent in to crush the revolt and arrest its leaders. After an initial skirmish Ibrahim's forces were defeated and his tribe disarmed under the guidance of Pakistan's then Minister of Kashmir Affairs, Mushtaq Ahmed Gurmani, and the weapons were handed over to the government of Pakistan.[4]

General elections were held in 1952. Sher Ahmed Khan, a Sudhan, took office as the President of Azad Kashmir. Sardar Abdul Qayyum was also part of the cabinet. However, after the passing of the Azad Kashmir Rules of Business in October, 1952, all executive power was vested in the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs (Pakistan).[5] This resulted in the eruption of the rebellion in 1955 that was crushed by force by Pakistan Constubulary.

Sardar Abdul Qayyum would later write that, "In 1955 when police were brought in from the Punjab, what they did here is a black stain on our history… When in 1956 I became the president I got a chance to reduce their grievances. Hence a number of people who were in prison and suffering distress were released…. but those whose homes were burnt out were not compensated. Although to reduce their sorrows in sympathy, I gave them bits of money.”[6]

On the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, Sardar Ibrahim Khan exclaimed, "The Ministry played havoc with the Azad Kashmir movement and had it finally liquidated to the satisfaction of all bureaucrats in Pakistan.” On democracy in AJK, he also stated, "It is like hell. It is the worst example of democracy…. It has not served Kashmiris at all. It has always divided [them] and made them fight amongst themselves.”

The uprising had led to a number of strict and draconian security laws being passed by the local government and Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, including the ‘Azad Kashmir Public Safety Act 1953’, ‘The Pallandhri Disturbances Special Tribunal Act 1955 and 1956’, ‘The Control of Goondas Act 1956’, as well as ‘The Azad Kashmir Recovery of Abducted Persons Act 1953 and 1956’.[7]

• 1947 Poonch Rebellion
• Poonch district, Pakistan
• History of Poonch District
• Azad Kashmir
• History of Azad Kashmir