Khadim Hussain Raja

Khadim Hussain Raja
Khadim Hussain Raja
خادم حسین راجہ
Ambassador of Pakistan to; Mozambique, Angola, Swaziland, Lesotho
Managing Director Army Welfare Trust
	In office; 1972–1977
DG Artillery
	In office; 12 April 1971 – 1972
GOC 14th Division
Personal details
Born	23 November 1922; Haranpur, Jhelum District, British India
Died	9 December 1999 (aged 77); Islamabad, Pakistan
Education	Central Model High School; Government College University, Lahore; Indian Military Academy; Staff College, Quetta; United States Army Command and General Staff College;
Military service
Allegiance	British India; (1942-47); Pakistan; (1947-71)
Branch/service	British Indian Army; Pakistan Army
Years of service	1942–1971
Rank	Major General
Unit	Regiment of Artillery
Commands	14 Infantry Division (East Pakistan)
Battles/wars	World War II Burma campaign; ; Indo-Pakistani War of 1947; Indo-Pakistani War of 1965; Indo-Pakistani War of 1971;

Khadim Hussain Raja (Urdu: خادم حسین راجہ; 23 November 1922 – 9 December 1999) was a Pakistani military officer and author. He is largely known for his role in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and was in charge of planning Operation Searchlight. He was the general officer commanding of the 14th Division during the war.

Early life

Raja was born on 23 November 1922 in Haranpur, Jhelum District to an agriculturist family.^[1]

Education

He received his education from Central Model High School in Lahore and graduated with Honours in English from Government College University, Lahore.^[2]

Military career

Commission

He joined the British Indian Army in 1942 and received the King's Commission from the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun.

World War II deployment

He served in an infantry battalion^{[citation needed]} in the Burma campaign of World War II until the end of the war.

Pakistan Army

After the Partition of British India in 1947, he opted to join the Pakistan Army. He volunteered in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-1948 where he saw action in Kashmir.

Military education

He graduated from the Staff College, Quetta and afterward from the United States Army Command and General Staff College.

Commands

He commanded the 1st Pakistani Battalion (Quaid-i-Azam's own) at the Pakistan Military Academy.

1971 War

He was in charge of planning the military operation known as Operation Searchlight which was executed on 25 March 1971. Other generals were present in Dhaka along with Yahya Khan, who secretly departed on the evening of that day after setting the deadline for the military action. Lt Gen Tikka Khan, Maj Gen Rao Farman Ali and Maj Gen Khadim Hussain Raja were associated with the planning of the military action.

Army retirement

On 11 April 1971, he was relieved of his duties as General Officer Commanding of 14th Division.^[3] He later retired the same year after serving as DG Artillery.

Later career

In 1972 he was appointed to Army Welfare Trust and became its first managing director. He held the position for five years before he eventually retired and became Ambassador of Pakistan to Mozambique also accredited to Angola, Swaziland, and Lesotho.

Death

Raja died on 9 December 1999 in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Posthumous book release

Before his death, he authored a book and instructed his family to not publish it until after he died. The book was later released 13 years after his death.^{[citation needed]}

The book detailed their actions in the early hours of 26 March 1971 known as Operation Searchlight.^[4] He wrote a book, A Stranger in My Own Country: East Pakistan, 1969-71 (Oxford University Press, 2012), in which he revealed secrets about the nine-month liberation war of Bangladesh.^[5]

The Mukti Bahini's (under M. A. G. Osmani) initial success in capturing a portable radio-transmitter near Rangamati was short-lived due to Raja's accidental discovery of the transmitter—he had authorised a search for it, and directed it from his personal helicopter through radio-contact when it was fired-upon.^{[citation needed]}

Awards and decorations

Sitara-e-Quaid-e-Azam (SQA)		Sitara-e-Khidmat (SK)
Tamgha-e-Diffa (General Service Medal) 1. 1965 War Clasp 2. 1971 War Clasp	Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War (War Medal 1965)	Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War (War Medal 1971)	Pakistan Tamgha (Pakistan Medal) 1947
Tamgha-e-Jamhuria (Republic Commemoration Medal) 1956	Burma Star	War Medal 1939-1945	Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (1953)

Foreign decorations

Foreign Awards
UK	Burma Star
	War Medal 1939-1945
	Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal

References

^ ^a ^b Major General Retd. Khadim Hussain Raja (2012). A Stranger In My Own Country, (East Pakistan 1969-1971) By: Major General (Retd.) Khadim Hussain Raja.
^ "Obituary - Late Gen Khadim Hussain Raja". Archived from the original on 4 October 2012.
^ "'Genetic engineering' in East Pakistan". The Express Tribune. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
^ Mitha, Aboobaker Osman (2003). Unlikely beginnings: a soldier's life. Oxford University Press. p. 333. ISBN 9780195794137.
^ "'Genetic engineering' in East Pakistan". The Express Tribune. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2012.

External links

[Khadim-1] Major General Retd. Khadim Hussain Raja (2012). A Stranger In My Own Country, (East Pakistan 1969-1971) By: Major General (Retd.) Khadim Hussain Raja.

[2] "Obituary - Late Gen Khadim Hussain Raja". Archived from the original on 4 October 2012.

[3] "'Genetic engineering' in East Pakistan". The Express Tribune. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2023.

[4] Mitha, Aboobaker Osman (2003). Unlikely beginnings: a soldier's life. Oxford University Press. p. 333. ISBN 9780195794137.

[5] "'Genetic engineering' in East Pakistan". The Express Tribune. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2012.

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