1. 08 May, 2011
Brigadier Sikandar Ahmad-1 FF Regiment
It is not necessary that we have to discuss Napoleons and Guderians here on military history forums.
We can discuss potential Napoleon also.
It was August or September 1984 when I met then Major Sikandar Ahmad , then serving in 1 FF. Sikandar was an
exceptional man intellectually ! A rare find ! His sense of humour was also historic and most unorthodox ! When his
brigade commander one Syed Tanvir Hussain Naqvi visited him in the combined military hospital Kharian camtonment
Sikandar who had a foot in plaster (a basket ball injury) when asked by Naqvi " Oh you can walk " retorted , I can
hop also !
Sikandar had been commissioned in 1 FF and got in trouble with Colonel Shahid Jan in 1971 , went on adverse to 20
FF and went on adverse again back to 1 FF in 1984 !
It turned out that Major Sikandar Ahmad belonged to an extremely educated and outstanding family and younger
brother of one Akbar.S.Ahmad a CSP who was then commissioner of Sibi .
Sikandar as all brilliant and outspken men was in clash with authority , having inspired jealousy of smaller men who
had higher ranks ! But as they say it the habit of stray village dogs to bark at eminent men !
Although I was a history enthusiast Sikandar played a role in polishing it by his analysis of history from a high vantage
point , seeing the larger picture and guiding me how to do it !
He taught me how to write redress of grievances against your military superiors as per instructions given in Army
regulations 193 and 194 originally conceived by the British and one of their greatest contributions to the military law.
With Sikandars guidance I became an expert in writing redress of grievances and in military law and helped many
juniour officers in fighting and sometimes playing hell with careers of their intellectually dishonest commanding
officers !
It is sad that while the Indian Army gave their officers basic rights in pakistan the army has laws of stone age !
We met again in Multan in 1985-86.
2. In 1987 or 1988 Sikandar was miraculously promoted to be a colonel. Miraculously I say because men of his very high
calibre have no place in armies which in reality are citadels of mediocrity !
Sikandar was a chronic bachelor but suddenly he got married in 1988 or so ! He was on his honey moon and stayed at
my fathers annexe in cavalry ground Lahore.
Major General Hameed Gul who initially was not in favour of Sikandar realised that Sikandar was an exceptionally
talented man and I believe Sikandar did extremely well in the ISI under Gul.
I managed to visit Sikandar many times in the desert in tamewali when he was commanding his parent 1 FF
regiment.We sat next to fire lit in the open and chatted.
This was 1988 or so .
I last talked with him in 1993 or so when I was commanding an independent squadron at Okara and he commanding
an infantry brigade at Pano Aqil.He had been selected for the war course but the lesser souls with lesser intellects
again conspired against him ! Sikandar did not have that shameless obsequeousness which you find in most officers.
I last met him in 2000 when he had retired .I wanted to present him my book but a major general expressed
immense interest in it and i gave it to him ! I thought that I would give Sikandar another copy ! But then we lost
contact !
I dont know where he is now ! In retrospect I can say that more harm on the pakistani state and army has been
inflicted by its third rate senior officials than any enemy could do !
It was with this background in mind that I thus wrote in my article published in the command and staff college
Quettas Citadel Journal; " many military systems that this world saw were a conspiracy against originality and
boldness" !
