1971 Indian Airlines hijacking

(Redirected from Indian Airlines Fokker Friendship aircraft Ganga) Aviation incident

1971 Indian Airlines hijacking
Hijacking
The destroyed aircraft at Lahore Airport
Date	30 January 1971
Summary	Aircraft hijacking
Site	Lahore Airport, Pakistan 31°31′17″N 74°24′12″E / 31.52139°N 74.40333°E / 31.52139; 74.40333
Aircraft type	Fokker F-27 Friendship 100
Aircraft name	Ganga
Operator	Indian Airlines
Registration	VT-DMA
Flight origin	Srinagar Airport
Destination	Satwari Airport
Occupants	32
Passengers	29
Crew	3
Fatalities	0
Survivors	32

On 30 January 1971, an Indian Airlines domestic Fokker F27, also named "Ganga", flying from Srinagar Airport to the Jammu-Satwari Airport, was hijacked by two Kashmiri separatists belonging to the National Liberation Front (NLF, the antecedent of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front). The hijackers were Hashim Qureshi and his cousin Ashraf Qureshi. The aircraft was flown to Lahore Airport in Pakistan where the passengers and the crew were released and the aircraft was burnt down.

Ganga was one of the oldest aircraft in the Indian Airlines fleet and was already withdrawn from service but was re-inducted days before the hijacking.

India retaliated to the hijacking and subsequent burning by banning overflights of Pakistani aircraft over Indian territory. The ban, occurring in the run-up to the December 1971 war between the countries, had a significant impact on troop movement into the erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. Pakistan reacted by charging the hijackers and other NLF militants with conspiracy. The crackdown severely weakened militant organisation. Subsequently, the leader of the movement, Amanullah Khan, moved to Britain, where he established a new organisation called the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front.

Planning

Hashim Qureshi, a Srinagar resident who went to Peshawar on family business in 1969, met Maqbool Bhat of the National Liberation Front (NLF), a self-declared 'armed wing' of the Azad Kashmir Plebiscite Front. Qureshi was persuaded to join the NLF and given an ideological education and lessons in guerrilla tactics in Rawalpindi. In order to draw the world's attention to the Kashmiri independence movement, the NLF planned an airline hijacking fashioned after the Dawson's Field hijackings by the Palestinian militants. Hashim Qureshi, along with his cousin Ashraf Qureshi, was ordered to execute one. A former Pakistani air force pilot Jamshed Manto trained him for the task. However, Qureshi was arrested by the Indian Border Security Force when he tried to reenter Kashmir, India with arms and equipment. He negotiated his way out by claiming to help find other conspirators that were allegedly in the Indian territory, and sought an appointment in the Border Security Force to provide such help. Maqbool Bhat sent replacement equipment for the hijacking, but it fell into the hands of a double agent, who then turned it over to the Indian authorities. Undeterred, the Qureshis made look-alike explosives out of wood and hijacked an Indian Airlines aircraft called Ganga on 30 January 1971.

Burning

The hijackers landed the aircraft at Lahore and demanded the release of 36 NLF prisoners lodged in Indian jails. However, they succumbed to pressure from the airport authorities and ended up releasing all the passengers and the crew. Years later, Ashraf Qureshi admitted that they were naive and didn't realise that "the passengers were more important than the actual aircraft." Pakistani Minister Zulfikar Bhutto showed up at the airport and paid a handsome tribute to the hijackers. Indian Government then refused to carry out the demands. The aircraft lay on the tarmac for eighty hours, during which the Pakistani security personnel thoroughly searched the aircraft and removed papers and postal bags they found in it. Eventually, upon the advice of the authorities, Hashim Qureshi burnt the aircraft.

Crackdown

For some time, the Qureshis were lauded as heroes. After India reacted by banning overflight of Pakistani aircraft over India, the Pakistani authorities claimed that the hijack was staged by India, and arrested the hijackers and all their collaborators. A one-man investigation committee headed by Justice Noorul Arifeen declared the hijacking to be an Indian conspiracy, citing Qureshi's appointment in the Border Security Force. In addition to the hijackers, Maqbool Bhat and 150 other NLF fighters were arrested. Seven people were eventually brought to trial (the rest being held without charges). The High Court acquitted all of them of treason charges. Hashim Qureshi alone was convicted of terrorism and sentenced to seven years in prison. Ashraf Qureshi was released even though he was an equal participant in the hijacking. Zulfikar Bhutto, by then the President of Pakistan, reportedly declared that he would convict one hijacker but release the other.

Amanullah Khan, the leader of the Plebiscite Front, was also imprisoned for 15 months in a Gilgit prison during 1970–72, accused of being an Indian agent. He was released after protests broke out in Gilgit. Thirteen of his colleagues were sentenced to 14 years in prison, but released after a year. According to Hashim Qureshi, 400 activists of the Plebiscite Front and NLF were arrested in Pakistan after the Ganga hijacking. Abdul Khaliq Ansari, who was arrested and tortured, testified in the High Court that the Ganga hijacking had emboldened the people to question the corrupt practices of Azad Kashmiri leaders and, in reaction, the government arrested them and forced them to confess to being Indian agents.

To escape the close surveillance and pressure from the Pakistan government, Amanullah Khan and Abdul Khaliq Ansari moved to the UK, where they found active support from the Mirpuri diaspora. Khan converted the UK branch of the Plebiscite Front into a new organisation Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, which eventually spearheaded the Kashmir insurgency in the 1980s.

In popular media

A movie titled IB71, starring Vidyut Jammwal, was released in May 2023, which is based on this hijacking.

References

"Who was behind hijacking of IA plane 'Ganga'?". Fouq Library. Archived from the original on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
^ Athale, Colonel (Dr ) Anil (retd) (2 June 2005). "The Rediff Special: Did India plant 1965 war plans?". Rediff. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
"Hijack into terror". The Times of India. 6 October 2001. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
^ Swami, India, Pakistan and the Secret Jihad 2007, pp. 112–113.
Jamal, Shadow War 2009, p. 92-93.
Jamal, Shadow War 2009, p. 94-95.
Jamal, Shadow War 2009, p. 96-97.
In Amanullah Khan's death Kashmiri separatism lost its champion Archived 1 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Catch News, 27 April 2016.
Abdul Khaliq Ansari passes away Archived 15 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Greater Kashmir, 17 June 2013.
Statement of Advocate Abdul Khaliq Ansari before ‘Azad Kashmir” High Court in 1971 Archived 15 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Jammu Kashmir Democratic Liberation Party, 8 June 2015.
Sökefeld & Bolognani, Kashmiris in Britain 2011, p. 118.
"What is the true story behind the IB 71 movie, based on the 1971 India-Pak war?". Jagranjosh.com. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
"IB71 true story: What inspired the plot of Vidyut Jammwal's film". Lifestyle Asia Hong Kong. Retrieved 24 April 2024.

Bibliography

Jamal, Arif (2009), Shadow War: The Untold Story of Jihad in Kashmir, Melville House, ISBN 978-1-933633-59-6
Sökefeld, Martin; Bolognani, Marta (2011), ""Kashmiris in Britain: A political project or a social reality", in Bolognani, Marta; Lyon, Stephen M. (eds.), Pakistan and Its Diaspora: Multidisciplinary Approaches, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 111–134, ISBN 978-0230119079
Swami, Praveen (2007), India, Pakistan and the Secret Jihad: The covert war in Kashmir, 1947-2004, Asian Security Studies, Routledge, ISBN 978-0-415-40459-4

External links

Hijacking description at the Aviation Safety Network

v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in 1971 (1971)
Jan 7 B-52C Lake Michigan crashJan 18 Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 130Jan 22 Surgut Aeroflot Antonov An-12 crashJan 30 Indian Airlines hijackingJan 31 Surgut Aeroflot Antonov An-12 crashMar 31 Aeroflot Flight 1969May 23 Aviogenex Flight 130May 28 Colorado Aviation Aero Commander 680Jun 6 Hughes Airwest Flight 706Jun 7 Allegheny Airlines Flight 485Jul 3 Toa Domestic Airlines Flight 63Jul 25 Aeroflot Flight 1912Jul 30 All Nippon Airways Flight 58Jul 30 Pan Am Flight 845Aug 28 Malév Flight 731Sep 4 Alaska Airlines Flight 1866Sep 6 Paninternational Flight 112Sep 13 Lin Biao incidentSep 16 Malév Flight 110Oct 2 British European Airways Flight 706Oct 10 Aeroflot Flight 773Nov 9 Aeroflot Flight N-63Nov 9 Livorno RAF Hercules crashNov 10 Indian Ocean Vickers Viscount crashNov 20 China Airlines Flight 825Nov 24 D. B. Cooper hijackingDec 1 Aeroflot Flight 2174Dec 2 Pakistan International Airlines Flight 712Dec 24 LANSA Flight 508
1970 ◄ ► 1972

Aviation accidents and incidents in 1971 (1971)

Jan 7 B-52C Lake Michigan crashJan 18 Balkan Bulgarian Airlines Flight 130Jan 22 Surgut Aeroflot Antonov An-12 crashJan 30 Indian Airlines hijackingJan 31 Surgut Aeroflot Antonov An-12 crashMar 31 Aeroflot Flight 1969May 23 Aviogenex Flight 130May 28 Colorado Aviation Aero Commander 680Jun 6 Hughes Airwest Flight 706Jun 7 Allegheny Airlines Flight 485Jul 3 Toa Domestic Airlines Flight 63Jul 25 Aeroflot Flight 1912Jul 30 All Nippon Airways Flight 58Jul 30 Pan Am Flight 845Aug 28 Malév Flight 731Sep 4 Alaska Airlines Flight 1866Sep 6 Paninternational Flight 112Sep 13 Lin Biao incidentSep 16 Malév Flight 110Oct 2 British European Airways Flight 706Oct 10 Aeroflot Flight 773Nov 9 Aeroflot Flight N-63Nov 9 Livorno RAF Hercules crashNov 10 Indian Ocean Vickers Viscount crashNov 20 China Airlines Flight 825Nov 24 D. B. Cooper hijackingDec 1 Aeroflot Flight 2174Dec 2 Pakistan International Airlines Flight 712Dec 24 LANSA Flight 508

1970 ◄ ► 1972

v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in India
1950s	BOAC Flight 783 (May 1953) Dan-Air Avro York crash (May 1958)
1960s	Alitalia Flight 771 (July 1962) United Arab Airlines Flight 869 (July 1963) Poonch IAF helicopter crash (July 1963) Gujarat Beechcraft incident (September 1965) Indian Air Force An-32 crash (February 1968) Garuda Indonesian Airways Flight 892 (May 1968)
1970s	Indian Airlines hijacking (January 1971) Japan Air Lines Flight 471 (June 1972) Japan Air Lines Flight 472 (September 1972) Indian Airlines Flight 440 (May 1973) Nepal plane hijack (June 1973) Indian Airlines Flight 171 (January 1976) Air India Flight 855 (January 1978) Indian Airlines Flight 403 (December 1978) Indian Airlines Flight 410 (December 1978)
1980s	Indian Airlines Flight 423 (September 1981) Air India Flight 403 (June 1982) Indian Airlines Flight 405 (July 1984) Indian Airlines Flight 421 (August 1984) Indian Air Force An-32 disappearance (March 1986) Pan Am Flight 73 (September 1986) Indian Airlines Flight 113 (October 1988) Indian Airlines Flight 605 (February 1990)
1990s	Indian Airlines Flight 257 (August 1991) Indian Airlines Flight 427 (April 1993) Indian Airlines Flight 491 (April 1993) Indira Gandhi Airport collision (March 1994) Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision (November 1996) Indian Airlines Flight 503 (July 1998) Pakistan Breguet 1150 Atlantic shootdown (August 1999) Indian Airlines Flight 814 (December 1999) Alliance Air Flight 7412 (July 2000)
2000s	Jalandhar MiG-21 crash (May 2002) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister helicopter crash (September 2009) Air India Express Flight 812 (May 2010)
2010s	Pawan Hans Mi-17 crash (April 2011) Indian Air Force An-32 crash (July 2016) UY Aviation King Air C90 crash (June 2018) Air India Express Flight 611 (October 2018) Indian Air Force An-32 crash (June 2019)
2020s	Air India Express Flight 1344 (August 2020) Indian Air Force Mil Mi-17 crash December 2021) Chetak Helicopter Crash at INS Garuda (November 2023)

v t e Aviation accidents and incidents in Pakistan
1940s– 1970s	Korangi Creek Douglas DC-3 crash (December 1947) Pakistan International Airlines Flight 17 (February 1966)*()** Indian Airlines hijacking (January 1971) Pakistan International Airlines Flight 631 (December 1972)
1980s	Pakistan International Airlines Flight 326 (March 1981) Indian Airlines Flight 405 (July 1984) Indian Airlines Flight 421 (August 1984) Pan Am Flight 73 (September 1986) Death of President Zia (August 1988) Pakistan International Airlines Flight 404 (August 1989)
1990s	Pakistan International Airlines Flight 544 (May 1998) Pakistan Navy Breguet 1150 Atlantic shootdown (August 1999)
2000s	Pakistan International Airlines Flight 688 (July 2006) Pakistan Army Mil Mi-17 crash (July 2009)
2010s	Airblue Flight 202 (July 2010) JS Air Flight 201 (November 2010) Sun Way Flight 4412 (November 2010) Bhoja Air Flight 213 (April 2012) Pakistan Army Mil Mi-17 crash (May 2015) Pakistan International Airlines Flight 661 (December 2016)
2020s	Pakistan International Airlines Flight 8303 (May 2020) Pakistan Army helicopter incident (August 2022) Mari Petroleum Mil Mi-8 crash (September 2024)
*()** in East Pakistan, now the independent country of Bangladesh

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Air India	Korangi Creek (1947) Flight 245 (1950) Flight 300 (1955) Flight 101 (1966) Flight 855 (1978) Flight 232 (1981) Flight 403 (1982) Flight 182 (1985) Flight 301 (1985) Flight 112 (1986)
Air India Express	Flight 812 (2010) Flight 611 (2018) Flight 1344 (2020)
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