Lt. Gen. Niazi of Pakistan Army signing the surrender instrument in Dhaka on December 16, 1971. The surrender was made to Lt. Gen. Aurora, GOC-in-C, Eastern Command. Vice Admiral N. Krishnan, Air Marshal H.C. Dewan, Lt. Gen. Sagat Singh, Maj. Gen. J.F.R. Jacob are also seen in the picture.
Text of the Instrument
The Pakistan Eastern Military High Command agree to surrender all Pakistan Armed Forces in East Pakistan to Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora— General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Army and the Mukti Bahiniin Bangladesh erstwhile Eastern Pakistan. This surrender includes all Pakistan land, Air Force and Naval forces as also all equipment, property paramilitary forces and civilians armed forces. These forces will lay down their arms and surrender everything at the places where they are currently located to the nearest regular troops under the command of Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora.
The Pakistan Eastern High Command shall come under the orders of Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora as soon as this instrument has been signed. Disobedience of orders will be regarded as a breach of the surrender terms and will be dealt with in accordance with the accepted laws and usages of war. The decision of Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora will be final, should any doubt arise as to the meaning or interpretation of the surrender terms.
Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora gives a solemn assurance that personnel who surrender will be treated with dignity and respect that soldiers are entitled to in accordance with the provisions of the Geneva Conventionsand guarantees the safety and well-being of all Pakistan military and paramilitary forces who surrender. Protection will be provided to foreign nationals, ethnic minorities and personnel of Pakistan origin by the forces under the command of Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora.
Signed at Ramna Course in Dacca, Bangladesh erstwhile East-Pakistan at 1701Hrs (6:01pm PST) on the Sixteenth day of December, 1971, by J.S. Aurora (Commander, Joint Command of India and Bangladesh forces) and A.A.K. Niazi (Pakistan) on behalf of Commander, Eastern Command, Pakistan.
Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora
Commander of Joint Command of Indian Army (Indian Eastern Command) and Mukti Bahini (Liberation Forces of Bangladesh) in the Eastern Theater.
Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi
Unified Commander of Pakistan Eastern High Command
Vice-Admiral Mohammad Shariff
Commander of Pakistan Eastern Naval Command.
Vice Admiral R.N. Krishna
Commander, Eastern Navy Command
Air Vice Marshal Patrick D. Callaghan
Commander of Eastern Air Force Command, Pakistan Air Force
Lieutenant-General Jacob Farj Rafael Jacob
Chief of Staff, Indian Eastern Command
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