This is the name of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the father of Pakistan. This is the most important and highest post in the area. From the top you can see 80 km around. You can see the entire Saltoro range, all the other posts like the Amar and Sonam Posts which can only be supplied by choppers.

If you control this post, you can prevent the supply of these posts located on the Saltoro range. That is why it had such an importance for Pakistan and why they named it after Jinnah.

My commanding officer therefore had to prepare a secret plan to recapture the post, since otherwise we would not be able to hold the other posts in the area.

How did the Pakistanis capture the post?

I do not know. It must have been captured long ago. The Pakistanis started occupying the glacier in 1984. When I arrived in 1987, it was already occupied.

How many people were killed on May 29, 1987?

Lieutenant Pande, a JCO (joint commissioned officer) and 8 jawans. Total 10 people, three survived.

What was then decided by your CO and the army HQ in Delhi?

Before Lieutenant Pande's reconnaissance patrol, a very secret operation had been planned. We had to find the different accesses and the one which would be the easiest to get to the post.

The first patrol was sent for this purpose. With this information, my CO and the army commander were able to decide the next step.

When was the second patrol sent?

It was not a patrol. They were troops sent for fighting purposes, to capture the post. It was in June.

How was the approach route to the post at 21,000 feet?

There was a 90 degree climb for a distance of 1,500 metres, and ice walls. Lieutenant Pande had managed to fix ropes, but due to heavy snowfall, the ropes were lost when the troops tried to reach the post in June. Ropes had to be fixed again.

In the meantime, to divert the attention of the Pakistanis, Indian troops had been firing at the post. There was no artillery fire, only machine guns. It is only when the attack began that artillery was used from the base camp.

Was artillery not dangerous for the climbing troops?

It was at the beginning. We were climbing from the other side when the post was fired at.

Tell us about your operation, which was the third attempt to capture the post?

A total of 62 people participated in the final operation. Two officers, 3 JCOs and 57 jawans were selected.

The operation was conducted in three phases on June 23, June 25 and June 26, 1987.

A first platoon was sent under Major Varinder Singh on the 23rd, but unfortunately they had to come back. Two soldiers were killed.

The second platoon led by Subedar Harnam Singh with 10 jawans made an attempt on June 25. At that time, there was no problem with the ropes, but due to some communication gap with us, the mission had to be aborted.

The next day, on the 26th, I started early and was told that we would try another attack and capture the post from the enemy today itself. A message was passed from the major general, who was the task force commander, and we got the green light.

All the 62 were volunteers?

We had been selected by our CO.

Could you refuse to go?

Yes, of course! But we all said that we were ready.

Image: An Indian army team heads for the world's highest battlefield
Photograph, courtesy Colonel Ashok Choudhary

Also see: The soldier who became a legend

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