India-Pakistan War 1971: The nation is celebrating the 54th Vijay Diwas today. Vijay Diwas marks the historic victory of the Indian Army in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. While the 1971 Indo-Pak war itself is a story of sacrifice and courage, it also carries some lesser-known stories. One such automotive-related story involves a Mercedes car used by the then East Pakistani army General AAK Niazi. The car was taken by the Indian Army as a famous War Trophy. Let's take a look.
General A.A.K Niazi’s Mercedes-Benz
General A.A.K Niazi was the East Pakistani Army’s commander at the time of the 1971 Indo-Pak war. A Mercedes-Benz car was used by General Niazi as his official staff vehicle. It is the same car that was used by Niazi to receive the General Office Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian army’s eastern command, JS Aurora, at the Dhaka airport, before the historic surrender of the Pakistani army in 1971. After the surrender, the Mercedes-Benz car became a famous War Trophy for the Indian Army, and it was driven to Kolkata, where it was kept as a symbol of victory.
Indian Army’s War Trophy Went Missing
The Indian Army’s famous Mercedes-Benz war trophy was kept at Eastern Command House, Fort William, in Kolkata. The Mercedes-Benz car was also showcased on display at some events. However, as per a report by the Times of India dating back to 2010, the war trophy of the Indian Army went missing. Senior Army officials, at that time, were unaware whether the car was scrapped and sent to Panagarh depot in Burdwan for disposal. The Mercedes-Benz, once used by Pakistan’s General A.A.K Niazi, and the famous War Trophy of the Indian Army, is still missing.