Gohar says his father and then military ruler, Mohammed Ayub Khan, sent the commandos into India only after being fed apparently "doctored reports" that the valley's Kashmiri population was ready to revolt against "Indian occupation".

But this never happened, and the commandos ended up getting trapped in the region after the Indian Army cut off their escape routes, leading Islamabad to broaden the war front, Gohar, who is writing his autobiography, told The News in an interview.

Gohar said Ayub Khan was misled by "doctored" reports of Kashmiri leaders from across the border that painted "a rosy picture that the entire population of the valley was ready to fight Indian forces and (that the Pakistanis) would help the commandos occupy territory if they were given weapons".