Muhammad Aslam Khan[a] (27 August 1918 – 12 October 1994) better known as Colonel Pasha, The Legend of Baltistan, and Laji, was a former one-star rank Pakistan Army officer, businessman, and founder of the Shangrila Resort.

Notably, as the leader of 'D' Company, he led his troops during World War II in capturing Kennedy Peak (Myanmar), which the Americans had failed to conquer.

Stripped of his rank in the Pakistan Army with a promise of reinstatement upon success, Aslam joined the Pashtun tribal invasion led by Khurshid Anwar, becoming second-in-command.

Adopting the alias "Colonel Pasha", he arrived in Gilgit on 30 November with his brother, Major Anwar Khan, and Captain Azmat Ali.

Despite initial challenges, Pasha secured Major Ehsan Ali’s support and returned to GHQ on 3 December to request additional resources, receiving only four thousand rupees.

Pasha's strategy to advance towards Kargil, Dras, and Zojila was pivotal in countering enemy reinforcements and maintaining offensive actions in Ladakh.

With the Zojila Pass cut off, India's link with Leh was severed and the entire Ladakh Wazarat fell into the hands of Aslam and his men.

[5][6] In the 1970s, Aslam Khan, now a timber businessman, was paraded in handcuffs in the streets of Muzaffarabad, falsely accused of theft and later imprisoned in a remote place in Gilgit Agency.

The ordeal was orchestrated by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who thought Aslam was financing Asghar Khan's politics.

Facing resistance from Dogra warlords, Gulab Singh sought help from his Afridi ally, Sardar Samad Khan.

In 1855, Sardar Samad Khan moved from Tirah Valley and eventually settled in Battal-Ballian, near Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir, where he lived until his death in 1900.

His leadership was particularly noted for fostering camaraderie within the first Kashmir Regiment, which, under his guidance, constructed a hockey ground at Bunji, about 25 km from Gilgit on a steep hillside, showcasing their dedication.

On 5 November, Mohammad Aslam Khan led his coy forward to 200 yards from the top of the hill and was preparing to charge when he received orders to retire to allow an air strike to go in.

[5] When Gilgit Baltistan’s provisional government sought to join Pakistan in 1947, Aslam was selected for a critical mission: to defend and expand the newly acquired territories.

As more Indian troops were flown in daily, they eventually counterattacked and pushed the tribal forces back beyond Uri by 7 November, securing the Kashmir Valley.

[22] The Muslim troops from the Bunji garrison, led by Mirza Hassan Khan, joined the rebellion, resulting in the elimination of non-Muslim personnel.

[5] Aslam Khan told journalist Smith, who reported in the London Daily Express on 10 November, "you can describe me as a deserter from the Pakistan Army.

Despite challenges, such as the reluctance of Lieutenant Colonel Abdul Majeed Khan to cooperate, Major Ehsan Ali quickly aligned with Pasha’s objectives.

These soldiers, led by Lieutenant Shah Khan, slept on the 12,000 feet high snowy Deosai Mountains and launched surprise attacks on enemy Indian positions and captured vital supplies such as food, clothing, and weapons.

For instance, when the Ibex Force was stalled at Skardu, Pasha moved his headquarters to Chilam and continued training his troops in the surrounding snowfields.

[5] Following Colonel Mirza Hassan Khan's successful control of the Gurez-Astor route and positioning at Tragbal Pass, the next critical objective was to advance towards Kargil, Dras, and Zojila.

To this end, Colonel Pasha instructed Major Ehsan Ali to swiftly capture Skardu and push forward along the Indus Valley route towards Parkuta, Kharmong, and Ladakh.

When Major Ehsan encountered difficulties in Skardu, Colonel Pasha dispatched the Eskimo Force to Kargil and Zojila to continue the mission.

Although the main headquarters could not be occupied due to Indian air superiority, Pasha's forces surrounded the capital and advanced southward to Padam, approaching Jammu.

However, General Douglas Gracey, the C-in-C of the Pakistan Army, was "bewildered" and decided against further territorial gains, leading to Pasha’s recall in July 1948.

Throughout, he displayed initiative, leadership and personal gallantry of a high order.”His father, Brigadier Rehmatullah Khan, was imprisoned in Kashmir under suspicion of being an "enemy agent.

[25] On 15 September 1949, Lt Col Aslam Khan succeeded James Wilson as Private Secretary to General Douglas Gracey, the C-in-C of the Pakistan Army.

[26] R. C. Majumdar recalls that in the fall of 1957, the Pakistan army was deployed in Operation "Close Door" to combat smuggling, with civil magistrates trying the offenders.