Harking back: The lost Lahori who found his ancestor’s ‘roots’

One of Lahore’s finest and most-loved police officers, DIG Lonsdale Niblett, passed away in Springfield, Virginia, USA, last Sunday, June 9, 2019.

His legendary motorcycle on The Mall of Lahore sent shivers among those who knew him, yet trusted him for his fair play and discipline.

DIG Niblett will be buried today (Saturday) at Mount Comfort Cemetery, Alexandria, Virginia, USA, bringing an end to the life and times of Lahore’s undoubted legendary policeman. He died aged 93 of pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). On his deathbed, he asked his son, Larry, that when he next went to Lahore, salute it from him. Like in life, his death ended with a legendary request.

Lonsdale Niblett was born on April 4, 1926 in Lucknow. He joined the Royal Indian Air Force at the age of 19 in 1945 and was sent to the Police Academy at Vellore in Tamil Nadu for a year-long training. By 1946, the Royal Indian Air Force decided to move out and Niblett opted for the Punjab Police. He joined at Lahore and was at Amritsar in 1947 to control the killings.

In August 1947, he opted for Pakistan and barely managed to make it back after getting a ride in a Civil & Military Gazette delivery van. He said he never regretted his decision even though the British colonial authorities had given him a choice of going to England or Australia to join their police forces.

In Lahore, Niblett quickly made a name for himself as a strict traffic sergeant. His huge motorcycle became legendary just like himself and instilled fear on sight. He was posted to Sargodha, Hyderabad and then to Karachi on deputation, only to return to Lahore after three years. Here he rose in rank and stature, building a reputation as an honest, fair and strict police officer. Once he stopped the inspector general of police (IGP) for running a red light. His subordinates held him in awe and respect. Once his driver went on two weeks leave not telling him of his son’s wedding. Niblett took leave for a day, drove to his village in his private car and gave him Rs5,000 in an envelope, in the process scolding him with a friendly slap for not informing him of the wedding. “Now buy all your colleagues in Lahore mithai,” he ordered.

Niblett rose to the rank of the superintendent police (SP) and during the Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) agitation, he single-handedly stopped a massive mob attacking Governor’s House in Lahore after his police force fled in fear. His single pistol shot, followed by several in the front wall sent the mobsters running in panic. Afterwards, he collected his men and made them stand for an hour. When asked why he did not shoot straight, he reportedly said: “Meray bachay hain sab”.

All the VIPs who came to Lahore sought Niblett’s security, including Queen Elizabeth and Jacqueline Kennedy. He was so fearless that he arrested the much-feared Shahyia Badmash and his sons by walking into his house and politely and firmly calling them to the police station. As politicians rang him, he threatened to arrest them too. That sent a wave of terror among many in Lahore and Punjab.

Niblett was soon promoted to the rank of the deputy inspector general (DIG) of Lahore police and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto recommended him for the Pride of Performance. But by then, Gen Ziaul Haq had taken over and refused to decorate him. The general also refused to make him the IG Punjab, even though Governor Ghulam Jilani had personally approved his elevation. But he accepted all these slights with immense grace.

Lonsdale Niblett retired from the police in April 1988 and immediately Gen Jilani appointed him to build the Doon School outside Lahore. He used to say: “Opening a school is the greatest gift I have participated in”. He retired in 1994 and the following year left for the USA to join his son, Larry Niblett, and his family. Journalists on the airport beat used to say that Gen Zia had secretly feared this honest officer. That he was repeatedly wronged goes without saying. His response was honesty, silence and firm politeness.

News desk adds: In an online interview posted by Fred Deatker, Niblett said he left school in 1942 and in 1943, he joined the Royal Indian Air Force at the age of 17. He left the air force after being selected for police where he got the rank of sergeant. He finished one-year training in police school in 1946.

Niblett had a vivid memory of the riots that ensued the plan of partition of India. When the riots started, he was posted in Lahore but went to Armitsar on an official duty. He remembers the killing in Amritsar and the dead bodies, including those lying in the Golden Temple. He said he saw thousands of dead bodies later on with the victims, including children, women and the elderly. He remembers a caravan of about hundred thousand Muslims that was attacked by about 40 horsemen. He said the British army that was still in India but its officers was not allowed to interfere in the killing.

Niblett’s uncle, who was a DSP, and two sisters were in Lahore which made him opt for Pakistan after the Partition.

In 1976, he came an SP and was sent to Japan for training. While he was still training, he was promoted to the rank of the DIG.