Text of The Instrument
The text of the surrender is now a public property of Pakistan and Indian governments and the text of the document can be seen on display in the National Museum in Delhi (as of January 2012). The text of the Instrument of Surrender document was as follows:
The Pakistan Eastern Military High Command agree to surrender all Pakistan Armed Forces in East Pakistan to Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora— General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Army and the Mukti Bahini in Eastern Pakistan. This surrender includes all Pakistan land, Air Force and Naval forces as also all equipment, property paramilitary forces and civilians armed forces to the Indian Army. These forces will lay down their arms and surrender everything at the places where they are currently located to the nearest regular troops under the command of Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora.
The Pakistan Eastern High Command shall come under the orders of Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora as soon as this instrument has been signed. Disobedience of orders will be regarded as a breach of the surrender terms and will be dealt with in accordance with the accepted laws and usages of war. The decision of Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora will be final, should any doubt arise as to the meaning or interpretation of the surrender terms.
Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora gives a solemn assurance that personnel who surrender will be treated with dignity and respect that soldiers are entitled to in accordance with the provisions of the Geneva Conventions and guarantees the safety and well-being of all Pakistan military and paramilitary forces who surrender. Protection will be provided to foreign nationals, ethnic minorities and personnel of Pakistan origin by the forces under the command of Lieutenant-General Jagjit Singh Aurora.
Signed at Ramna Course in Dacca, East-Pakistan at 1701Hrs (6:01pm PST) on the Sixteenth day of December, 1971, by J.S. Aurora (India and East Pakistan) and A.A.K. Niazi (Pakistan) on behalf of Republic of India and State of Pakistan, in the interests of succession of East Pakistan, at war with Pakistan.
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