According to recently released de-classified documents, the Karachi-born spiritual leader of the world’s Shia Ismaili Muslims had pledged to raise an army of 30,000 Arab troops to back a Nazi occupation of Egypt, Syria and Palestine almost 60 years back. But despite evidence, Britain had to abandon a plan to charge Sultan Muhammad Shah alias Aga Khan III with treason fearing the move would anger Muslims across the world, the Daily Mail reported on Sunday.

According to the documents, in a 1942 memo submitted to the German Foreign Office by a Nazi agent, Aga Khan III had expressed admiration for the puppet government in France and then offered to help raise 30,000 troops in the Middle East.