Zulfiqar Ali Khan
Encyclopedia
Air Chief Marshal
Zulfiqar Ali Khan (10 December 1930 – 8 March 2005), NI(M) was a four-star rank general and air officer in the Pakistan Air Force
who served as a 9th Chief of Air Staff
of Pakistan Air Force from April 1974 to July 1978. Khan was the first four-star rank Air Chief Marshal
of the Air Force and had served as Pakistan's ambassador to the United States during the first Benazir Bhutto government from July 1989 to September 1990.
, was educated at Military College Jhelum
(College No. 1371) where he received his Sc.B.
in Military science
. He was then commissioned in the 7th GD(P) Course on 21 December 1950. He was the first graduate of Pakistan Air Force Academy
, Risalpur
, to have reached the highest appointment in the PAF
. Zulfiqar Ali Khan was 20 years old when he was commissioned in the PAF
in December 1950. He held a variety of flying assignments in the early part of his career.
He commanded as Air Officer Commanding of No. 9 Squadron, No. 11 Squadron and No. 20 Squadron. He was later assigned to command the No. 31 Wing, No. 32 Wing and No. 35 Wing, as Officer Commanding. During 1971, As Air-vice Marshal (Major-General), he was given the command of PAF Headquarter Eastern Command Dhaka and actively participated in numerous air battles. After the war, he was given the command of PAF Base Sargodha. In 1972, he was later appointed Commandant of the PAF Academy. In 1973, he was also posted to New Delhi as Air Adviser to the High Commissioner of Pakistan.
He was promoted to four-star general officer, and was made Air Chief Marshal in 1974. He was promoted quickly as when the previous chief Air Marshal
Zafar Chaudhry
was forced to resign by then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
. Zulfiqar Ali Khan, then an Air Marshal was promoted to Air Chief Marshal in March 1976, when Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee was newly created and defence ministry was reorganized. He was awarded Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) for his meritorious services.
in 1989 by then Prime minister
Benazir Bhutto
, but was recalled only after a year, when Bainazir Bhuttoo Government was dissolved by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan
in 1990.
and A.I
. He was arrested on the charges of being one of the infiltrator of Bahawalpur air crash. However, the investigations were went underground by the Bainazir Bhuttoo Government. Later on, it was concluded that the PAF's four-star general (Air Chief Marshal Zulfikar Ali Khan) was founded innocent.
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Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Zulfiqar Ali Khan (10 December 1930 – 8 March 2005), NI(M) was a four-star rank general and air officer in the Pakistan Air Force
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
who served as a 9th Chief of Air Staff
Chief of Air Staff (Pakistan)
The Chief of the Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force, abbreviated as CAS, is typically the highest ranking 4-star rank officer in the Pakistan Air Force, unless a four-star officer is appointed as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. The CAS is a senior and permanent member of the...
of Pakistan Air Force from April 1974 to July 1978. Khan was the first four-star rank Air Chief Marshal
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
of the Air Force and had served as Pakistan's ambassador to the United States during the first Benazir Bhutto government from July 1989 to September 1990.
Early life and PAF Career
Zulfiqar Ali Khan, born in LahoreLahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, was educated at Military College Jhelum
Military College Jhelum
Military College Jhelum or MCJ, is a military high school, located at Sarai Alamgir but now in , Pakistan. Though it is physically located in Gujrat District, due to its very close proximity it is still associated with the City of Jhelum, and is considered to be in the cantonment limit of Jhelum...
(College No. 1371) where he received his Sc.B.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Military science
Military science
Military science is the process of translating national defence policy to produce military capability by employing military scientists, including theorists, researchers, experimental scientists, applied scientists, designers, engineers, test technicians, and military personnel responsible for...
. He was then commissioned in the 7th GD(P) Course on 21 December 1950. He was the first graduate of Pakistan Air Force Academy
Pakistan Air Force Academy
"RAF Risalpur", "Risalpur Airbase/Airfield" & "Pakistan Air Force/PAF Base Risalpur" redirects here.The Pakistan Air Force Academy also known as PAFA, is an accredited co-educational four-year college for the undergraduate education of officer candidates for the Pakistan Air Force...
, Risalpur
Risalpur
Risalpur is a city in Nowshera District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on the Nowshera-Mardan Road. It is nearly 45 km from Peshawar and 15 km from Mardan and is located at 34°4'52N 71°58'21E. In a basin some 1014 feet above sea level, it is bounded on the south and west by the Kabul and...
, to have reached the highest appointment in the PAF
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
. Zulfiqar Ali Khan was 20 years old when he was commissioned in the PAF
Pakistan Air Force
The Pakistan Air Force is the leading air arm of the Pakistan Armed Forces and is primarily tasked with the aerial defence of Pakistan with a secondary role of providing air support to the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Navy. The PAF also has a tertiary role of providing strategic air transport...
in December 1950. He held a variety of flying assignments in the early part of his career.
He commanded as Air Officer Commanding of No. 9 Squadron, No. 11 Squadron and No. 20 Squadron. He was later assigned to command the No. 31 Wing, No. 32 Wing and No. 35 Wing, as Officer Commanding. During 1971, As Air-vice Marshal (Major-General), he was given the command of PAF Headquarter Eastern Command Dhaka and actively participated in numerous air battles. After the war, he was given the command of PAF Base Sargodha. In 1972, he was later appointed Commandant of the PAF Academy. In 1973, he was also posted to New Delhi as Air Adviser to the High Commissioner of Pakistan.
Staff Appointments
At the Air Headquarters, Zulfiqar Ali Khan stayed as Director of Operations and Director of Plans before being nominated as Chief of Air Staff of Pakistan Air Force. He then served as Deputy Chief of Air Staff in 1974.He was promoted to four-star general officer, and was made Air Chief Marshal in 1974. He was promoted quickly as when the previous chief Air Marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Zafar Chaudhry
Zafar Chaudhry
Air Marshal Zafar Ahmed Chaudhry, SQA was the first Chief of Air Staff and a three-star general of the Pakistan Air Force from March 1972 to April 1974. His predecessor, Abdul Rahim Khan, was called Commander-in-Chief...
was forced to resign by then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977, and prior to that, 4th President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973. Bhutto was the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party — the largest and most influential political party in Pakistan— and served as its chairman until his...
. Zulfiqar Ali Khan, then an Air Marshal was promoted to Air Chief Marshal in March 1976, when Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee was newly created and defence ministry was reorganized. He was awarded Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) for his meritorious services.
Post-Retirement
After retiring from Air Force, the retired chief was made the Pakistan Ambassador to the United StatesPakistan Ambassador to the United States
The embassy of Pakistan in Washington, D.C. was built in 28 August 1947, when Pakistan attained independence from Great Britain and separated from India to form the Dominion of Pakistan. From the onset, Pakistan adopted a pro-American policy with relations taking an upturn in 1954 when Pakistan...
in 1989 by then Prime minister
Prime Minister of Pakistan
The Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government...
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto
Benazir Bhutto was a democratic socialist who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from 1988 until 1990 and 1993 until 1996....
, but was recalled only after a year, when Bainazir Bhuttoo Government was dissolved by President Ghulam Ishaq Khan
Ghulam Ishaq Khan
Ghulam Ishaq Khan , abbreviated as GIK, was the seventh President of Pakistan from August 17, 1988 until July 18, 1993 and a career statesman from the start to the end of cold war...
in 1990.
Controversies
Air Chief Marshal Zulfikar Ali Khan was arrested in 1988 by the joint-intelligence operation led by ISIInter-Services Intelligence
The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence , is Pakistan's premier intelligence agency, responsible for providing critical national security intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan...
and A.I
Air Intelligence of Pakistan
The Directorate for the Air Intelligence of Pakistan, codename AI, is an air force staff corps and chief intelligence directorate of the Pakistan Air Force . The AI is responsible for the formulation of the aerial intelligence picture, and participates in forging the overall intelligence view as...
. He was arrested on the charges of being one of the infiltrator of Bahawalpur air crash. However, the investigations were went underground by the Bainazir Bhuttoo Government. Later on, it was concluded that the PAF's four-star general (Air Chief Marshal Zulfikar Ali Khan) was founded innocent.
External links
- Bio of Air Marshal Zulfiqar Ali Khan
- PAF s' Chief of the Air Staffs
- Air Marshal Zulfiqar Ali Khan, Former chief of air staff, dies
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