Aftab Ahmad Khan
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-General Aftab Ahmad Khan was a retired Pakistan Army
Infantry
Officer, born in Batala
, Gurdaspur District
, British India on Oct. 22, 1923 to the illustrious family of Khan Bahadur Mian Altaf Hussain Khan (1874-1946) and Mehndi Begum.
, Lahore
, and joined the Indian Military Academy
, Dehradun
.
During his tenure in the Army, Lieutenant General Aftab Ahmad Khan graduated from Staff College, Quetta - 1952; the United States Army Command and Staff College, at Fort Leavenworth
, USA, 1961-62; the Army War Course, Command and Staff College
Quetta - 1967; and Royal College of Defence Studies
(formerly known the Imperial Defence College), London - 1971.
He was Mentioned in Despatches during the 1965 India-Pakistan War, where he commanded a brigade defending the city of Lahore
, Pakistan
.
He was a recipient of 2 gallantry awards for his work as Pakistan's Ambassador in Philippines in 1984-86: Rank of Datu in the Order of Sikatuna
, Government of Philippines, 8 April, 1986, awarded by Corazon Aquino
, President of the Republic of Philippines; and Das Großes Verdienstkreuz der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in recognition of his exceptional services to the State and People of Germany, 9 May 1986. Both awards were awarded in recognition of the two respective governments to have facilitated the rescue of two hostages held by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
.
As a young officer, he served in various regimental appointments for the following two years in Egypt
, Palestine
, Syria
and Lebanon
.
In March 1944, his Battalion the 1st Battalion of 2nd Punjab, as part of the 10th Indian Division sailed for Italy and fought against the Germans in World War II
as part of the British 8th Army. Major Aftab Ahmad Khan, then a company commander, returned back home in December 1945.
His Battalion joined the 1st Indian Parachute Division where he trained as a paratrooper and became Company Commander.
In 1947, when the Government of India created the Punjab Boundary Force
during partition, in the position of Major served in it till it was disbanded.
Having overseen the safe evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Hindus and Sikhs from areas lying between the Sutlej
and Ravi
rivers to India
, and was responsible to safely escort back hundreds of thousands of Muslims stranded in southern eastern Punjab province of India
.
In January 1948, he was seconded from the Pakistan Army as a Major
to Zhob
Militia (formally known as Fort Sandeman), Quetta
, Baluchistan part of the Frontier Corps
for 3 ½ years and also commanded Pishin Scouts. During this time, he saw action in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
In 1951, on posting back to the Army, he was posted first as a company commander and then a Brigade Major of an Infantry Brigade in Peshawar
.
After attending the Command and Staff College
, Quetta in 1952, he took command of the 14th Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment
(Pakistan
) for the next 3 years.
In 1956 to 1959, he was posted as General Staff Officer-1 (GSO-I) in Murree serving there for 3 ½ years. He received command of the 1st Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment in Lahore and paraded the Regiment on its 200th raising day. The parade was commanded by Lt. Col. Aftab Ahmad Khan and led by Field Marshall
Sir Claude Auchinleck
former Commander-in-Chief. The 1/1 (or commonly known as the first/first) is the senior most Battalion of the Pakistan Army
.
Field Marshall
M. Ayub Khan at that time the (President of Pakistan
) and Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army took the salute at the march past.
After having been posted as Colonel Staff of a Division, Colonel
Aftab Ahmad Khan was promoted to command a Brigade and fought in defense of Lahore on the Wagah
border, extremely successfully in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
.
After various staff appointments in General Headquarters, Rawalpindi, including as Vice Chief of General Staff, Director General Military Training, Research and Development, he commanded a division in Chamb
Sector in 1972 followed by taking command of a newly raised X Corps with the rank of Lieutenant General from where he retired after 34 years of service.
X Corps (Pakistan)
.
As an ode to the Lt.General Aftab Ahmad Khan for raising the X Corps (Pakistan)
, the Pakistan Army selected the insignia of the Corps reflecting a Rising Sun (Urdu for Aftab) with ten rays extruding from it.
|-
|-
|-
between 1976 to 1980 and later appointed as Ambassador of Pakistan to the Philippines
1984-1986.
Lieutenant-General Aftab Ahmad Khan was a retired Pakistan Army
Infantry
Officer, born in Batala
, Gurdaspur District
, British India on Oct. 22, 1923 to the illustrious family of Khan Bahadur Mian Altaf Hussain Khan (1874-1946) and Mehndi Begum.
, Lahore
, and joined the Indian Military Academy
, Dehradun
.
During his tenure in the Army, Lieutenant General Aftab Ahmad Khan graduated from Staff College, Quetta - 1952; the United States Army Command and Staff College, at Fort Leavenworth
, USA, 1961-62; the Army War Course, Command and Staff College
Quetta - 1967; and Royal College of Defence Studies
(formerly known the Imperial Defence College), London - 1971.
He was Mentioned in Despatches during the 1965 India-Pakistan War, where he commanded a brigade defending the city of Lahore
, Pakistan
.
He was a recipient of 2 gallantry awards for his work as Pakistan's Ambassador in Philippines in 1984-86: Rank of Datu in the Order of Sikatuna
, Government of Philippines, 8 April, 1986, awarded by Corazon Aquino
, President of the Republic of Philippines; and Das Großes Verdienstkreuz der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in recognition of his exceptional services to the State and People of Germany, 9 May 1986. Both awards were awarded in recognition of the two respective governments to have facilitated the rescue of two hostages held by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
.
As a young officer, he served in various regimental appointments for the following two years in Egypt
, Palestine
, Syria
and Lebanon
.
In March 1944, his Battalion the 1st Battalion of 2nd Punjab, as part of the 10th Indian Division sailed for Italy and fought against the Germans in World War II
as part of the British 8th Army. Major Aftab Ahmad Khan, then a company commander, returned back home in December 1945.
His Battalion joined the 1st Indian Parachute Division where he trained as a paratrooper and became Company Commander.
In 1947, when the Government of India created the Punjab Boundary Force
during partition, in the position of Major served in it till it was disbanded.
Having overseen the safe evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Hindus and Sikhs from areas lying between the Sutlej
and Ravi
rivers to India
, and was responsible to safely escort back hundreds of thousands of Muslims stranded in southern eastern Punjab province of India
.
In January 1948, he was seconded from the Pakistan Army as a Major
to Zhob
Militia (formally known as Fort Sandeman), Quetta
, Baluchistan part of the Frontier Corps
for 3 ½ years and also commanded Pishin Scouts. During this time, he saw action in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
In 1951, on posting back to the Army, he was posted first as a company commander and then a Brigade Major of an Infantry Brigade in Peshawar
.
After attending the Command and Staff College
, Quetta in 1952, he took command of the 14th Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment
(Pakistan
) for the next 3 years.
In 1956 to 1959, he was posted as General Staff Officer-1 (GSO-I) in Murree serving there for 3 ½ years. He received command of the 1st Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment in Lahore and paraded the Regiment on its 200th raising day. The parade was commanded by Lt. Col. Aftab Ahmad Khan and led by Field Marshall
Sir Claude Auchinleck
former Commander-in-Chief. The 1/1 (or commonly known as the first/first) is the senior most Battalion of the Pakistan Army
.
Field Marshall
M. Ayub Khan at that time the (President of Pakistan
) and Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army took the salute at the march past.
After having been posted as Colonel Staff of a Division, Colonel
Aftab Ahmad Khan was promoted to command a Brigade and fought in defense of Lahore on the Wagah
border, extremely successfully in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
.
After various staff appointments in General Headquarters, Rawalpindi, including as Vice Chief of General Staff, Director General Military Training, Research and Development, he commanded a division in Chamb
Sector in 1972 followed by taking command of a newly raised X Corps with the rank of Lieutenant General from where he retired after 34 years of service.
X Corps (Pakistan)
.
As an ode to the Lt.General Aftab Ahmad Khan for raising the X Corps (Pakistan)
, the Pakistan Army selected the insignia of the Corps reflecting a Rising Sun (Urdu for Aftab) with ten rays extruding from it.
|-
|-
|-
between 1976 to 1980 and later appointed as Ambassador of Pakistan to the Philippines
1984-1986.
Lieutenant-General Aftab Ahmad Khan was a retired Pakistan Army
Infantry
Officer, born in Batala
, Gurdaspur District
, British India on Oct. 22, 1923 to the illustrious family of Khan Bahadur Mian Altaf Hussain Khan (1874-1946) and Mehndi Begum.
, Lahore
, and joined the Indian Military Academy
, Dehradun
.
During his tenure in the Army, Lieutenant General Aftab Ahmad Khan graduated from Staff College, Quetta - 1952; the United States Army Command and Staff College, at Fort Leavenworth
, USA, 1961-62; the Army War Course, Command and Staff College
Quetta - 1967; and Royal College of Defence Studies
(formerly known the Imperial Defence College), London - 1971.
He was Mentioned in Despatches during the 1965 India-Pakistan War, where he commanded a brigade defending the city of Lahore
, Pakistan
.
He was a recipient of 2 gallantry awards for his work as Pakistan's Ambassador in Philippines in 1984-86: Rank of Datu in the Order of Sikatuna
, Government of Philippines, 8 April, 1986, awarded by Corazon Aquino
, President of the Republic of Philippines; and Das Großes Verdienstkreuz der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in recognition of his exceptional services to the State and People of Germany, 9 May 1986. Both awards were awarded in recognition of the two respective governments to have facilitated the rescue of two hostages held by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
.
As a young officer, he served in various regimental appointments for the following two years in Egypt
, Palestine
, Syria
and Lebanon
.
In March 1944, his Battalion the 1st Battalion of 2nd Punjab, as part of the 10th Indian Division sailed for Italy and fought against the Germans in World War II
as part of the British 8th Army. Major Aftab Ahmad Khan, then a company commander, returned back home in December 1945.
His Battalion joined the 1st Indian Parachute Division where he trained as a paratrooper and became Company Commander.
In 1947, when the Government of India created the Punjab Boundary Force
during partition, in the position of Major served in it till it was disbanded.
Having overseen the safe evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Hindus and Sikhs from areas lying between the Sutlej
and Ravi
rivers to India
, and was responsible to safely escort back hundreds of thousands of Muslims stranded in southern eastern Punjab province of India
.
In January 1948, he was seconded from the Pakistan Army as a Major
to Zhob
Militia (formally known as Fort Sandeman), Quetta
, Baluchistan part of the Frontier Corps
for 3 ½ years and also commanded Pishin Scouts. During this time, he saw action in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
In 1951, on posting back to the Army, he was posted first as a company commander and then a Brigade Major of an Infantry Brigade in Peshawar
.
After attending the Command and Staff College
, Quetta in 1952, he took command of the 14th Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment
(Pakistan
) for the next 3 years.
In 1956 to 1959, he was posted as General Staff Officer-1 (GSO-I) in Murree serving there for 3 ½ years. He received command of the 1st Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment in Lahore and paraded the Regiment on its 200th raising day. The parade was commanded by Lt. Col. Aftab Ahmad Khan and led by Field Marshall
Sir Claude Auchinleck
former Commander-in-Chief. The 1/1 (or commonly known as the first/first) is the senior most Battalion of the Pakistan Army
.
Field Marshall
M. Ayub Khan at that time the (President of Pakistan
) and Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army took the salute at the march past.
After having been posted as Colonel Staff of a Division, Colonel
Aftab Ahmad Khan was promoted to command a Brigade and fought in defense of Lahore on the Wagah
border, extremely successfully in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
.
After various staff appointments in General Headquarters, Rawalpindi, including as Vice Chief of General Staff, Director General Military Training, Research and Development, he commanded a division in Chamb
Sector in 1972 followed by taking command of a newly raised X Corps with the rank of Lieutenant General from where he retired after 34 years of service.
X Corps (Pakistan)
.
As an ode to the Lt.General Aftab Ahmad Khan for raising the X Corps (Pakistan)
, the Pakistan Army selected the insignia of the Corps reflecting a Rising Sun (Urdu for Aftab) with ten rays extruding from it.
|-
|-
|-
between 1976 to 1980 and later appointed as Ambassador of Pakistan to the Philippines
1984-1986.
Mrs. Nasreen Aftab Khan died of a protracted illness in 2001.
He had an elder brother Professor Namdar Khan (late - died 2002), a renowned educationalist, who taught Comparative Education at University of California's School of Education (Tollman Hall) from 1972 to 1976,a younger brother Air Marshall Iftikhar Ahmad Khan, (HI
)M & (SBt) Sitara-e-Basalat and two sisters Mrs. Ismat Akhtar and Mrs. Najma Chaudhury.
He is survived by his daughter Umbereen Fahim Inaam and son Shahbaz Aftab Khan and three grandchildren, Syeda Sharmeen Inaam, Aly Shahbaz Khan and Kamila Shahbaz Khan.
http://pakistan-army-interviews.blogspot.com/2008/11/maj-gen-retd-tajammal-hussain-malik.html
http://www.namdar.net/History.htm
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Officer, born in Batala
Batala
Batala is a municipal council in Gurdaspur district in the state of Punjab, India. It is located about 30 km from Gurdaspur, the headquarters of the district....
, Gurdaspur District
Gurdaspur District
Gurdaspur district is a district in the state of Punjab, situated in the northwest part of the Republic of India. Gurdaspur is the district headquarters. It internationally borders Narowal District of the Pakistani Punjab, Kathua District of Jammu and Kashmir, the Punjab districts of Amritsar and...
, British India on Oct. 22, 1923 to the illustrious family of Khan Bahadur Mian Altaf Hussain Khan (1874-1946) and Mehndi Begum.
Early life, Military Education and honors
After his initial education, at the Municipal Board (MB) High School Batala, Lt. General Aftab Ahmad Khan graduated from the Government CollegeGovernment College
Government College refers to various colleges.* Government College University, Lahore, is probably the most frequent college referred to by this name. It may also refer to:* Government College of Technology, Coimbatore, India* Darjeeling Government College...
, Lahore
Lahore
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...
, and joined the Indian Military Academy
Indian Military Academy
The Indian Military Academy, Dehradun is the officer training school of the Indian Army. IMA was established in 1932.-Demands for an Indian military training academy:...
, Dehradun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
.
During his tenure in the Army, Lieutenant General Aftab Ahmad Khan graduated from Staff College, Quetta - 1952; the United States Army Command and Staff College, at Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, USA, 1961-62; the Army War Course, Command and Staff College
Command and Staff College
The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
Quetta - 1967; and Royal College of Defence Studies
Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom...
(formerly known the Imperial Defence College), London - 1971.
He was Mentioned in Despatches during the 1965 India-Pakistan War, where he commanded a brigade defending the city of Lahore
Lahore
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...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
He was a recipient of 2 gallantry awards for his work as Pakistan's Ambassador in Philippines in 1984-86: Rank of Datu in the Order of Sikatuna
Order of Sikatuna
The Order of Sikatuna is the national order of diplomatic merit of the Republic of the Philippines. It is conferred upon individuals who have rendered exceptional and meritorious services to the Republic of the Philippines, upon diplomats, officials and nationals of foreign states who have rendered...
, Government of Philippines, 8 April, 1986, awarded by Corazon Aquino
Corazon Aquino
Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office in Philippine history. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines...
, President of the Republic of Philippines; and Das Großes Verdienstkreuz der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in recognition of his exceptional services to the State and People of Germany, 9 May 1986. Both awards were awarded in recognition of the two respective governments to have facilitated the rescue of two hostages held by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
Moro Islamic Liberation Front
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is an Islamist group located in the southern Philippines. It is one of two Islamic militant groups, the other being the Abu Sayyaf, that are fighting against Government of the Philippines...
.
Military Career
He was commissioned in the Indian Army as a 2nd Lieutenant on 21 June 1942 and soon, thereafter, joined the 1st Battalion, 2nd Punjab Regiment in the British Middle East Command.As a young officer, he served in various regimental appointments for the following two years in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.
In March 1944, his Battalion the 1st Battalion of 2nd Punjab, as part of the 10th Indian Division sailed for Italy and fought against the Germans in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as part of the British 8th Army. Major Aftab Ahmad Khan, then a company commander, returned back home in December 1945.
His Battalion joined the 1st Indian Parachute Division where he trained as a paratrooper and became Company Commander.
In 1947, when the Government of India created the Punjab Boundary Force
Punjab Boundary Force
The Punjab Boundary Force was an ad hoc military force to restore law and order during the communal carnages of the partition of India in the Punjab. The force was based on the 4th Indian Division and commanded by Maj Gen T.W. Rees...
during partition, in the position of Major served in it till it was disbanded.
Having overseen the safe evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Hindus and Sikhs from areas lying between the Sutlej
Sutlej
The Sutlej River is the longest of the five rivers that flow through the historic crossroad region of Punjab in northern India and Pakistan. It is located north of the Vindhya Range, south of the Hindu Kush segment of the Himalayas, and east of the Central Sulaiman Range in Pakistan.The Sutlej...
and Ravi
Ravi
Ravi is a common Hindu male given name. It means Sun. Ravi may refer to:* Ravi , a Hindu solar deity* Ravi River , a Himalayan river flowing through India and Pakistan-People:...
rivers to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and was responsible to safely escort back hundreds of thousands of Muslims stranded in southern eastern Punjab province of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
In January 1948, he was seconded from the Pakistan Army as a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
to Zhob
Zhob
-Roads:Zhob is 333 kilometers from Quetta, 225 kilometers from Dera Ismail Khan. However, the road linking with Dera Ismail Khan is for most part fair nowadays track passing through water streams and almost complete road is metalloid....
Militia (formally known as Fort Sandeman), Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
, Baluchistan part of the Frontier Corps
Frontier Corps
The Frontier Corps is a federally-controlled paramilitary force of Pakistan, recruited mostly from the tribal areas along the western borders and led by officers from the Pakistan Army...
for 3 ½ years and also commanded Pishin Scouts. During this time, he saw action in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
In 1951, on posting back to the Army, he was posted first as a company commander and then a Brigade Major of an Infantry Brigade in Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
.
After attending the Command and Staff College
Command and Staff College
The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
, Quetta in 1952, he took command of the 14th Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment
Punjab Regiment
Punjab Regiment may refer to the following existing units:*Punjab Regiment *Punjab Regiment From 1922 to 1947, the British Indian Army included 6 numbered Punjab Regiments:*1st Punjab Regiment*2nd Punjab Regiment*8th Punjab Regiment...
(Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
) for the next 3 years.
In 1956 to 1959, he was posted as General Staff Officer-1 (GSO-I) in Murree serving there for 3 ½ years. He received command of the 1st Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment in Lahore and paraded the Regiment on its 200th raising day. The parade was commanded by Lt. Col. Aftab Ahmad Khan and led by Field Marshall
Field Marshall
The Field-Marshalls were a range of British farm tractors manufactured by Marshall, Sons & Co. of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.Field-Marshalls were in production from 1945 to 1957. However, the first single-cylinder Marshall came into production in 1930....
Sir Claude Auchinleck
Claude Auchinleck
Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE , nicknamed "The Auk", was a British army commander during World War II. He was a career soldier who spent much of his military career in India, where he developed a love of the country and a lasting affinity for the soldiers...
former Commander-in-Chief. The 1/1 (or commonly known as the first/first) is the senior most Battalion of the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
.
Field Marshall
Field Marshall
The Field-Marshalls were a range of British farm tractors manufactured by Marshall, Sons & Co. of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.Field-Marshalls were in production from 1945 to 1957. However, the first single-cylinder Marshall came into production in 1930....
M. Ayub Khan at that time the (President of Pakistan
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
) and Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army took the salute at the march past.
After having been posted as Colonel Staff of a Division, Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Aftab Ahmad Khan was promoted to command a Brigade and fought in defense of Lahore on the Wagah
Wagah
Wagah is the only road border crossing between Pakistan and India , and lies on the Grand Trunk Road between the cities of Lahore, Pakistan and Amritsar, India. Wagah itself is a village through which the controversial Radcliffe Line was drawn. The village was divided by independence in 1947...
border, extremely successfully in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
.
After various staff appointments in General Headquarters, Rawalpindi, including as Vice Chief of General Staff, Director General Military Training, Research and Development, he commanded a division in Chamb
Chamb
The Chamb is a river in the Czech Republic and in Germany. It is a right tributary of the Regen River.The Chamb begins south of the Czech village of Kdyně, and flows some westward, crossing into Germany at an elevation of...
Sector in 1972 followed by taking command of a newly raised X Corps with the rank of Lieutenant General from where he retired after 34 years of service.
X Corps (Pakistan)X Corps (Pakistan)The X Corps is an active military administrative corps of Pakistan Army, currently assigned in Rawalpindi, Punjab Province of Pakistan. Its one of two brigades are currently active in Kashmir. One of its brigades, the 111th Infantry Brigade in Rawalpindi, has been frequently involved in military...
.As an ode to the Lt.General Aftab Ahmad Khan for raising the X Corps (Pakistan)
X Corps (Pakistan)
The X Corps is an active military administrative corps of Pakistan Army, currently assigned in Rawalpindi, Punjab Province of Pakistan. Its one of two brigades are currently active in Kashmir. One of its brigades, the 111th Infantry Brigade in Rawalpindi, has been frequently involved in military...
, the Pakistan Army selected the insignia of the Corps reflecting a Rising Sun (Urdu for Aftab) with ten rays extruding from it.
|-
|-
|-
Post Military Career
After retirement, Lt. Gen. Aftab Ahmad Khan was sent as Ambassador of Pakistan to LibyaLibya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
between 1976 to 1980 and later appointed as Ambassador of Pakistan to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
1984-1986.
Lieutenant-General Aftab Ahmad Khan was a retired Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Officer, born in Batala
Batala
Batala is a municipal council in Gurdaspur district in the state of Punjab, India. It is located about 30 km from Gurdaspur, the headquarters of the district....
, Gurdaspur District
Gurdaspur District
Gurdaspur district is a district in the state of Punjab, situated in the northwest part of the Republic of India. Gurdaspur is the district headquarters. It internationally borders Narowal District of the Pakistani Punjab, Kathua District of Jammu and Kashmir, the Punjab districts of Amritsar and...
, British India on Oct. 22, 1923 to the illustrious family of Khan Bahadur Mian Altaf Hussain Khan (1874-1946) and Mehndi Begum.
Early life, Military Education and honors
After his initial education, at the Municipal Board (MB) High School Batala, Lt. General Aftab Ahmad Khan graduated from the Government CollegeGovernment College
Government College refers to various colleges.* Government College University, Lahore, is probably the most frequent college referred to by this name. It may also refer to:* Government College of Technology, Coimbatore, India* Darjeeling Government College...
, Lahore
Lahore
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...
, and joined the Indian Military Academy
Indian Military Academy
The Indian Military Academy, Dehradun is the officer training school of the Indian Army. IMA was established in 1932.-Demands for an Indian military training academy:...
, Dehradun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
.
During his tenure in the Army, Lieutenant General Aftab Ahmad Khan graduated from Staff College, Quetta - 1952; the United States Army Command and Staff College, at Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, USA, 1961-62; the Army War Course, Command and Staff College
Command and Staff College
The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
Quetta - 1967; and Royal College of Defence Studies
Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom...
(formerly known the Imperial Defence College), London - 1971.
He was Mentioned in Despatches during the 1965 India-Pakistan War, where he commanded a brigade defending the city of Lahore
Lahore
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...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
He was a recipient of 2 gallantry awards for his work as Pakistan's Ambassador in Philippines in 1984-86: Rank of Datu in the Order of Sikatuna
Order of Sikatuna
The Order of Sikatuna is the national order of diplomatic merit of the Republic of the Philippines. It is conferred upon individuals who have rendered exceptional and meritorious services to the Republic of the Philippines, upon diplomats, officials and nationals of foreign states who have rendered...
, Government of Philippines, 8 April, 1986, awarded by Corazon Aquino
Corazon Aquino
Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office in Philippine history. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines...
, President of the Republic of Philippines; and Das Großes Verdienstkreuz der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in recognition of his exceptional services to the State and People of Germany, 9 May 1986. Both awards were awarded in recognition of the two respective governments to have facilitated the rescue of two hostages held by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
Moro Islamic Liberation Front
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is an Islamist group located in the southern Philippines. It is one of two Islamic militant groups, the other being the Abu Sayyaf, that are fighting against Government of the Philippines...
.
Military Career
He was commissioned in the Indian Army as a 2nd Lieutenant on 21 June 1942 and soon, thereafter, joined the 1st Battalion, 2nd Punjab Regiment in the British Middle East Command.As a young officer, he served in various regimental appointments for the following two years in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.
In March 1944, his Battalion the 1st Battalion of 2nd Punjab, as part of the 10th Indian Division sailed for Italy and fought against the Germans in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as part of the British 8th Army. Major Aftab Ahmad Khan, then a company commander, returned back home in December 1945.
His Battalion joined the 1st Indian Parachute Division where he trained as a paratrooper and became Company Commander.
In 1947, when the Government of India created the Punjab Boundary Force
Punjab Boundary Force
The Punjab Boundary Force was an ad hoc military force to restore law and order during the communal carnages of the partition of India in the Punjab. The force was based on the 4th Indian Division and commanded by Maj Gen T.W. Rees...
during partition, in the position of Major served in it till it was disbanded.
Having overseen the safe evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Hindus and Sikhs from areas lying between the Sutlej
Sutlej
The Sutlej River is the longest of the five rivers that flow through the historic crossroad region of Punjab in northern India and Pakistan. It is located north of the Vindhya Range, south of the Hindu Kush segment of the Himalayas, and east of the Central Sulaiman Range in Pakistan.The Sutlej...
and Ravi
Ravi
Ravi is a common Hindu male given name. It means Sun. Ravi may refer to:* Ravi , a Hindu solar deity* Ravi River , a Himalayan river flowing through India and Pakistan-People:...
rivers to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and was responsible to safely escort back hundreds of thousands of Muslims stranded in southern eastern Punjab province of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
In January 1948, he was seconded from the Pakistan Army as a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
to Zhob
Zhob
-Roads:Zhob is 333 kilometers from Quetta, 225 kilometers from Dera Ismail Khan. However, the road linking with Dera Ismail Khan is for most part fair nowadays track passing through water streams and almost complete road is metalloid....
Militia (formally known as Fort Sandeman), Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
, Baluchistan part of the Frontier Corps
Frontier Corps
The Frontier Corps is a federally-controlled paramilitary force of Pakistan, recruited mostly from the tribal areas along the western borders and led by officers from the Pakistan Army...
for 3 ½ years and also commanded Pishin Scouts. During this time, he saw action in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
In 1951, on posting back to the Army, he was posted first as a company commander and then a Brigade Major of an Infantry Brigade in Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
.
After attending the Command and Staff College
Command and Staff College
The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
, Quetta in 1952, he took command of the 14th Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment
Punjab Regiment
Punjab Regiment may refer to the following existing units:*Punjab Regiment *Punjab Regiment From 1922 to 1947, the British Indian Army included 6 numbered Punjab Regiments:*1st Punjab Regiment*2nd Punjab Regiment*8th Punjab Regiment...
(Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
) for the next 3 years.
In 1956 to 1959, he was posted as General Staff Officer-1 (GSO-I) in Murree serving there for 3 ½ years. He received command of the 1st Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment in Lahore and paraded the Regiment on its 200th raising day. The parade was commanded by Lt. Col. Aftab Ahmad Khan and led by Field Marshall
Field Marshall
The Field-Marshalls were a range of British farm tractors manufactured by Marshall, Sons & Co. of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.Field-Marshalls were in production from 1945 to 1957. However, the first single-cylinder Marshall came into production in 1930....
Sir Claude Auchinleck
Claude Auchinleck
Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE , nicknamed "The Auk", was a British army commander during World War II. He was a career soldier who spent much of his military career in India, where he developed a love of the country and a lasting affinity for the soldiers...
former Commander-in-Chief. The 1/1 (or commonly known as the first/first) is the senior most Battalion of the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
.
Field Marshall
Field Marshall
The Field-Marshalls were a range of British farm tractors manufactured by Marshall, Sons & Co. of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.Field-Marshalls were in production from 1945 to 1957. However, the first single-cylinder Marshall came into production in 1930....
M. Ayub Khan at that time the (President of Pakistan
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
) and Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army took the salute at the march past.
After having been posted as Colonel Staff of a Division, Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Aftab Ahmad Khan was promoted to command a Brigade and fought in defense of Lahore on the Wagah
Wagah
Wagah is the only road border crossing between Pakistan and India , and lies on the Grand Trunk Road between the cities of Lahore, Pakistan and Amritsar, India. Wagah itself is a village through which the controversial Radcliffe Line was drawn. The village was divided by independence in 1947...
border, extremely successfully in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
.
After various staff appointments in General Headquarters, Rawalpindi, including as Vice Chief of General Staff, Director General Military Training, Research and Development, he commanded a division in Chamb
Chamb
The Chamb is a river in the Czech Republic and in Germany. It is a right tributary of the Regen River.The Chamb begins south of the Czech village of Kdyně, and flows some westward, crossing into Germany at an elevation of...
Sector in 1972 followed by taking command of a newly raised X Corps with the rank of Lieutenant General from where he retired after 34 years of service.
X Corps (Pakistan)X Corps (Pakistan)The X Corps is an active military administrative corps of Pakistan Army, currently assigned in Rawalpindi, Punjab Province of Pakistan. Its one of two brigades are currently active in Kashmir. One of its brigades, the 111th Infantry Brigade in Rawalpindi, has been frequently involved in military...
.As an ode to the Lt.General Aftab Ahmad Khan for raising the X Corps (Pakistan)
X Corps (Pakistan)
The X Corps is an active military administrative corps of Pakistan Army, currently assigned in Rawalpindi, Punjab Province of Pakistan. Its one of two brigades are currently active in Kashmir. One of its brigades, the 111th Infantry Brigade in Rawalpindi, has been frequently involved in military...
, the Pakistan Army selected the insignia of the Corps reflecting a Rising Sun (Urdu for Aftab) with ten rays extruding from it.
|-
|-
|-
Post Military Career
After retirement, Lt. Gen. Aftab Ahmad Khan was sent as Ambassador of Pakistan to LibyaLibya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
between 1976 to 1980 and later appointed as Ambassador of Pakistan to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
1984-1986.
Lieutenant-General Aftab Ahmad Khan was a retired Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
Officer, born in Batala
Batala
Batala is a municipal council in Gurdaspur district in the state of Punjab, India. It is located about 30 km from Gurdaspur, the headquarters of the district....
, Gurdaspur District
Gurdaspur District
Gurdaspur district is a district in the state of Punjab, situated in the northwest part of the Republic of India. Gurdaspur is the district headquarters. It internationally borders Narowal District of the Pakistani Punjab, Kathua District of Jammu and Kashmir, the Punjab districts of Amritsar and...
, British India on Oct. 22, 1923 to the illustrious family of Khan Bahadur Mian Altaf Hussain Khan (1874-1946) and Mehndi Begum.
Early life, Military Education and honors
After his initial education, at the Municipal Board (MB) High School Batala, Lt. General Aftab Ahmad Khan graduated from the Government CollegeGovernment College
Government College refers to various colleges.* Government College University, Lahore, is probably the most frequent college referred to by this name. It may also refer to:* Government College of Technology, Coimbatore, India* Darjeeling Government College...
, Lahore
Lahore
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...
, and joined the Indian Military Academy
Indian Military Academy
The Indian Military Academy, Dehradun is the officer training school of the Indian Army. IMA was established in 1932.-Demands for an Indian military training academy:...
, Dehradun
Dehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
.
During his tenure in the Army, Lieutenant General Aftab Ahmad Khan graduated from Staff College, Quetta - 1952; the United States Army Command and Staff College, at Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
, USA, 1961-62; the Army War Course, Command and Staff College
Command and Staff College
The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
Quetta - 1967; and Royal College of Defence Studies
Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom...
(formerly known the Imperial Defence College), London - 1971.
He was Mentioned in Despatches during the 1965 India-Pakistan War, where he commanded a brigade defending the city of Lahore
Lahore
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...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
He was a recipient of 2 gallantry awards for his work as Pakistan's Ambassador in Philippines in 1984-86: Rank of Datu in the Order of Sikatuna
Order of Sikatuna
The Order of Sikatuna is the national order of diplomatic merit of the Republic of the Philippines. It is conferred upon individuals who have rendered exceptional and meritorious services to the Republic of the Philippines, upon diplomats, officials and nationals of foreign states who have rendered...
, Government of Philippines, 8 April, 1986, awarded by Corazon Aquino
Corazon Aquino
Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office in Philippine history. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines...
, President of the Republic of Philippines; and Das Großes Verdienstkreuz der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in recognition of his exceptional services to the State and People of Germany, 9 May 1986. Both awards were awarded in recognition of the two respective governments to have facilitated the rescue of two hostages held by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
Moro Islamic Liberation Front
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is an Islamist group located in the southern Philippines. It is one of two Islamic militant groups, the other being the Abu Sayyaf, that are fighting against Government of the Philippines...
.
Military Career
He was commissioned in the Indian Army as a 2nd Lieutenant on 21 June 1942 and soon, thereafter, joined the 1st Battalion, 2nd Punjab Regiment in the British Middle East Command.As a young officer, he served in various regimental appointments for the following two years in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
.
In March 1944, his Battalion the 1st Battalion of 2nd Punjab, as part of the 10th Indian Division sailed for Italy and fought against the Germans in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as part of the British 8th Army. Major Aftab Ahmad Khan, then a company commander, returned back home in December 1945.
His Battalion joined the 1st Indian Parachute Division where he trained as a paratrooper and became Company Commander.
In 1947, when the Government of India created the Punjab Boundary Force
Punjab Boundary Force
The Punjab Boundary Force was an ad hoc military force to restore law and order during the communal carnages of the partition of India in the Punjab. The force was based on the 4th Indian Division and commanded by Maj Gen T.W. Rees...
during partition, in the position of Major served in it till it was disbanded.
Having overseen the safe evacuation of hundreds of thousands of Hindus and Sikhs from areas lying between the Sutlej
Sutlej
The Sutlej River is the longest of the five rivers that flow through the historic crossroad region of Punjab in northern India and Pakistan. It is located north of the Vindhya Range, south of the Hindu Kush segment of the Himalayas, and east of the Central Sulaiman Range in Pakistan.The Sutlej...
and Ravi
Ravi
Ravi is a common Hindu male given name. It means Sun. Ravi may refer to:* Ravi , a Hindu solar deity* Ravi River , a Himalayan river flowing through India and Pakistan-People:...
rivers to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and was responsible to safely escort back hundreds of thousands of Muslims stranded in southern eastern Punjab province of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
In January 1948, he was seconded from the Pakistan Army as a Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
to Zhob
Zhob
-Roads:Zhob is 333 kilometers from Quetta, 225 kilometers from Dera Ismail Khan. However, the road linking with Dera Ismail Khan is for most part fair nowadays track passing through water streams and almost complete road is metalloid....
Militia (formally known as Fort Sandeman), Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
, Baluchistan part of the Frontier Corps
Frontier Corps
The Frontier Corps is a federally-controlled paramilitary force of Pakistan, recruited mostly from the tribal areas along the western borders and led by officers from the Pakistan Army...
for 3 ½ years and also commanded Pishin Scouts. During this time, he saw action in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
In 1951, on posting back to the Army, he was posted first as a company commander and then a Brigade Major of an Infantry Brigade in Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
.
After attending the Command and Staff College
Command and Staff College
The Command and Staff College was established in 1907 at Quetta, Balochistan, British Raj, now in Pakistan, and is the oldest and the most prestigious institution of the Pakistan Army. It was established in 1905 in Deolali and moved to its present location at Quetta in 1907 under the name of Quetta...
, Quetta in 1952, he took command of the 14th Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment
Punjab Regiment
Punjab Regiment may refer to the following existing units:*Punjab Regiment *Punjab Regiment From 1922 to 1947, the British Indian Army included 6 numbered Punjab Regiments:*1st Punjab Regiment*2nd Punjab Regiment*8th Punjab Regiment...
(Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
) for the next 3 years.
In 1956 to 1959, he was posted as General Staff Officer-1 (GSO-I) in Murree serving there for 3 ½ years. He received command of the 1st Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment in Lahore and paraded the Regiment on its 200th raising day. The parade was commanded by Lt. Col. Aftab Ahmad Khan and led by Field Marshall
Field Marshall
The Field-Marshalls were a range of British farm tractors manufactured by Marshall, Sons & Co. of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.Field-Marshalls were in production from 1945 to 1957. However, the first single-cylinder Marshall came into production in 1930....
Sir Claude Auchinleck
Claude Auchinleck
Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE , nicknamed "The Auk", was a British army commander during World War II. He was a career soldier who spent much of his military career in India, where he developed a love of the country and a lasting affinity for the soldiers...
former Commander-in-Chief. The 1/1 (or commonly known as the first/first) is the senior most Battalion of the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
.
Field Marshall
Field Marshall
The Field-Marshalls were a range of British farm tractors manufactured by Marshall, Sons & Co. of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire.Field-Marshalls were in production from 1945 to 1957. However, the first single-cylinder Marshall came into production in 1930....
M. Ayub Khan at that time the (President of Pakistan
President of Pakistan
The President of Pakistan is the head of state, as well as figurehead, of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Recently passed an XVIII Amendment , Pakistan has a parliamentary democratic system of government. According to the Constitution, the President is chosen by the Electoral College to serve a...
) and Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army took the salute at the march past.
After having been posted as Colonel Staff of a Division, Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Aftab Ahmad Khan was promoted to command a Brigade and fought in defense of Lahore on the Wagah
Wagah
Wagah is the only road border crossing between Pakistan and India , and lies on the Grand Trunk Road between the cities of Lahore, Pakistan and Amritsar, India. Wagah itself is a village through which the controversial Radcliffe Line was drawn. The village was divided by independence in 1947...
border, extremely successfully in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. This conflict became known as the Second Kashmir War fought by India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir, the first having been fought in 1947...
.
After various staff appointments in General Headquarters, Rawalpindi, including as Vice Chief of General Staff, Director General Military Training, Research and Development, he commanded a division in Chamb
Chamb
The Chamb is a river in the Czech Republic and in Germany. It is a right tributary of the Regen River.The Chamb begins south of the Czech village of Kdyně, and flows some westward, crossing into Germany at an elevation of...
Sector in 1972 followed by taking command of a newly raised X Corps with the rank of Lieutenant General from where he retired after 34 years of service.
X Corps (Pakistan)X Corps (Pakistan)The X Corps is an active military administrative corps of Pakistan Army, currently assigned in Rawalpindi, Punjab Province of Pakistan. Its one of two brigades are currently active in Kashmir. One of its brigades, the 111th Infantry Brigade in Rawalpindi, has been frequently involved in military...
.As an ode to the Lt.General Aftab Ahmad Khan for raising the X Corps (Pakistan)
X Corps (Pakistan)
The X Corps is an active military administrative corps of Pakistan Army, currently assigned in Rawalpindi, Punjab Province of Pakistan. Its one of two brigades are currently active in Kashmir. One of its brigades, the 111th Infantry Brigade in Rawalpindi, has been frequently involved in military...
, the Pakistan Army selected the insignia of the Corps reflecting a Rising Sun (Urdu for Aftab) with ten rays extruding from it.
|-
|-
|-
Post Military Career
After retirement, Lt. Gen. Aftab Ahmad Khan was sent as Ambassador of Pakistan to LibyaLibya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
between 1976 to 1980 and later appointed as Ambassador of Pakistan to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
1984-1986.
Family
Lt. General Aftab Ahmad Khan was married to Nasreen Hayat Khan in 1960 and had a daughter Umbereen A. Khan and a son Shahbaz A. Khan.Mrs. Nasreen Aftab Khan died of a protracted illness in 2001.
He had an elder brother Professor Namdar Khan (late - died 2002), a renowned educationalist, who taught Comparative Education at University of California's School of Education (Tollman Hall) from 1972 to 1976,a younger brother Air Marshall Iftikhar Ahmad Khan, (HI
HI
HI or Hi may refer to:* Hello, a greeting in the English language* Hi and Lois, a comic strip* Hi , teen lifestyle publication* Hi , Japanese character* Hi Records, in music, a Memphis soul and rockabilly label...
)M & (SBt) Sitara-e-Basalat and two sisters Mrs. Ismat Akhtar and Mrs. Najma Chaudhury.
Death
Lt. General Aftab Ahmad Khan died of a sudden Heart Attack on July 12, 2011 at the age of 88, and was laid to rest with Pakistan Army's traditional Military Honors for retired commanders.He is survived by his daughter Umbereen Fahim Inaam and son Shahbaz Aftab Khan and three grandchildren, Syeda Sharmeen Inaam, Aly Shahbaz Khan and Kamila Shahbaz Khan.
External links
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2011/07/general-aftab-ahmed-khan-dies/http://pakistan-army-interviews.blogspot.com/2008/11/maj-gen-retd-tajammal-hussain-malik.html
http://www.namdar.net/History.htm