Ali Muhammad Jan Orakzai
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant General
Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai (Urdu language: على محمد جا ن ا و ر كزى ), is a retired 3-star
rank general in the Pakistan Army
who served as the Corps Commander of XI Corps
and command all the Pakistan Army's assets during the War in North-West Pakistan
. As Commander, he oversaw the peaceful deployment of Pakistan Army's XI Corps
in the Northern Areas
and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas
(FATA)
Aurakzai was the leading general in the Pakistan Army who led the Pakistan Combatant Forces in North-West War. He also had oversaw the military development and deployment in the FATA region, as Commander. After retiring from the military, he was the former governor of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan
, from May 2006 until his resignation in January 2008.
(Naubara), Pakistan Army
. As Lieutenant, Aurakzai had led a Guerrilla company during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
. In 1976, as Major, he served as the Forward observer in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. In 1983, he served as the Aerial observer and intelligence observer in the Pakistan's western border. He is graduate of Command and Staff College
, and was posted in Generals Headquarter (GHQ) in 1985. He served there as an intelligence analyst for the Pakistan Army. Throughout the 1980s, Aurakzai had served as an intelligence and military advisor at The GHQ.
Aurakzai later served as the Commander Force Command Northern Areas (FCNA), Gilgit
as a Major-General. In 1998, as Major-General, he was the Vice Chief of General Staff at the GHQ. Court-martial Lieutenant-General Ziauddin Butt
held Aurakzai, as he was Vice Chief of Generals Staff, responsible for coup d'état against Former Prime minister Nawaz Sharif
.
In April 1999, he was promoted to Lieutenant-General and shifted as Adjutant-General (AG), Pakistan Army Generals Headquarter (GHQ). On October 2001, he was made "Core-commander" of XI Corps
, and served as the Commander of Western Military Command. During his military career, he was the leading and most experience general who served under General Pervez Musharraf Administration. Following the collapse of Taliban regime
in Afghanistan, Aurakzai was made the commander of Western Military Command. As commander, he oversaw the extensive military operations
led by the United States special operations forces
. He responded with deploying hundreds of Mountaineering and Infantry battalions to guard the Pakistan-Afghanistan border
.
In December 2003, he led the XI Corps
, and several supported administrative divisions of XII Corps
. He served as the principal commander of the Pakistan's Western Military Command, and had supervised the Pakistan Army's quick deployment in Federally Administered Tribal Areas
(FATA). Under his command, the military saw the action Battle of Wana
and, which concluded with Pakistani success. In March 2004, he was given honorable retirement from the Army. He was succeeded by Lieutenant-General Masood Aslam
, who became the principle commander of Western Military Command of Pakistan Defence Forces.
appointed him as the Governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. According to the BBC
, as governor, his assignment was to bring stability and security to the FATA region. To complete this task, he sought many peace deals with the local tribal leaders. However, the deals were violated and the violence began in the FATA region. Soon, a bloody tribal conflict
between the Pakistan Armed Forces ended the peace deals. A new War
in tribal areas was insued. As the conflict grew momentarily, he resigned as the Governor. He was replaced by Owais Ahmed Ghani
, a former Governor
of Balochistan Province.
A tribal Pashtun and blong himself to FATA
, the appointment of Lt. General retired Ali Jan Aurakzai as new Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a big relief for tribesmen in FATA and a dream come true for them. The tribal leaders were expressed positive reviews as they had personally knew Aurakzai. Aurakzai sought to end the violence in Khyber and FATA regions. He was one the pioneer and strongly advocated the Waziristan Accord
. According to him, it was a breakthrough and if the treaty proved successful, similar treaties would be signed with tribes in other agencies, Governor Aurakzai concluded.
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Ali Muhammad Jan Aurakzai (Urdu language: على محمد جا ن ا و ر كزى ), is a retired 3-star
3 star rank
An officer of three-star rank is a very senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-8. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members...
rank general in 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...
who served as the Corps Commander of XI Corps
XI Corps (Pakistan)
The XI Corps is an active administrative corp of Pakistan Army. The XI Corps is the only one corps that is assigned in the North-West Frontier Province . It is currently stationed in Peshawar, Khyber-Pakhtaunkhuwa. The Corps was established and quickly raised in 1975 to support administrative...
and command all the Pakistan Army's assets during the War in North-West Pakistan
War in North-West Pakistan
The War in North-West Pakistan is an armed conflict between the Pakistan Armed Forces and armed religious groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan , Lashkar-e-Islam, TSNM, Arab and Central Asian militants including Al-Qaeda, regional armed movements and elements of organized crime.The armed...
. As Commander, he oversaw the peaceful deployment of Pakistan Army's XI Corps
XI Corps (Pakistan)
The XI Corps is an active administrative corp of Pakistan Army. The XI Corps is the only one corps that is assigned in the North-West Frontier Province . It is currently stationed in Peshawar, Khyber-Pakhtaunkhuwa. The Corps was established and quickly raised in 1975 to support administrative...
in the Northern Areas
Northern Areas
Gilgit-Baltistan , is the northernmost political entity within Pakistan. It borders Pakistan's Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province to the west, Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor to the north, China to the east and northeast, Azad Kashmir to the southwest, and Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir to the...
and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas
Federally Administered Tribal Areas
The Federally Administered Tribal Areas are a semi-autonomous tribal region in the northwest of Pakistan, lying between the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the neighboring country of Afghanistan. The FATA comprise seven Agencies and six FRs...
(FATA)
Aurakzai was the leading general in the Pakistan Army who led the Pakistan Combatant Forces in North-West War. He also had oversaw the military development and deployment in the FATA region, as Commander. After retiring from the military, he was the former governor of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa of 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...
, from May 2006 until his resignation in January 2008.
Military career
Passing out from Pakistan Military Academy with the 38th PMA Long Course, he got commission (second lieutenant) in 1967 in the 14th Battalion of the Frontier Force RegimentFrontier Force Regiment
For Pakistan's Border Guard see: Frontier CorpsThe Frontier Force Regiment is one of six Infantry regiments in the Pakistan Army. At present, the regiment consists of 67 battalions and has its regimental depot at Abbottabad in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. For that reason Abbottabad is also known as Home of...
(Naubara), 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...
. As Lieutenant, Aurakzai had led a Guerrilla company during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 was a military conflict between India and Pakistan. Indian, Bangladeshi and international sources consider the beginning of the war to be Operation Chengiz Khan, Pakistan's December 3, 1971 pre-emptive strike on 11 Indian airbases...
. In 1976, as Major, he served as the Forward observer in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. In 1983, he served as the Aerial observer and intelligence observer in the Pakistan's western border. He is graduate of 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...
, and was posted in Generals Headquarter (GHQ) in 1985. He served there as an intelligence analyst for the Pakistan Army. Throughout the 1980s, Aurakzai had served as an intelligence and military advisor at The GHQ.
Aurakzai later served as the Commander Force Command Northern Areas (FCNA), Gilgit
Gilgit
Gilgit is a city in northern PakistanGilgit may refer to other terms related with the area of the city:* Gilgit River* Gilgit Valley* Gilgit District* Gilgit Agency * Gilgit Airport...
as a Major-General. In 1998, as Major-General, he was the Vice Chief of General Staff at the GHQ. Court-martial Lieutenant-General Ziauddin Butt
Ziauddin Butt
General Ziauddin Khawaja, also known as Ziauddin Butt, is a four-star general of the Pakistan Army and a career operations and infantry formations commander, head of intelligence and engineering officer...
held Aurakzai, as he was Vice Chief of Generals Staff, responsible for coup d'état against Former Prime minister Nawaz Sharif
Nawaz Sharif
Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif is a Pakistani conservative politician and steel magnate who served as 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan in two non-consecutive terms from November 1990 to July 1993, and from February 1997 to October 12, 1999...
.
In April 1999, he was promoted to Lieutenant-General and shifted as Adjutant-General (AG), Pakistan Army Generals Headquarter (GHQ). On October 2001, he was made "Core-commander" of XI Corps
XI Corps (Pakistan)
The XI Corps is an active administrative corp of Pakistan Army. The XI Corps is the only one corps that is assigned in the North-West Frontier Province . It is currently stationed in Peshawar, Khyber-Pakhtaunkhuwa. The Corps was established and quickly raised in 1975 to support administrative...
, and served as the Commander of Western Military Command. During his military career, he was the leading and most experience general who served under General Pervez Musharraf Administration. Following the collapse of Taliban regime
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
in Afghanistan, Aurakzai was made the commander of Western Military Command. As commander, he oversaw the extensive military operations
Battle of Tora Bora
The Battle of Tora Bora was a military engagement that took place in Afghanistan in December 2001, during the opening stages of the war in that country launched following the 9/11 attacks on the United States. The U.S...
led by the United States special operations forces
United States Special Operations Forces
United States Special Operations Forces under United States Special Operations Command are active and reserve component forces of U.S. Military...
. He responded with deploying hundreds of Mountaineering and Infantry battalions to guard the Pakistan-Afghanistan border
Durand Line
The Durand Line refers to the porous international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which has divided the ethnic Pashtuns . This poorly marked line is approximately long...
.
In December 2003, he led the XI Corps
XI Corps (Pakistan)
The XI Corps is an active administrative corp of Pakistan Army. The XI Corps is the only one corps that is assigned in the North-West Frontier Province . It is currently stationed in Peshawar, Khyber-Pakhtaunkhuwa. The Corps was established and quickly raised in 1975 to support administrative...
, and several supported administrative divisions of XII Corps
XII Corps (Pakistan)
The XII Corps is an active and military administrative corps of Pakistan Army currently stationed in Quetta, Balochistan Province. The XII Corps is a major part of Southern Military Command of Pakistan Defence Forces...
. He served as the principal commander of the Pakistan's Western Military Command, and had supervised the Pakistan Army's quick deployment in Federally Administered Tribal Areas
Federally Administered Tribal Areas
The Federally Administered Tribal Areas are a semi-autonomous tribal region in the northwest of Pakistan, lying between the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the neighboring country of Afghanistan. The FATA comprise seven Agencies and six FRs...
(FATA). Under his command, the military saw the action Battle of Wana
Battle of Wana
The Battle of Wana was a military engagement between Pakistan Army and the Taliban forces, supported by the foreign fighters of Osama Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda. The battle was among one of the bloodiest battle fought by the Pakistan Army, and it ended violently with 49 infantry troop soldiers dead...
and, which concluded with Pakistani success. In March 2004, he was given honorable retirement from the Army. He was succeeded by Lieutenant-General Masood Aslam
Masood Aslam
Lieutenant General Muhammad Masood Aslam, HI, HI, SJ, afwc, psc, is a retired three-star general who served as the principal commander of Pakistan Army fighting the pro-Taliban forces in the North-West Pakistan from 2007 to 2010...
, who became the principle commander of Western Military Command of Pakistan Defence Forces.
Post-Military career
Soon after the conflict, Aurakzai received an honorable discharge from the Army. Soon after his retirement, Prime minister Zafarullah Khan JamaliZafarullah Khan Jamali
Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali was the 13th Prime Minister of Pakistan and former Chairman of the Pakistan Hockey Federation.-Early life:Born in Baluchistan, Jamali was the second Baluch Prime Minister of Pakistan...
appointed him as the Governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. According to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, as governor, his assignment was to bring stability and security to the FATA region. To complete this task, he sought many peace deals with the local tribal leaders. However, the deals were violated and the violence began in the FATA region. Soon, a bloody tribal conflict
Chenagai airstrike
The Chenagai airstrike took place on October 30, 2006, around 5:00 am. local time. Missiles were fired at a madrassa in Chenagai village in Bajaur region of Pakistan. An eyewitness has stated that the madrassa was filled with local students who had resumed studies after the Eid ul-Fitr holiday. 82...
between the Pakistan Armed Forces ended the peace deals. A new War
War in North-West Pakistan
The War in North-West Pakistan is an armed conflict between the Pakistan Armed Forces and armed religious groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan , Lashkar-e-Islam, TSNM, Arab and Central Asian militants including Al-Qaeda, regional armed movements and elements of organized crime.The armed...
in tribal areas was insued. As the conflict grew momentarily, he resigned as the Governor. He was replaced by Owais Ahmed Ghani
Owais Ahmed Ghani
Owais Ahmed Ghani is the former governor of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, who previously governed southwestern province of Balochistan for four and a half years....
, a former Governor
Governor of Balochistan
The Governor of Balochistan is the appointed Head of State of the provincial government in Balochistan, Pakistan. The governor is designated by the Prime Minister and is normally regarded a ceremonial post...
of Balochistan Province.
A tribal Pashtun and blong himself to FATA
Federally Administered Tribal Areas
The Federally Administered Tribal Areas are a semi-autonomous tribal region in the northwest of Pakistan, lying between the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the neighboring country of Afghanistan. The FATA comprise seven Agencies and six FRs...
, the appointment of Lt. General retired Ali Jan Aurakzai as new Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a big relief for tribesmen in FATA and a dream come true for them. The tribal leaders were expressed positive reviews as they had personally knew Aurakzai. Aurakzai sought to end the violence in Khyber and FATA regions. He was one the pioneer and strongly advocated the Waziristan Accord
Waziristan accord
The Waziristan Accord was an agreement between the government of Pakistan and tribals, resident in the Waziristan area to mutually cease hostilities in North Waziristan . The agreement was signed on 5 September 2006 in the North Waziristan town of Miranshah...
. According to him, it was a breakthrough and if the treaty proved successful, similar treaties would be signed with tribes in other agencies, Governor Aurakzai concluded.