Asghar Khan

Pakistani Air Force air -5735

Air Marshal Asghar Khan (17 January 1921 – 5 January 2018) was Pakistani politician, aviation historian, peace activist, and retired three star rank air force general.

Asghar Khan
اصغر خان
Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Air Force
In office
23 July 1957 – 22 July 1965
PresidentIskander Mirza
Ayub Khan
Preceded byAVM Arthur McDonald
Succeeded byAir Marshal Nur Khan
President of Pakistan International Airlines
In office
20 August 1965 – 31 November 1968
Preceded byArthur McDonald
Succeeded byAir Marshal Nur Khan
Chairman of the Tehrik-e-Istiqlal
In office
29 June 1970 – 12 December 2011
Merged with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
Preceded byOffice created
Succeeded byImran Khan
Personal details
Born
Mohammad Asghar Khan

(1921-01-17)17 January 1921
Jammu, Kashmir, British Indian Empire
Died5 January 2018(2018-01-05) (aged 96)
Abbottabad, Pakistan
CitizenshipUnited KingdomBritish Subject (1921–1947)
 Pakistan (1947–)
Political partyPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
Other political
affiliations
Tehrik-e-Istiqlal
ChildrenNasreen Asghar Khan
Shereen Asghar Khan
Omar Asghar Khan
Ali Asghar Khan
ResidenceAbbottabad
Alma materRoyal Air Force College
Indian Military Academy
Occupationadministrator
politician
Professionfighter pilot
Military service
Nickname(s)Night Flyer
Allegiance United Kingdom
 Pakistan
Branch/service Royal Air Force
 Pakistan Air Force
Years of service1940–1965
Rank Air Marshal (Lieutenant-General)
UnitNo. 9 Squadron Griffins
CommandsPakistan Air Force Academy
No. 1 Stryker Group, Peshawar AFB
Directorate-General for the Air Operations (DGAO)
Precision Engineering Complex
Assistant Chief of Air Staff
Battles/warsWorld War II
Burma Campaign 1944–1945
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947

Khan served as the first native Commander in Chief of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) under President Iskander Mirza (1956–59) and under President Ayub Khan until resigning in 1965 before the start of the air operations of the PAF during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.

In 1970, Asghar Khan founded the secular party, the Tehrik-e-Istiqlal, but performed poorly in 1970 parliamentary elections.

Khan died on 5 January 2018 in Abbottabad, Pakistan of complications from Parkinson's disease at the age of 96.[1][2]

References

change
  1. "First Muslim air chief of PAF Asghar Khan dies". Daily Pakistan Global.
  2. Siddiqui - Dawn.com, Naveed (5 January 2018). "Air Marshal Asghar Khan passes away in Islamabad". DAWN.COM.