Sahabzada Yaqub Khan Explained

Honorific-Prefix:Lieutenant General
Yaqub Ali Khan
Native Name:instead.-->
Honorific-Suffix:SPk
Office:15th & 17th Minister of Foreign Affairs
Term Start:11 November 1996
Term End:24 February 1997
President:Farooq Leghari
Primeminister:Malik Meraj Khalid
Predecessor:Asif Ahmad Ali
Successor:Gohar Ayub
Term Start2:21 March 1982
Term End2:20 March 1991
Predecessor2:Agha Shahi
Successor2:Akram Zaki (acting)
Office3:Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara
Term Start3:23 March 1992
Term End3:August 1995
Predecessor3:Johannes Manz
Successor3:Erik Jensen
Office4:Pakistan Ambassador to the United States
Term Start4:19 December 1973
Term End4:3 January 1979
President4:Fazal Illahi
Primeminister4:Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Predecessor4:Sultan Mohammed Khan
Successor4:Sultan Mohammed Khan
Office5:Military Governor of East Pakistan
Term Start5:1 March 1971
Term End5:7 March 1971
President5:Yahya Khan
Primeminister5:Nurul Amin
Predecessor5:Vice Admiral Syed Mohammad Ahsan
Successor5:Lt. Gen. Tikka Khan
Term Start6:23 August 1969
Term End6:1 September 1969
President6:Yahya Khan
Predecessor6:MGen Muzzafaruddin
Successor6:Vice Admiral S.M. Ahsan
Birth Date:1920 12, df=yes
Birth Place:Rampur State, British Indian Empire
Death Place:Islamabad, Pakistan
Birthname:Mohammad Yaqub Ali Khan
Spouse:Begum Tuba Khaleeli
Nickname:SYAK
Prince Soldier
Allegiance: British India (1940–1947)
Pakistan (1947–1971)
Branch: British Indian Army
Pakistan Army
Serviceyears:1940–1971
Rank: Lieutenant General
Unit:18th Cavalry, Armoured Corps
Military Blank1:S/No.
Military Data1:PA – 136
Relatives:Fauzia Kasuri (niece)

Lieutenant General Sahabzada Mohammad Yaqub Ali Khan (; 23 December 1920 – 26 January 2016)[1] was a Pakistani politician, diplomat, military figure, linguist, and a retired general in the Pakistani Army.[2]

After the Partition of India in 1947, he opted for Pakistan and joined the Pakistan Army where he participated in the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965. He was the commander of the army's Eastern Command in East Pakistan. He was appointed as governor of East Pakistan in 1969 and 1971 but recalled to Pakistan after he submitted his resignation amid civil unrest. In 1973, he joined the foreign service and was appointed as the Pakistan Ambassador to the United States and later ascended as foreign minister, serving under President Zia-ul-Haq in 1982.

His stint as foreign minister played a major role in the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan (1979–89) and he took part in negotiations to end the Contras in Nicaragua (1981–87) on the behalf of the United Nations. In the 1990s, he served as an official of the United Nations for Western Sahara until he was reappointed as foreign minister under Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. After retiring from diplomatic services in 1997, he spent his remaining years in Islamabad and died in Islamabad in 2016.

Biography

Youth and World war II

Early days

Mohammad Yaqub Ali Khan was born into Indian nobility into the Rohilla branch of the Kheshgi family Pashtun tribe in Rampur, United Provinces, British Indian Empire on 23 December 1920.[3] He had also been a close relative of the family of the Nawabs of Kasur, of Punjab.[4] His father, Sir Abdus Samad Khan was an aristocrat and politician who served as chief minister of Rampur, and as British India's representative to the League of Nations.

He was educated at the Rashtriya Indian Military College at Dehradun, then the Indian Military Academy and gained a commission in British Indian Army in 1940 and attached to the 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry.[5]

Participation in WWII and POW

In his military career he saw action during World War II and served in the North African campaign where he was attached to 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry from April 1942. He was taken prisoner of war in North Africa in May 1942. In September 1943 he escaped from the Italian prisoner of war camp P. G. 91 in Avezzano (with two other Indian officers) and was out for four to five months attempting to move south to Allied lines, but they were subsequently re-captured by German forces who put him in a prisoner of war camp in Germany until April 1945 when he was released by the U.S. Army soldiers. During his time in German custody, he learnt languages by interacting with fellow prisoners and reading literature in those languages.

Return to India and Partition

Upon returning to India in 1945, he was selected as an adjutant to Field Marshal Lord Wavell with an army rank of major. After hearing the news of partition of India and creation of Pakistan, he decided to opt for Pakistan, and initially was selected as aide-de-camp (ADC) to Muhammad Ali Jinnah– the first Governor-General of Pakistan. It was then-Lieutenant S.M. Ahsan who was made the ADC at the behest of Lord Mountbatten, and Yaqub was appointed as commandant of the Governor-General's bodyguard for the first governor-general which he led until 1948. In the period 1948–49, he attended the short one-year course at the Command and Staff College at Quetta and graduated with a staff officer's degree.[6]

In 1951, he served in the Military Intelligence (MI) as lieutenant-colonel, and directed initiatives to analytical branch of the ISI for the whereabouts of the Indian Army but he reportedly struggled with providing factual intelligence that was provided to ISI.[7]

He commanded the 11th Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry (Frontier Force), Armoured Corps from December 1952 to October 1953.[8]

He was promoted to colonel in 1953 and went to Paris in France to attend the famed École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr where he graduated in 1954.

Upon returning to Pakistan, he was promoted to brigadier in 1955 where he served as a chief instructor at the Command and Staff College.[9]

Staff and war appointments:1960–69

In 1958, he was appointed as the vice chief of general staff at the army GHQ and later becoming the commandant of the Command and Staff College in Quetta in 1960. In 1960 he was promoted to major-general and commanded the 1st Armoured Division of Armoured Corps and was said to have a portrait of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in his office.[10] As an armored commander, he arranged a course on philosophy on the panzer doctrine to educate the armoured division on the tank battles and strategies.

He participated in the war against India in 1965, having command of his 1st Armoured Division.[11] He helped develop the operational planning of the armoured vehicular warfare deployments against the Indian Army advances in Punjab and presented his views at the Army GHQ.[12] Soon after, he was appointed as director-general military operations (DGMO) by General Musa Khan and directed all formats of ground operations during the 1965 war against India.

After the war, he was appointed as chief of general staff at the army GHQ under army chief General Yahya Khan in 1966 and remained until 1969.[13]

East Pakistan: military advisor and governorship (1969–71)

See main article: Admiral Ahsan Mission. In 1969, Lieutenant-General Yaqub Khan was posted to East Pakistan as the commander of Eastern Command in Dacca by President Yahya Khan and helped evaluate the command rotation of the eastern military.[14] Soon, he was appointed as governor of East Pakistan where he began learning the Bengali language and became accustomed to Bengali culture.[15] [16] He was highly respected by the East Pakistani military officers due to his stance and professionalism and was said to be very well liked and respected in the East.[17]

He was known to be an unusual military officer who knew very well about "limits of force",[18] and did not believe in the use of brute force to settle political disputes. In 1969–71, he worked together with Admiral Ahsan in advising the Yahya administration in an effort to resolve the situation and restricted strictly the proposal of usage of military force in the province.[19]

At the cabinet meeting, he was often fierce and strictly resisted the usage of military option but was respected in the military due to his understanding of Bengali issues and whose colleagues often labeled him as "Bingos."[20] In 1970, he notably coordinated the relief operations when the disastrous cyclone had hit the state and gained prestige for his efforts in the country.

Notes and References

  1. Book: Cloughley. Brian. A History of the Pakistan Army: Wars and Insurrections. 5 January 2016. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.. 978-1-63144-039-7 . 6 September 2016. en.
  2. News: Roberts. Sam. Sahabzada Yaqub Khan, Pakistani Diplomat, Dies at 95. 6 September 2016. The New York Times. 28 January 2016.
  3. Book: Rajagopalan . Rajesh . Mishra . Atul . Nuclear South Asia: Keywords and Concepts . 2014 . Routledge . 978-1-138-79573-0 . 169–170 . 6 September 2016 . en.
  4. Web site: Fauzia Kasuri disclosure . Twitter.
  5. News: Bangash. Yaqood Khan. Pakistan's prince soldier, diplomat, statesman . 6 September 2016. Express Tribune . 27 January 2016.
  6. News: Jafri . Iqbal . Civil-military relations . 9 December 2016 . Dawn . 27 July 2010 . Islamabad . en.
  7. Book: Sirrs. Owen L.. Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate: Covert Action and Internal Operations. 2017. Routledge. 978-1-317-19609-9 . 27–28 . 9 December 2016. en.
  8. Book: Effendi, M. Y. . Punjab Cavalry . 2007 . 173 . OUP Pakistan . 978-0-19-547203-5.
  9. Web site: Staff college. Army. Gallery Chief Instructors. armystaffcollege.gov.pk. Army ISPR. 9 December 2016. 26 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170326013326/http://armystaffcollege.gov.pk/Gallery_CI.php. dead.
  10. Web site: Zafar . M. . Prince, Soldier, Statesman: Sahabzada Yaqub Khan . Defence Journal . 9 December 2016 . en . October 2000 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160430043502/http://www.defencejournal.com/2000/oct/yaqub.htm . 30 April 2016.
  11. News: Sahibzada Yaqub Ali Khan passes away . 6 September 2016 . Business Recorder . https://web.archive.org/web/20160923014354/http://www.brecorder.com/top-stories/0:/10136:sahibzada-yaqub-ali-khan-passes-away/?date=2016-01-26 . 23 September 2016.
  12. Book: Husain . Abrar . Men of steel: 6 Armoured Division in the 1965 war . 2005 . Army Education Publishing House, Army Education Directorate GHQ . 22–23. 9789698125196 . 13 December 2016 . en.
  13. Web site: Pakistan Period (1947-1971) . Office of the President of Bangladesh . 9 December 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180308135758/http://bangabhaban.gov.bd/Homes/banglahistory_submenu/12/51 . 8 March 2018.
  14. Book: Singh. Ravi Shekhar Narain Singh. The Military Factor in Pakistan. 2008. Lancer Publishers. 359. 978-0-9815378-9-4 . 13 December 2016. en.
  15. Book: Khan. Sahabzada Yaqub. Strategy, diplomacy, humanity: life and work of Sahabzada Yaqub-Khan. 2005. International Forum Takshila Research University. 24. 978-0-9755860-1-3. 13 December 2016. en.
  16. Book: Shah. Aqil. The Army and Democracy. 2014. Harvard University Press. 110. 978-0-674-72893-6 . 13 December 2016. en.
  17. Book: Abbas. Hassan. Pakistan's Drift into Extremism: Allah, the Army, and America's War on Terror: Allah, the Army, and America's War on Terror. 26 March 2015. Routledge. 978-1-317-46327-6. 13 December 2016. en.
  18. Book: Friend. Theodore . Woman, Man, and God in Modern Islam. 2012 . Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. 62. 978-0-8028-6673-8. 13 December 2016. en.
  19. Book: Raghavan. Srinath. 1971. 2013. Harvard University Press. 978-0-674-73127-1. 13 December 2016. en.
  20. Book: Sirrs. Owen L.. Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate: Covert Action and Internal Operations. 2017. Routledge. 978-1-317-19608-2. en.