Zafar Chaudhry
Zafar Ahmad Chaudhry (19 August 1926 – 17 December 2019) was a Pakistani former airline executive, three-star rank officer, and human rights activist who served as the first Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force, appointed by President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1972 and resigned in 1974.
Zafar Ahmad Chaudhry | |
|---|---|
| ظفراحمد چودھری | |
 | |
| 1st Chief of Air Staff Pakistan Air Force | |
| In office 3 March 1972 – 15 April 1974 | |
| Deputy | Eric G. Hall (1972) Saeedullah Khan (1972-73) Chaudhary Rab Nawaz (1973-74) |
| Preceded by | Office Established (C-in-C of the PAF Air Marshal Abdur Rahim Khan) |
| Succeeded by | Air Chief Marshal Zulfiqar Ali Khan |
| Managing Director of Pakistan International Airlines | |
| In office 1971 – 2 March 1972 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Zafar Ahmad Chaudhry 19 August 1926 |
| Died | 17 December 2019 (aged 93) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  Royal Indian Air Force Pakistan Air Force |
| Years of service | 1945–1974 |
| Rank |   Air Marshal |
| Unit | No. 7 Squadron, RIAF (S/No. RIAF. 3095) |
| Commands | Pakistan Air Force Academy PAF Base Sargodha ACAS (Air Operations) No. 38 (Tactical) Wing |
| Battles/wars | Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 |
| Awards | Sitara-e-Quaid-e-Azam |
Zafar Ahmad Chaudhry[a] (19 August 1926 – 17 December 2019) was a Pakistani former airline executive, three-star rank officer, and human rights activist who served as the first Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force, appointed by President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1972 and resigned in 1974.
Early life and education
[edit]Zafar Ahmad Chaudhry was born in Sialkot, Punjab, British India on 19 August 1926 to a Punjabi Kahlon Jatt family belonging to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community.[1][2]
He enrolled at the Punjab University in Lahore, and graduated with bachelor's degree in 1944, and then joined the Royal Indian Air Force.[3][1]
Military career
[edit]Early career and training (1945–1950s)
[edit]In 1945, Chaudhry was commissioned in the Royal Indian Air Force as a pilot officer, and was inducted in No. 7 Squadron in 1946.[2] After the partition of India, he subsequently went to join the Royal Pakistan Air Force, and qualified as an instructor on the North American T-6G Harvard.[4] He was further educated at the RAF Staff College in Andover, Hampshire, in the United Kingdom before being directed to attend the Joint Service Defence College of the British Army.[5] He later secured his qualification from the Imperial Defence College before returning to Pakistan.[6]
Operational roles and command appointments (1960s)
[edit]In 1965, Air Commodore Chaudhry served in the Air Headquarters as a Director Air Operations, taking responsibility for planning combat aerial operations against the Indian Air Force during the second war with India.[7] In 1969, Chaudhry was appointed station commander of the PAF Station Sargodha.[8]
Secondment and civil aviation role (1971–1972)
[edit]In 1971, Air Vice-Marshal Chaudhry was sent on secondment and was appointed managing director of the Pakistan International Airlines, which he directed until 1972.[9]
Chief of Air Staff and reforms (1972–1974)
[edit]On 3 April 1972, Air Marshal Chaudhry was appointed first Chief of Air Staff and took over the command of the Pakistan Air Force. In 1973, he authorised the Air Intelligence to conduct inquiries for the court-martial of several senior air force officers for their alleged political role in de-stabilising the civilian government.[10]
This decision sparked controversy between the Air Force and the civilian government. Eventually, the decision was reversed upon being determined that the investigation was opened for inappropriate reasons, allowing the alleged officers to continue their military service in 1974.[11] Upon learning of this development, Chaudhry immediately tendered his resignation.
Resignation and later life
[edit]Not known for affluence he took a job in USA selling cars. Later he joined Mr. Babar Ali in Lahore to look after WWF in Pakistan.[12]
Chaudhry was the last air marshal to command the Air Force, and was succeeded by Zulfiqar Ali Khan, the air force's first four-star rank officer.[1] After his retirement, Chaudhry became an activist, returned to Pakistan, and was one of the founding members of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan in the 1980s, subsequently serving on its council.[13]
On 17 December 2019, Chaudhry died of cardiac arrest, aged 93, in Lahore, Pakistan.[14][15]
In popular culture
[edit]He is portrayed by Ajay Mehra in the 2026 Indian film Border 2, which is based on various engagements during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 including Operation Chengiz Khan by the PAF.[16]
Books
[edit]- Mosaic of Memory: A Personal Narrative, 1985. Memoirs.
- Miracles Do Happen, 1988. Memoirs.
- Plaint And Response, 2012. Translation of Urdu poetry from Muhammaq Iqbal, Shikwa and Jawab-e-Shikwa.
Awards and decorations
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| Sitara-e-Quaid-e-Azam
(SQA) |
Tamgha-e-Diffa
(General Service Medal) |
Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War
(War Star 1965) |
Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War
(War Medal 1965) |
| Pakistan Tamgha
(Pakistan Medal) 1947 |
Tamgha-e-Jamhuria
(Republic Commemoration Medal) 1956 |
War Medal | Queen Elizabeth II
(1953) |
Foreign Decorations
[edit]| Foreign Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
 UK
|
War Medal 1939-1945 |
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| UK
|
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal |
|
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Hussain, Syed Shabbir; Qureshi, M. Tariq (1982). History of the Pakistan Air Force, 1947–1982 (google books) (1st ed.). Islamabad, Pakistan: ISPR (Pakistan Air Force). p. 217. ISBN 978-0-19-648045-9. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ a b Indian Air Force, IAF. "Service Record for Air Marshal Zafar Ahmed Chaudhry 3095 GD(P) at Bharat Rakshak.com". Bharat Rakshak. Indian Air Force Database. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ Naqvi, Ashfaque (28 September 2002). "Features: Zafar Ahmad Chaudhry". DAWN.COM. Dawn Newspapers. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ Ahmad, S. M. (2001). "Pakistan's Share of Aircraft from Undivided India". A Lucky Pilot: Memoirs of Retired Wing Commander Lanky Ahmad (googleboosk) (1st ed.). Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan: Ferozsons. pp. 28–29. ISBN 9789690013712. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ Ilmi Encyclopaedia of General Knowledge. Ilmi Kitab Khana. 1979. p. 335. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ World Defence Who's who. Macdonald and Jane's. 1974. p. 38. ISBN 9780356080031.
- ^ Fricker, John (1979). Battle for Pakistan: The Air War of 1965. I. Allan. p. 122. ISBN 9780711009295.
- ^ "Shaheen: Journal of the Pakistan Air Force". Shaheen: Journal of the Pakistan Air Force. 31 (1). Air Headquarters.: 24 1984. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ Roadcap, Roy Reginald (1972). World Airline Record. Roy R. Roadcap & Associates. pp. 134–135. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ Khan, Inamul Haque (1999). Memoirs of Insignificance. Dar-ut-Tazkeer. pp. 95–96.
- ^ Rizvi, H. (2000). Military, State and Society in Pakistan. Springer. p. 144. ISBN 9780230599048. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ Cloughley, Brian (2016). A History of the Pakistan Army: Wars and Insurrections. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. p. 212. ISBN 9781631440397. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
- ^ "HRCP mourns loss of founder member Air Marshal Zafar Chaudhry". HRCP. 18 December 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ^ "Former PAF chief Zafar Chaudhry passes away". Dawn. 18 December 2019.
- ^ "Former air chief marshal Zafar Ahmad Chaudhry passes away". Samaa TV. 18 December 2019.
- ^ Singh, Anurag (2026). Border 2 (Motion picture) (in Hindi). T-Series Films, J. P. Films.
Notes
[edit]External links
[edit]- Bio of Air Marshal Zafar Chaudhry Archived 30 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- About the HRCP Archived 20 September 2021 at the Wayback Machine