Abdul Rahim Khan

Air Marshal Abdur Rahim Khan
عبدالرحیم خان
Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Air Force
In office September 1, 1969 – March 2, 1972
President	Yahya Khan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Preceded by	Malik Nur Khan
Succeeded by	Zafar Chaudhry
Personal details
Born	October 25, 1925 British Indian Empire
Died	February 28, 1990 (aged 64) Potomac, Maryland, United States
Awards	Sitara-e-Basalat Sitara-e-Pakistan Hilal-e-Quaid-i-Azam Hilal-e-Jurat
Military service
Allegiance	Pakistan
Service/branch	Pakistan Air Force
Years of service	1944–1971
Rank	Air Marshal
Unit	No. 7 Squadron Bandits
Commands	Commander in Chief AOC Mauripur Air Force Base Comdnt. PAF Staff College Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Operations)
Battles/wars	Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 1965 Indo-Pak Aerial War Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Operation Chengiz Khan East-Pakistan Air Strike Operations

Air Marshal Abdur Rahim Khan, HJ, HQA, SPk, SBt (25 October 1925 – 28 February 1990) was a 3-star air officer who served as the last Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Air Force between 1969 and 1972. He later was later sacked by the JAG Branch, and given a discharged from the Air Force as former Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of Pakistan Air Force, along with the Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of Pakistan Army Lieutenant-General Gul Hassan Khan and Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Navy, Vice-Admiral Muzaffar Hassan on March 3, 1972. His successor, Air Marshal Zafar Chaudhry, was the first Chief of Air Staff of Pakistan Air Force.

Air Force career

Abdur Rahim Khan was commissioned in the British Indian Air Force on 5 June 1944. During his post independence service in the PAF, he was the first commander of its only jet squadron, No. 11 Squadron, and No. 9 Squadron. He became a member of MACH Buster's Club by breaking the sound barrier in United States of America, he was the first Asian to have achieved this honor. In later years he commanded Mauripur base as well as the PAF Staff College and held appointments Director of Plans and Director of Operations as well as ACAS (Operations) and later, ACAS (Administration) at the Air Headquarters. In between, he also qualified courses at the RAF Staff College, Andover and the Imperial Defence College in London.

Relations with China

During his tenure he visited China due to the military co-operation between the two nations.^[1] He was awarded the Hilal-i-Jurat for his command in 1971 Indo-Pakistani war.

Personal life

Rahim Khan was married to Princess Mehrunissa Khan,^[2] the only child of the beloved but unofficial third queen of the Nawab of Rampur. They got married in London when Rahim Khan was a group captain.^[3]

Envoy of Pakistan to Spain

Air Marshal Abdur Rahim Khan was sent as an Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Spain on May 11, 1972. Lieutenant General Gul Hassan Khan as well was sent as Ambassador to Austria. Air Marshal Abdur Rahim Khan served as Ambassador until April 13, 1977, when he again resigned in protest against the rigging of elections in Pakistan by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto the Prime Minister of Pakistan and his party the Pakistan People's Party. Hence after Air Marshal Abdur Rahim Khan decided to settle down in United States of America. He lived in Potomac, Maryland until he died of renal failure on February 28, 1990.

References

1. Open Society Archives : AIR MARSHAL'S VISIT TO PEKING REFLECTS LIVELY MILITARY CONTACTS BETWEEN CHINA AND PAKISTAN
2. Mehrunissa Khan. An extraordinary life: Princess Mehrunissa of Rampur, (Blue Leaf, 2006)
3. Vatsala Kaul. "The princess diaries : Mehrunissa of Rampur" Harmony Magazine, October 2004

External links

• Bio of Air Marshal A Rahim Khan