Asghar Khan

Air Marshal Mohammad Asghar Khan}} (Urdu: ; 17 January 1921 – 5 January 2018) recognized as the ''Father of the Pakistan Air Force'' and known as ''Shaheen-e-Pakistan'' and ''Night Flyer,'' held the distinction of being the first native and second Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Air Force. He became the world's youngest Air Vice Marshal at 36 and Air Marshal at 37 years old. Additionally, he was an airline executive, sports administrator, prominent politician, Member of the 6th National Assembly of Pakistan, author, and the first pilot from the Indian subcontinent to fly a fighter jet, the Gloster Meteor III. As chief, Asghar Khan significantly dismissed the notion held by the leadership of West Pakistan, that Bengalis were physically unfit for army recruitment. He abolished this standard in the PAF, arguing that height and chest measurements were irrelevant to combat effectiveness.

Throughout his life, he opposed the dictatorial and autocratic regimes of Field Marshal Ayub Khan, President Yahya Khan, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, General Zia-ul-Haq and Zia's protégé Nawaz Sharif, and General Musharraf. In 1971, Asghar Khan spearheaded protests demanding the release of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman from prison and was one of the 42 signatories in November 1971, including Faiz Ahmed Faiz, urging President Yahya to release him. He actively campaigned in East Pakistan where he was very popular, advocating for Bengali rights before and after the 1971 War. Additionally, Asghar Khan demanded for a public trial of Yahya Khan for his role in the Bengali genocide. In January 1972, Asghar Khan was the first to call for Pakistan's recognition of Bangladesh, a move that led President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to branding him as a traitor. Ayub, Bhutto, and General Zia-ul-Haq notably placed Asghar Khan under house arrest, with his detention under General Zia lasting 1,603 days.

Dedicated to advocating for pacifism, Asghar Khan promoted peace through Track II diplomacy, stood up for human rights, known for his word and integrity, garnering respect throughout Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Asghar Khan is credited with establishing the Fighter Leader's School, Mauripur in June 1958, introducing monthly air staff presentations in July 1958, establishing PAF Staff College in January 1959, inducting F-86 Sabres into the PAF along with Nur Khan, forming an inspectorate team at AHQ (PAF) in January 1959, establishing PAF's first maintenance unit at Drigh Road in January 1959, installing the first high-powered radar at Badin and inducting the B-57 Canberra into the fleet of the PAF in November 1959, establishing the Ski & Snow Survival School at Kalabagh Nathiagali in 1960, forming Sector Operations Center (North) Sakesar in July 1960, inducting F-104's in March 1961, establishing new bases at Sargodha and Samungli, forming No 31/33/34/35 wings, introducing Ground-controlled approach in the PAF in 1961, forming Airfield Construction Squadrons in January 1962, establishing the School of Physical Fitness and PAF's first printing press, inducting T-33 and T-37 trainer aircraft in February 1962, introducing the concept of the Inter-Squadron Armament Competition and Annual Flight Safety Trophy, establishing the No 3 (Transport Conversion School) and No. 7 Squadron PAF, No. 8 Squadron PAF, No. 18 Squadron PAF, No. 19 Squadron PAF, No. 23 Squadron PAF, No. 24 Squadron PAF, inducting C-130 into the fleet of PAF in March 1963, establishing No 32 Wing in July 1964, establishing the College of Aeronautical Engineering in March 1965, and establishing the PAF Model School (now Fazaia) in April 1965.

His family was often harassed throughout the 1970s and 1980s, during the tenures of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Zia-ul-Haq. His older brother, timber businessman Aslam Khan, was paraded in handcuffs in the streets of Muzaffarabad, falsely accused of theft and later imprisoned in a remote place in Gilgit Agency. The whole scheme was orchestrated by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who thought Aslam was financing Asghar Khan's politics. Aslam's timber had been seized, essentially going out of business. Another brother, Tariq Khan, was tortured and imprisoned at Attock Fort in inhumane conditions. His sons Omar Asghar Khan and Ali Asghar Khan were also locked up in a police lockup for a few days in Lahore when they came to meet their father at the Lahore Junction railway station on one of his visits there. Ali experienced the same treatment again twice for similar innocuous conduct. On 9 April 1977, Khan's wife Amina Shamsie, was arrested while participating in a women's procession in Lahore and beaten up by the police, receiving injuries and was imprisoned for a day. A few days later, Amina was arrested at another procession in Rawalpindi and kept for three weeks in detention in Dadar, Mansehra. Asghar Khan was lodged in the same room when he was arrested.

While imprisoned in Kot Lakhpat Jail, Asghar Khan read a newspaper report about a Pakistan Army Major who had executed an innocent boy for making a V sign on 21 May 1977, during Martial Law imposed by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Bhutto had ordered a severe crackdown in major urban areas to suppress nationwide protests against the rigged March 1977 elections. In response, Asghar Khan wrote a letter that was widely misinterpreted as a call for the military to overthrow Bhutto's government—an event that General Zia-ul-Haq would carry out two months later. His letter stated: "I am writing this letter to Chiefs of Staff and the officers of the defence forces of Pakistan. It is your duty to defend the territorial integrity of Pakistan and to obey all lawful commands of superior officers placed over you. To differentiate between a ‘lawful’ and ‘unlawful’ command is the duty of every officer. Every one of you must ask yourselves whether what the army is doing today is lawful activity and if your conscience tells you that it is not, and you still carry it out, you would appear to lack moral fibre and would be guilty of a grave crime against your country and people."

Asghar Khan traveled to Kabul on 29 August 1987 and met with Afghan President Dr. Najibullah in September 1987, amid rising tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. He was called "Brutus" by the Pakistani leadership for opposing the state narrative and campaigning for friendship between the two countries.

In 1996, Asghar Khan filed a human rights petition alleging that former Pakistan Army Chief General Mirza Aslam Beg and Pakistani ISI Chief Asad Durrani, under President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, established an election cell to manipulate the 1990 Pakistani general election in favor of Nawaz Sharif by purchasing politicians' loyalties. Nearly 16 years later, Durrani finally admitted his role in a 2012 affidavit to the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The ISI disbursed Rs140 million for this purpose using funds from the foreign exchange reserves of Pakistan, through Mehranbank CEO Younus Habib. In 2012, Habib's affidavit to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, implicated several high-ranking officials. He detailed the distribution of funds to various politicians and institutions, including Rs70 million to Former Chief Minister of Sindh Jam Sadiq Ali, Rs15 million to Pir Pagara, and additional amounts to others through intermediaries. Despite these revelations, no significant legal consequences have followed.

Asghar Khan merged his party, Tehrik-e-Istiqlal, with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on 12 December 2011 and announced his full support for Imran Khan and his party. He praised Imran Khan for his efforts, endorsing him as the last hope for Pakistan's survival. Asghar stated, "There is panic all around the country. The price hike is touching the skies. The country’s economy is on the verge of collapse. People want change, and the PTI is the only party that can provide that." Provided by Wikipedia