Abdul Hamid Khan (general)

General Abdul Hamid Khan, (Urdu: عبد الحمید خان) HQA, SPk, SQA, was a senior officer in the Pakistan Army, serving as the Chief of Staff of the Pakistan Army under President Yahya Khan and leading the army during the events in the Indo-Pakistani War in 1971.[1]

"General Abdul Hamid Khan" redirects here. For other people named Abdul Hamid Khan, see Abdul Hamid Khan (disambiguation).
Abdul Hamid Khan
Allegiance British India
Pakistan
Service/branch British Indian Army
 Pakistan Army
Years of service1939 – 1971
Rank General
Service numberPA-95
Unit10th Baluch Regiment
Commands held6th bn Baluch Regiment
3rd bn Baluch Regiment
11th Infantry Division, Lahore
I Corps, Kharian
Chief of Staff of the Army
Battles/warsWorld War II
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
AwardsHilal-i-Quaid-i-Azam
Sitara-i-Pakistan
Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam

Early career

Abdul Hamid Khan was born 29 April 1917.[2] He attended the Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun. He was commissioned a second lieutenant on the Special List 15 July 1939 and was initially attached to the Somerset Light Infantry for experience from 11 August 1939.[3] His date of commission was later antedated to 28 August 1938 and he was promoted Lieutenant 28 November 1940. He was admitted to the Indian Army 27 August 1940. He was appointed acting Captain then temporary Captain on 23 December 1940.[2] He had been posted to 3rd battalion 10th Baluch Regiment by October 1942.[4]

He was promoted war substantive Captain and temporary Major 3 February 1944. He was briefly an acting Lieut-Col 15 August to 18 October 1945. He had attended a war time staff course.[2]

During the Partition of India, he chose to fight for the Pakistan Army in 1947 and was promoted Lt-Col commanding 6th battalion Baluch Regiment April 1948 - November 1948. He was then appointed Lt-Col commanding 3rd battalion Baluch Regiment from November 1948 to December 1949.[5]

1965 War with India

During the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War, then Major General Abdul Hamid Khan served as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 11th Infantry Division at Kasur. This division in addition to 10th Infantry Division under Major General Sarfaraz Khan repelled the Indian thrust at Lahore on 6 September 1965. His division captured the district of Khemkaran in Indian Punjab, though further advances were checked. He then was able to withstand multiple counter-attacks by the Indian Army in an effort to retake Khemkaran.[6][7]

Career in the Yahya Government

After the Indo-Pak war of 1965, Abdul Hamid Khan was promoted to Lieutenant General and served as the commander of I Corps, then based in Kharian (it is currently based in Mangla).[8] After martial law was imposed by General Yahya Khan on 25 March 1969, Lt Gen Hamid Khan was made the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Army and Deputy Martial Law Administrator of the country.[9] During that time he briefly held the cabinet portfolio of Home Affairs for four months. He was promoted to full general in August 1969 and was appointed as the Chief of Staff of the Army or in other sense the de facto commander-in-chief of the army in place of Yahya as he was the President.

Dates of rank
InsigniaRankComponentDate of rank
Second LieutenantBritish Indian Army15 July 1939[10]
LieutenantBritish Indian Army28 November 1940.[10]
CaptainBritish Indian Army28 November 1940 (acting)[10]
15 January 1942 (temporary)[10]
7 April 1943 (war-substantive)[10]
MajorBritish Indian Army15 January 1942 (acting)
7 April 1943 (temporary)
CaptainPakistan Army15 August 1947
Lieutenant-ColonelPakistan Army1 September 1947 (acting)
July 1948 (temporary)
CaptainPakistan Army26 August 1947
MajorPakistan Army19 July 1948 (substantive)
Lieutenant-ColonelPakistan Army1949
ColonelPakistan Army20 December 1953
BrigadierPakistan Army11 February 1954 (acting)28 July 1956 (substantive)
Major GeneralPakistan Army24 September 1958 (acting)
1964 (substantive)
Lieutenant-GeneralPakistan Army9 April 1966 (substantive)
General
(Comamnder-in-Chief of the army) (de facto)		Pakistan Army1969 (substantive)

References
  1. Riza, Maj Gen Shaukat. (1990). The Pakistan Army 1966-71. Rawalpindi: Services Book Club 1990.
  2. The Half Yearly Indian Army List April 1946
  3. July 1940 Indian Army List
  4. October 1942 Indian Army List Most Secret edition
  5. Riza, Maj Gen Shaukat. The Pakistan Army 1947-49 Rawalpindi: Services Book Club 1989
  6. Riza, Maj Gen Shaukat. (1984). The Pakistan Army: War 1965. Rawalpindi: Services Book Club 1990.
  7. Ravi Rikhye. "The Battle of Assal Uttar: Pakistan and India 1965" Pakistan Orbat, February 24, 2002
  8. "Changes in the Army High Command" Archived 2008-11-22 at the Wayback Machine British High Commission", 5 May 1966
  9. Pakistan : Martial Law "Who's Who" Archived 2008-09-23 at the Wayback Machine The American Papers - Secret and Confidential India.Pakistan.Bangladesh Documents 1965-1973, March 26, 1969
  10. Indian Army List for October 1945 (Part I). Government of India Press. 1945. p. 249.
Political offices
Preceded by
Afzal Rahman Khan		 Interior Minister of Pakistan
1969		 Succeeded by
Sardar Abdur Rashid Khan
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