Sahabzada Yaqub Khan
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Sahabzada Yaqub Ali Khan Urdu: (صاحبزادہ یعقوب خان; December 23, 1920 – January 26, 2016) MC,[1] was a Pakistani statesman, diplomat, military figure, and a retired three-star rank army general in the Pakistan Army.[2]
Born into an Indian nobility, he was educated at the Indian Military College at Dehradun and served well in the World War II on the side of Great Britain as an officer in the British Indian Army. After the partition of India in 1947, he opted for Pakistan and joined Pakistan Army where he participated in war against India in 1965. He was the Chief of General Staff of East Pakistani military and eventually appointed its commander in 1967. He was appointed as Governor of East-Pakistan in 1969 and 1971 but recalled to Pakistan after submitting resignation amid civil unrest. In 1973, he joined the Foreign Service and was appointed as 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 Soviet intervention in Afghanistan (1979–89) and took part in negotiations to end the proxies 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 reappointed as Foreign Minister under Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. After retiring from diplomatic services in 1997, he spent his remaining years in Islamabad and passed away in Islamabad in 2016.
Biography
Youth and World war II
Mohammad Yaqub Ali Khan was born into an aristocrat Royal Indian family in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, British Indian Empire on 23 December 1920.[3] The title, Sahabzada (lit. Young Prince), is an honorific bestowed to him to represent the Indian royalty.[4] He was of the Afghan descent and was an ethnically a Pashtun who belonged to a Yousafzai tribe.[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. His ancestral roots traced back to Mirza Ghalib who was appointed teacher of Nawab of Rampur in 1857, who travelled to Rampur twice, in 1860 and 1865.[5]
He was educated at the Rashtriya Indian Military College at Dehradun and gained commissioned in British Indian Army in 1940 and attached to the 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry.[6]
His military career saw the actions in the World War II and served in the North African Campaign. He took participation in Tobruk siege and was taken POWs by Afrika Korps, spending year-and-half in the Axis powers's camp before making his escape.[7] His escape attempt was partially successful and was recaptured shortly by the German forces who held him till April 1945 when he was rescued by the U.S. Army soldiers.[7] During his time in German custody, he learnt languages by interacting with fellow prisoners and reading literature in those languages.[7] After the World War II, he was awarded the Military Cross by the United Kingdom for his actions.[1]
Upon returning to India in 1945, he was selected as an adjutant to Field Marshal Lord Wavell with an army rank of Major.[7] 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 to the Muhammad Ali Jinnah– the first Governor-General of Pakistan.[6] Instead, he became the commandant of bodyguards for the first Governor-General of Pakistan which he led until 1948.[6]
Military career: 1965 and 1971 wars
His military career progressed well in the Pakistan Army, and became vice Chief of General Staff in 1958 and the Commandant of the Command and Staff College in Quetta in 1960.[7] In 1965, he was promoted as Major-General and participated in the war against India in 1965 when he commanded the 1st Armoured Division of Pakistan Army Armoured Corps.[8]
In 1967, he was posted in East Pakistan as a military adviser to the East Pakistan Army and eventually becoming the Chief of General Staff of the East-Pakistani military. In 1969, he was elevated as Commander of the East-Pakistani military.
Diplomatic career
On retiring from the Army he embarked on a career as a diplomat, serving as Ambassador to France, the United States and Soviet Union from 1972 to 1982. While posted in US, he also played a major role in the resolution of 1977 Hanafi Siege in Washington, D.C. Since 1982 he served as Foreign Minister under seven different governments. Then from 1992 until 1997 Yaqub Khan was the United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative for the Western Sahara.
Post career
Khan was the founding chairman of the Aga Khan University Board of Trustees, which he chaired for almost two decades until his retirement in 2001.[9] He was a commissioner in the now retired Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict.[10]
Khan was married to Begum Tuba Khaleeli, of the Iranian Khaleeli family of Calcutta from whom he had two sons, Samad and Najib.
See also
References
- ^ a b Cloughley, Brian. A History of the Pakistan Army: Wars and Insurrections. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. ISBN 9781631440397. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- ^ Roberts, Sam (28 January 2016). "Sahabzada Yaqub Khan, Pakistani Diplomat, Dies at 95". The New York Times. The New York Times, Pakistan Bureau. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- ^ Rajagopalan, Rajesh; Mishra, Atul. Nuclear South Asia: Keywords and Concepts. Routledge, Mishra and Rajagopalan. pp. 169–170. ISBN 9781317324768. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- ^ a b "Najibabad: GENEALOGY". www.royalark.net. Royal Ark GENEALOGY. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- ^ "Royal Ark: Rampur"
- ^ a b c Bangash, Yaqood Khan (27 January 2016). "Pakistan's prince soldier, diplomat, statesman - The Express Tribune". Express Tribune, Bangash editorial. Express Tribune. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- ^ a b c d e Ahmad, Imtiaz (26 January 2016). "Former Pakistan foreign minister Yaqub Khan dead at 95". Hindustan Times, Pakistan Bureau. Hindustan Times. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
- ^ Recorder, Business. "Sahibzada Yaqub Ali Khan passes away | Business Recorder". Business Recorder. Business Recorder. Business Recorder. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
{{cite news}}:|first1=has generic name (help) - ^ "The Life and Work of Sahabzada Yaqub Khan" Aga Khan University News & Events
- ^ "Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict"
- Indian Army List (April 1942, April 1945)
- Maj Gen Gurcharn Singh Sadu, I serve The Eighteenth Cavalry
External links
- Yaqub Khan – the man who reinvented himself by Khaled Ahmed (The Friday Times)
- SYK: The Man With Qualities Short biographical article by S. Abbas Raza
- Biographical article by M. Zafar in Defence Journal
- MAJOR-GENERAL SAHABZADA MOHD YAQUB KHAN (PA 136)
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- 1920 births
- 2016 deaths
- People from Rampur, Uttar Pradesh
- Indian nobility
- Rashtriya Indian Military College alumni
- British Indian Army officers
- Indian Army personnel of World War II
- World War II prisoners of war held by Germany
- World War II prisoners of war held by Italy
- Escapees from Italian detention
- Indian escapees
- Indian prisoners of war
- Indian emigrants to Pakistan
- Muhajir people
- Pakistani anti-communists
- People of the Cold War
- Pakistani generals
- Pakistani military leaders
- Military strategists
- Pakistan Army Armored Corps officers
- Governors of East Pakistan
- Generals of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
- Generals of the Bangladesh Liberation War
- Foreign Ministers of Pakistan
- Ambassadors of Pakistan to the United States
- Pakistani bureaucrats
- Military Government of Pakistan (1977–88)
- People of the Soviet–Afghan War
- Pakistan Peoples Party politicians
- Government of Benazir Bhutto staffers and personnel
- Recipients of the Military Cross