Shufti Chaudhri
Iftikhar Ahmad Chaudhri | |
|---|---|
| افتخار احمد چوہدری | |
 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 January 1920 Gujrat, British Raj |
| Died | 2 June 2015 (aged 95) Lahore, Pakistan |
| Spouse |
Farkhanda Akhtar (m. 1945) |
| Children | 5 |
| Education | Aligarh Muslim University Government College, Lahore Staff College, Quetta |
| Nickname | Shufti |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  British Indian Army (1942-47) Pakistan Army (1947-68) |
| Years of service | 1942-68 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant Colonel |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Military Cross (1944)[1] |
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Lieutenant colonel Iftikhar Ahmad Chaudhri MC (Urdu: افتخار احمد چوہدری; 8 January 1920 — 2 June 2015) better known as Shufti, was a Pakistan Army officer with prior service in the British Indian Army, who served as an intelligence officer during the Italian campaign (World War II). Awarded the Military Cross in June 1944, Chaudhri displayed exemplary leadership in January of that year. While serving near Arielli, a village south of Pescara, he braved intense enemy attacks, including locating missing personnel, leading his men against the Germans at close range, and orchestrating a successful withdrawal under heavy fire. Chaudhri's actions described in the citation for the Immediate MC, showcased the finest traditions of Indian fighting men.[2]
Early life and family
[edit]Iftikhar Ahmad Chaudhri was born on 8 January 1920 in Kharian, Gujrat, British India, to Chaudhri Fazal Ahmad, a tehsildar from Jalalpur Jattan. Iftikhar belonged to a prominent Warraich Jat family of Gujrat district. He attended the Aligarh Muslim University and in 1941, he graduated from Government College, Lahore.[3][2]
He married Farkhanda Akhtar in 1945, they had four sons and a daughter. Farkhanda passed away sometime before Chaudhri.[2]
Military career
[edit]
He enlisted into the British Indian Army and completed officer training in Bangalore. He was commissioned into the 4th Battalion, 16th Punjab Regiment in 1942. He saw action during the Italian campaign towards the end of the war for which he was awarded the British Military Cross.[2]
After doing staff course at Staff College, Quetta, he was posted GSO Grade 1 of Military Operations to GHQ, Rawalpindi.[4]
Additionally, he wrote a paper on the defence of the Middle East against Soviet aggression. The paper was discussed at the SEATO Military Advisors Conference in Melbourne, Australia. The report was well received by the Ministry of Defence Main Building in London.[2]
Chaudhri opted for Pakistan after the Partition of British India in 1947 and transferred his service to the Pakistan Army. He served in Baghdad as military attaché from 1961 to 1964 and during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, he became Assistant Adjutant Quartermaster general for his division in Kashmir. He retired in 1968.[2]
Later life and death
[edit]After retiring, he setup a successful trading company. He resided in Lahore, Pakistan and died on 2 June 2015.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ "The London Gazette". 29 June 1944.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Lieutenant-Colonel 'Shufti' Chaudhri - obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 9 August 2015.
- ^ M.C. for Capt. Iftikhar Ahmad Chaudhri. The Civil and Military Gazette of Lahore. 15 June 1944.
- ^ Solah Punjab The History of the 16th Punjab Regiment, page 169
- 1920 births
- 2015 deaths
- Aligarh Muslim University alumni
- Pakistan Army officers
- Military personnel from Punjab, Pakistan
- Graduates of the Staff College, Quetta
- Technical intelligence during World War II
- People from Kharian
- Punjab Regiment officers
- Indian military personnel of World War II
- Government College University, Lahore alumni
- Indian people of World War II
- People from Gujrat, Pakistan
- Pakistani Muslims
- Recipients of the Military Cross
- World War II intelligence services personnel
- People of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
- Indian Army personnel of World War II
- Pakistani military attachés
- Pakistani recipients of the Military Cross