Hakeemullah Khan Durrani
Air Chief Marshal Hakimullah Khan Durrani (Urdu:حکیم اللہ خان درانی; b. 15 October 1935:459[1]) NI(m), SJ, SBt, TBt, best known as Hakimullah, is a retired four-star air officer who briefly tenured as the 5th Chief of Air Staff of Pakistan Air Force, appointed in this post from 9 March 1988 until retiring on 8 March 1991.[2]
Air Chief Marshal Hakimullah حکیم اللہ خان | |
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Chief of Air Staff | |
In office 9 March 1988 – 9 March 1991 | |
Preceded by | ACM Jamal Khan |
Succeeded by | ACM Feroze Khan |
Personal details | |
Born | Hakimullah Khan Durrani 15 October 1935 British India (Presently now, India and Pakistan) |
Citizenship | |
Military service | |
Nickname(s) | Hakim |
Allegiance | |
Branch/service | |
Years of service | 1956–1991 |
Rank | |
Unit | No. 14 Squadron Tail Choppers |
Commands | DCAS (Administration) Proj-Dir. Project Falcon DCAS (Air Operations) |
Battles/wars | Indo-Pakistani war of 1965 Indo-Pakistani war of 1971 |
Awards |
Biography
Hakimullah was born in NWFP in India on 15 October 1935 into a Pashtun family.:459[1]:44–46[3]
After matriculating from the Edwardes College in Peshawar, he joined in the Pakistan Air Force in 1956, passing out in 1957 where he gained commissioned as a Pilot Officer.:546[4] Further training took place in the United States where Flying Officer qualified to fly the F-104 Starfighter and participated in the second war with India in 1965.:44[5] Flight-Lieutenant Hakimullah, with speed of Mach 1.1, notably intercepted the Indian Air Force's Folland Gnat flown by then-Flight lieutenant Brijpal Singh Sikand, who was forced to land near at the airstrip in Pasrur, Pakistan.:83[6] This claim, however, has been contested by India.:229[6]:contents[7] In 1971, Wing-Commander Hakimullah flew Mirage-IIIA in the western front of the third war with India, seeing aerial actions against the MiG-21.:contents[8]
In 1981, Air-Cdre. Hakim was appointed as Project-Director of Project Falcon, overseeing the acquisition of F-16s in the air force.:39[9] In 1986-87, AVM Hakim served in the Air AHQ as its Chief of Staff under Chief of Air Staff.:339[10] In 1988, Air-Mshl. Hakimullah was elevated as the DCAS (Administration) but was later elevated to the four-star rank promotion.[2] At promotion, Air Chief Marshal Hakimullah superseded at least one senior air officer, Air Marshal Shabbir Hussain Syed, the then-Vice Chief of Air Staff (VCAS).[2]
In 1991, ACM Hakimullah eventually completed his tenure and retired in 1994 where he settled in Islamabad.[2]
References
- The Army Quarterly and Defence Journal. West of England Press. 1988. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
- The Story of the Pakistan Air Force 1988-1998: A Battle Against Odds (Oxford University Press, 2000)
- Sehgal, Ikram ul-Majeed (2005). "The military is a much sought after career for the NWFP Pushpins" (google books). Defence Journal. Islamabad: Ikram ul-Majeed Sehgal. 8 (8–10): 150. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
- Jane's Defence Weekly. Jane's Publishing Company. 1988. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
- etl.all, staff writers (1984). "United States Air Force-Pakistan Air Force relations". Shaheen: Journal of the Pakistan Air Force. Air Headquarters. 31 (1–2): 126. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
- Mohan, P. V. S. Jagan; Chopra, Samir (2005). The India-Pakistan Air War of 1965 (1st ed.). New Delhi, India: Manohar. p. 378. ISBN 9788173046414. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
- Singh, Mandeep (2017). Baptism Under Fire: Anti Aircraft Artillery in India Pakistan War 1965 (in Spanish). Vij Books India Pvt Ltd. ISBN 9789386457134. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
- Lal, P. C. My Years with the IAF (1st ed.). Lancer Publishers LLC. ISBN 9781935501756. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
- Shaheen: Journal of the Pakistan Air Force. Air Headquarters. 1984. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
- IDSA News Review on East Asia. Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. 1990. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
Military offices | ||
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Preceded by Jamal A. Khan |
Chief of Air Staff 1988 – 1991 |
Succeeded by Farooq Feroze Khan |