Abbas Khattak

{{Short description|Chief of Air Staff of Pakistan from 1994 to 1997}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = Air Chief Marshal

| name = Abbas Khattak

| native_name = {{nq|عباس خٹک}}

| native_name_lang =

| honorific-suffix = {{small|NI(M) HI(M) SI(M) SBt}}

| image = Chief-of-Air-Staff Abbas Khattak.jpg

| caption =

| office = Chief of Air Staff

| term_start = 8 November 1994

| term_end = 7 November 1997

| predecessor = ACM Farooq Feroze Khan

| successor = ACM Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi

| president =

| primeminister =

| office2 = President of Pakistan Squash Federation

| term_start2 = 1997

| term_end2 = 1998

| predecessor2 =

| prior_term2 =

| pronunciation =

| birth_name = Mohammad Abbas Khattak

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1943|07|16}}

| death_date =

| birth_place = Jehangira, NWFP in British Sub continent
{{small|(Present-day in Peshawar, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan)}}

| death_place =

| alma_mater =

| nickname = Muhammad Abbas Khattak

| allegiance = {{flag|Pakistan}}

| branch = {{air force|PAK}}

| serviceyears = 1960 – 1997

| rank = 10px Air Chief Marshal

| unit = No. 19 Squadron
{{small|(S/No. PAK/4385{{rp|430}}{{cite book|title=The Gazette of Pakistan|date=1980|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=98pPAQAAMAAJ&q=Abbas+Khattak+|access-date=6 January 2018|language=en|author1=Pakistan }})}}

| commands = {{unbulleted list|DCAS (Operations)|DCAS (Training)|AOC Southern Air Command}}

| battles = {{unbulleted list|Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|Indo-Pakistani War of 1971}}

| battles_label =

| mawards = {{unbulleted list|40px Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military)|40px Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military)|40px Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military)|40px Sitara-e-Basalat|40px Order of Military Merit (Jordan)}}

| relations =

| laterwork =

| signature =

| website =

}}

Mohammad Abbas Khattak {{small|{{small|NI(M) HI(M) SI(M) SBt}}}} ({{langx|ur|{{nq|عباس خٹک}}}} ; born: 16 July 1943) is a four-star rank air force general in the Pakistan Air Force who served as the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) from 8 November 1994 until 7 November 1997.The Story of the Pakistan Air Force 1988-1998: A Battle Against Odds (Oxford University Press, 2000){{Cite book

| last =Cheema

| first =Pervaiz Iqbal

| title =The Armed Forces of Pakistan:Air Chiefs

| publisher =New York University Press

| year =2002

| pages =199/200

| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=cw_gduyRv5oC&pg=PA199

| isbn =0-8147-1633-4}}

Biography

Abbas Khattak was born in Peshawar, NWFP on 16 July 1943.{{rp|355}}{{cite book|last1=Shaikh|first1=A. Rashid|title=The Story of the Pakistan Air Force, 1988-1998: A Battle Against Odds|date=2000|publisher=Shaheen Foundation|location=Karachi, Sindh, Pk.|isbn=9789698553005|pages=414|edition=1st|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FbLfAAAAMAAJ&q=1943|access-date=5 January 2018|language=en-pk|format=google books}} He was educated at the Cadet College Hasan Abdal, and joined the Pakistan Air Force in 1960, from which he was directed to attend the famed Pakistan Air Force Academy in Risalpur.{{rp|355}} He passed out with the class of 35th GD(P), and gained commission on 20 January 1963 in No. 19 Squadron Sherdils.{{cite web|title=Feats of Courage|url=http://www.paf.gov.pk/courage.html|website=www.paf.gov.pk|publisher=ISPR (Air Force Division)|access-date=6 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181019061646/http://www.paf.gov.pk/courage.html|archive-date=19 October 2018|url-status=dead}}{{rp|355}}

P/Off. Khattak was trained to fly the F-86 Sabre and took participation in the various combat missions during the second war with India in 1965. During this time, F/Off. was among the eight fighter pilots who were selected to take part in famous aerial raid on Pathankot Air Force Station in India, a squadron commanded by then-Squadron Leader Sajad Haider.{{rp|488–489}}{{cite book|last1=Bhattacharya|first1=Brigadier Samir|title=NOTHING BUT!|date=2013|publisher=Partridge Publishing|isbn=9781482816266|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iLxnAgAAQBAJ&q=Abbas%20Khattak&pg=PA487|access-date=6 January 2018|language=en-ind|format=googlebooks}}{{rp|122}}{{cite book|last1=Mohan|first1=P. V. S. Jagan|last2=Chopra|first2=Samir|title=The India-Pakistan Air War of 1965|date=2005|publisher=Manohar|isbn=9788173046414|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FAhuAAAAMAAJ&q=Abbas+Khattak+sq+ldr|access-date=6 January 2018|language=en}} In 1970–71, Sq-Ldr. Khattak was posted with the Eastern Command in East-Pakistan, leading several mission against the Indian Air Force but was reposted in Sargodha Air Force Base before his country's surrender in Eastern Front of the third war with India in 1971.{{rp|69}}{{cite book|last1=Hussaini|first1=Syed Masood Akhtar|last2=Affairs|first2=Pakistan Air Force Directorate of Media|title=Pakistan Air Force over the years|date=2002|publisher=Directorate of Media Affairs, Pakistan Air Force|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NnMSAQAAMAAJ&q=Abbas+Khattak+|access-date=6 January 2018|language=en}}

After the war, Wg-Cdr. Khattak was directed to attend the war course at the National Defence University in Islamabad.{{Cite news

| last =Niaz

| first =Anjum

| title =ISLAMABAD DATELINE: Top Gun Vs Double Agents

| newspaper =Dawn Newspaper

| location =Islamabad

| publisher =Dawn Media Group

| date =22 November 2008

| url = http://www.dawn.com/news/881550/islamabad-dateline-top-gun-vs-double-agents

| access-date =18 September 2016}}

In 1988, Air-Commodore Khattak was appointed as AOC of the Southern Air Command, serving until 1990.{{rp|48}}{{cite book|title=Shaheen: Journal of the Pakistan Air Force|date=1988|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uV8owzvrKrkC&q=Air+Cdre+Khattak|access-date=6 January 2018|publisher=Air Headquarters|language=en}} In 1991, AVM Khattak was posted to the Air Headquarters (AHQ) in Islamabad as DCAS (Training), where he played a pioneering role in aviation and flight safety programs.{{rp|327}}{{cite book|title=Jane's Defence Weekly|date=July 1991 |publisher=Jane's Publishing Company|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=h6xDAQAAIAAJ&q=Khattak|access-date=6 January 2018|language=en}} In 1994, Air-Marshal Khattak was promoted to DCAS (Operations) at AHQ.{{rp|206}}{{cite book|last1=Siddiqa-Agha|first1=A.|title=Pakistan's Arms Procurement and Military Buildup, 1979-99: In Search of a Policy|date=2001|publisher=Springer|isbn=9780230513525|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=beJ8DAAAQBAJ&q=Abbas%20Khattak%20DCAS%20(Ops)&pg=PA206|access-date=6 January 2018|language=en}}

Chief of Air Staff

On 8 November 1994, Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto approved the promotion papers of Air-Mshl. Khattak to be promoted to the four-star rank, Air Chief Marshal. This promotion was controversial since Air-Mshl. Khattak superseded two senior air officers: Air-Mshl. Shafique Haider (the Vice Chief of the Air Staff), and Air-Mshl. Dilawar Hussain (Chairman PAC).{{rp|49–50}}{{cite book|title=Globe|date=1994|publisher=Afzal Mahmood|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xzhnAAAAMAAJ&q=Director+general|access-date=6 January 2018|language=en}} The reason this appointment was highly controversial is because the departing Chief of Air Staff Farooq Feroze Khan struck a deal behind closed doors with Benazir and Zardari to appoint him as the Joint Chief of Staff and in exchange he would allow Zardari to promote Khattak as the Chief of Air Staff. Khattak and Zardari have been accused of receiving millions of dollars in kickback from a Mirage deal.former Air Force employee

During his tenureship as air chief, ACM Khattak made attempts to acquire the Mirage-2000 from Qatar but vetoed the acquisition of MiG-29F and the Su-27 aircraft from the Eastern Europe, despite the strong backing of the then-Chairman joint chiefs, ACM Feroze Khan, due to their poor war performances.{{rp|58–60}}{{cite book|title=Air Force Chief says that F-16s "Not Indispensable"|date=1994|publisher=Daily Report: Near East & South Asia, The Service|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=92dPTgGKdosC&q=Farooq+Feroze+Khan+mig+29|access-date=5 January 2018|language=en}} During his tenure, Pakistan worked with China to develop the K-8 Karakorum.[http://www.pacom.mil/forum/SPRING_97/Chiefcon_r.html Asia Pacific Defense Forum Spring 1998] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070828103454/http://www.pacom.mil/forum/SPRING_97/Chiefcon_r.html |date=28 August 2007 }} After his retirement he was succeeded by Air Chief Marshal PQ Mehdi.

He is married and has two sons.

Awards and decorations

style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"

| colspan="4" |{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=PAF GDP Red.png|width=250}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Nishan-e-Imtiaz.png|width=130}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Hilal-e-Imtiaz.png|width=130}}

{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Sitara-e-Imtiaz.png|width=130}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Sitara-e-Basalat.png|width=130}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Diffa.png|width=130}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War Ribbon.png|width=130}}

{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War.png|width=130}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War.png|width=130}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War.png|width=130}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=10 years Service Medal.png|width=130}}

{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=20 years Service Medal.png|width=130}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=30 years Service Medal.png|width=130}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Sad Saala Jashan-e-Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam.png|width=130}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Hijri Tamgha.png|width=130}}

{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Jamhuriat Tamgha 1988.png|width=130}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Qarardad-e-Pakistan Tamgha Pakistan.svg|width=130}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Independence Day Golden Jubilee Medal, 2006.svg|width=130}}

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Order of Military Merit (Jordan) - Knight.png|width=130}}

class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"

| colspan="4" |PAF GD(P) Badge RED (More than 3000 Flying Hours)

colspan="2" |Nishan-e-Imtiaz

(Military)

(Order of Excellence)

| colspan="2" |Hilal-e-Imtiaz

(Military)

(Crescent of Excellence)

Sitara-e-Imtiaz

(Military)

(Star of Excellence)

|Sitara-e-Basalat

(Star of Good Conduct)

|Tamgha-e-Diffa

(General Service Medal)

|Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War

(War Star 1965)

Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War

(War Star 1971)

|Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War

(War Medal 1965)

|Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War

(War Medal 1971)

|10 Years Service Medal

20 Years Service Medal

|30 Years Service Medal

|Tamgha-e-Sad Saala Jashan-e-

Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam

(100th Birth Anniversary of

Muhammad Ali Jinnah)

1976

|Hijri Tamgha

(Hijri Medal)

1979

Jamhuriat Tamgha

(Democracy Medal)

1988

|Qarardad-e-Pakistan Tamgha

(Resolution Day

Golden Jubilee Medal)

1990

|Tamgha-e-Salgirah Pakistan

(Independence Day

Golden Jubilee Medal)

1997

|The Order of Military Merit

(Grand Cordon)

(Jordan)

= Foreign Decorations =

class="wikitable" ! colspan="3" style="background:#006400; color:#FFFFFF; text-align:center" \|Foreign Awards
{{flag\|Jordan}} \|The Order of Military Merit (Grand Cordon) \|{{Ribbon devices\|number=0\|type=award-star\|ribbon=Order of Military Merit (Jordan) - Knight.png\|width=130}}

class="wikitable"

! colspan="3" style="background:#006400; color:#FFFFFF; text-align:center" |Foreign Awards

{{flag|Jordan}}

|The Order of Military Merit (Grand Cordon)

|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Order of Military Merit (Jordan) - Knight.png|width=130}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20090225095224/http://paffalcons.com/cas/index.php PAF s' Chief of Air Staffs]
[http://www.defencejournal.com/2000/sept/pathankot.htm Devastation of Pathankot] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930012945/http://www.defencejournal.com/2000/sept/pathankot.htm |date=30 September 2007 }}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070819025043/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1965War/SR-Pathankot.html The Day the PAF Got Away]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070912073728/http://www.ccha.edu.pk/alumni.htm Alumni of Cadet College Hasan Abdal]