Chief of the Air Staff (Pakistan)#History

The Royal Pakistan Air Force was established in August 1947, following the Partition of British India. The Air Officer Commanding was a two-star rank officer appointed by the British Air Council and reported directly to the governor-general of Pakistan, who represented the British monarch.{{cite book|last1=Cheema|first1=Pervaiz I.|last2=Riemer|first2=Manuel|title=Pakistan's Defence Policy 1947-58|date=1990|publisher=Springer|isbn=9781349209422|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CX6xCwAAQBAJ&q=commander%20in%20chief%20pakistan%20air%20force%20%20air%20vice%20marshal%201947&pg=PA238|access-date=27 July 2017|language=en}}{{rp|238}} On 30 March 1950, this position was re-designated as the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Pakistan Air Force.{{cite web|url=https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Change_of_Titles_of_Defence_Chiefs_(1950).jpg|title=Change of Title of Defence Chiefs|date=31 March 1950|publisher=Civil and Military Gazette, Lahore}} After the 1956 Constitution of Pakistan was enacted, the country became a republic and the "Royal" title was dropped from all military branches. The British Air Council continued appointing chiefs until 1957, when the Government of Pakistan appointed Air Vice Marshal Asghar Khan, who became the first native head of the Pakistan Air Force.{{cite news|url=https://www.therepublicofrumi.com/chronicle/1957.htm|title=Native air marshal|date=22 July 1957|publisher=The Chronicle of Pakistan}}

On 20 March 1972, the title of the office was changed from "Commander-in-Chief" to the "Chief of Air Staff" with Air Marshal Zafar Chaudhry being appointed as the first person to hold the latter title.{{cite book|last1=Alam|first1=Dr Shah|title=Pakistan Army: Modernisation, Arms Procurement and Capacity Building|date=2012|publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd|isbn=9789381411797|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WvapCQAAQBAJ&q=chief%20of%20air%20staff%201972%20pakistan&pg=PT51|access-date=27 July 2017|language=en|chapter-format=googlebooks|chapter=Modernization under Bhutto}} The Air Force had its first four-star rank officer, Air Chief Marshal Zulfiqar Ali Khan, in 1974.{{cite book|last1=Ramsey|first1=Syed|title=Pakistan and Islamic Militancy in South Asia|date=2017|publisher=Vij Books India Pvt Ltd|isbn=9789386367433|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=swY1DgAAQBAJ&q=pakistan%20chief%20of%20air%20staff%20first%20four-star&pg=PT77|access-date=27 July 2017|language=en|chapter-format=google books|chapter=Recovery from 1971 war}} The term of the superannuation was then constrained to three years in the office as opposed to four years and air chief was made a permanent member of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Since 1974, there have been 14 four-star rank air force officers who have commanded the air force as its air chief.

The Chief of the Air Staff is nominated and appointed by the prime minister whose appointment is then confirmed by the president. The air force leadership is based in the AHQ (PAF) in Islamabad, at the vicinity of the Naval Headquarters.

The Chief of the Air Staff leads the functions of the AHQ, assisted by the civilians from the Air Force Secretariat-II of the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The Chief of the Air Staff exercise its responsibility of complete operational, training and logistics commands. In addition, the air chief has several staff officers:-{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824152535/https://paf.gov.pk/#/paf-structure/pso|url=https://paf.gov.pk/#/paf-structure/pso|archive-date=24 August 2021|work=Pakistan Air Force|title=Principal Staff Officers}}

• Vice Chief of the Air Staff
• Deputy Chiefs of the Air Staff
• Deputy Chief of The Air Staff (Operations) — DCAS(O)
• Deputy Chief of The Air Staff (Engineering) — DCAS(E)
• Deputy Chief of The Air Staff (Administration) — DCAS(A)
• Deputy Chief of The Air Staff (Training) — DCAS(T)
• Deputy Chief of The Air Staff (Personnel) — DCAS(P)
• Deputy Chief of The Air Staff (Support) — DCAS(S)
• Inspector General Air Force — IGAF
• Chief Project Director JF-17 Thunder — CPD JF-17 Thunder
• Director General Air Force Strategic Command — DG AFSC
• Director General Air Intelligence — DG AI
• Director General Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Intelligence — DG C4ISTAR
• Director General Projects — DG Projects
• Director General Security — DG Security

{{For|Commanders prior to 1947|RAF India#Commanders}}

The following tables chronicle the appointees to the office of the Chief of the Air Staff or its preceding positions since the independence of Pakistan.{{cite web|url=http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Personnel/Chiefs.html|title=Chiefs of Air Staff|publisher=Bharat Rakshak|access-date=18 January 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131226085208/http://bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Personnel/Chiefs.html|archive-date=26 December 2013|df=dmy-all}}

(**Seconded from the Royal Air Force)

{{Officeholder table start

| showorder = y

| showimage = y

| image_title = Portrait

| officeholder_title = Air Officer Commanding

| showtermlenght = y

| showparty = n

| showdefencebranch = n

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 1

| image = AVM A L A Perry Keene.png

| military_rank = Air Vice Marshal

| officeholder = Allan Perry-Keene
{{post-nominals|country=UK|size=75%|CB|OBE}}

| officeholder_sort = Perry-Keene, Allan

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1898

| died_year = 1987

| term_start = 15 August 1947

| term_end = 17 February 1949

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1947|08|15|1949|02|17}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 2

| image = Commander-in-Chief Richard Atcherley.jpg

| military_rank = Air Vice Marshal

| officeholder = Richard Atcherley
{{post-nominals|country=UK|size=75%|CB|CBE|AFC}}

| officeholder_sort = Atcherley, Richard

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1904

| died_year = 1970

| term_start = 18 February 1949

| term_end = 30 March 1950

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1949|02|18|1950|03|30}}

}}

{{Officeholder table end}}

{{Officeholder table start

| showorder = y

| showimage = y

| image_title = Portrait

| officeholder_title = Commander-in-Chief

| showtermlenght = y

| showparty = n

| showdefencebranch = n

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 1

| image = Commander-in-Chief Richard Atcherley.jpg

| military_rank = Air Vice Marshal

| officeholder = Richard Atcherley
{{post-nominals|country=UK|size=75%|CB|CBE|AFC}}

| officeholder_sort = Atcherley, Richard

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1904

| died_year = 1970

| term_start = 31 March 1950

| term_end = 6 May 1951

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1950|03|31|1951|05|06}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 2

| image = Air Vice-Marshal Leslie William Cannon.png

| military_rank = Air Vice Marshal

| officeholder = Leslie William Cannon
{{post-nominals|country=UK|size=75%|CB|CBE}}

| officeholder_sort = Cannon, Leslie

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1904

| died_year = 1986

| term_start = 7 May 1951

| term_end = 19 June 1955

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1951|05|07|1955|06|19}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 3

| image = Commander-in-Chief Arthur McDonald.jpg

| military_rank = Air Vice Marshal

| officeholder = Arthur McDonald
{{post-nominals|country=UK|size=75%|CB|AFC}}

| officeholder_sort = McDonald, Arthur

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1903

| died_year = 1996

| term_start = 20 June 1955

| term_end = 23 March 1956

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1955|06|20|1956|03|23}}

}}

{{Officeholder table end}}

Pakistan became an Islamic republic on 23 March 1956, hence royal was dropped from the name of the air force.{{Officeholder table start

| showorder = y

| showimage = y

| image_title = Portrait

| officeholder_title = Commander-in-Chief

| showtermlenght = y

| showparty = n

| showdefencebranch = n

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 1

| image = Commander-in-Chief Arthur McDonald.jpg

| military_rank = Air Vice Marshal

| officeholder = Arthur McDonald
{{post-nominals|country=UK|size=75%|CB|AFC}}

| officeholder_sort = McDonald, Arthur

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1903

| died_year = 1996

| term_start = 23 March 1956

| term_end = 22 July 1957

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1956|03|23|1957|07|22}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 2

| image = Air Marshal Asghar in Thailand (c. 1960).jpg

| military_rank = Air Marshal

| officeholder = Asghar Khan
{{small|HPk HQA}}

| officeholder_sort = Khan, Asghar

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1921

| died_year = 2018

| term_start = 23 July 1957

| term_end = 23 July 1965

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1957|07|23|1965|07|23}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 3

| image = Noor khan.jpg

| military_rank = Air Marshal

| officeholder = Nur Khan
{{small|HJ SPk HQA}}

| officeholder_sort = Khan, Nur

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1923

| died_year = 2011

| term_start = 23 July 1965

| term_end = 31 August 1969

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1965|07|22|1969|08|31}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 4

| image = Air Marshal Abdur Rahim Khan.jpg

| military_rank = Air Marshal

| officeholder = Abdur Rahim Khan
{{small|HJ HQA SPk SK SBt KSJ}}

| officeholder_sort = Khan, Abdur

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1925

| died_year = 1990

| term_start = 1 September 1969

| term_end = 2 March 1972

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1969|09|01|1972|03|02}}

}}

{{Officeholder table end}}

{{See also|Vice Chief of the Air Staff (Pakistan)}}

Rank insignia of the whole PAF was changed when ACM Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed was in the office.

{{Officeholder table start

| showorder = y

| showimage = y

| image_title = Portrait

| officeholder_title = Chief of Air Staff

| showtermlenght = y

| showparty = n

| showdefencebranch = n

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 1

| image = Air Marshal Zafar Chaudhry.jpg

| military_rank = Air Marshal

| officeholder = Zafar Chaudhry
{{post-nominals|country=PAK|size=75%|SQA}}

| officeholder_sort = Chaudhry, Zafar

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1926

| died_year = 2019

| term_start = 3 March 1972

| term_end = 15 April 1974

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1972|03|03|1974|04|15}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 2

| image = ACM.Zulfiqar Ali Khan.jpg

| military_rank = Air Chief Marshal

| officeholder = Zulfiqar Ali Khan
{{post-nominals|country=PAK|size=75%|NI(M)}}

| officeholder_sort = Khan, Zulfiqar

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1930

| died_year = 2005

| term_start = 16 April 1974

| term_end = 22 July 1978

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1974|04|16|1978|07|22}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 3

| image = Air Chief Marshal Anwar Shamim.jpg

| military_rank = Air Chief Marshal

| officeholder = Anwar Shamim
{{post-nominals|country=PAK|size=75%|NI(M)|SJ}}

| officeholder_sort = Shamim, Anwar

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1931

| died_year = 2013

| term_start = 23 July 1978

| term_end = 5 March 1985

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1978|07|22|1985|03|05}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 4

| image = Chief-of-Air-Staff Jamal Ahmad Khan.png

| military_rank = Air Chief Marshal

| officeholder = Jamal A. Khan
{{post-nominals|country=PAK|size=75%|NI(M)|SJ|SBt}}

| officeholder_sort = Khan, Jamal

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1934

| died_year =

| term_start = 5 March 1985

| term_end = 8 March 1988

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1985|03|05|1988|03|08}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 5

| image = Chief-of-Air-Staff Hakimullah Khan Durrani.jpg

| military_rank = Air Chief Marshal

| officeholder = Hakimullah Khan Durrani
{{post-nominals|country=PAK|size=75%|NI(M)|SJ|SBt}}

| officeholder_sort = Durrani, Hakimullah

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1935

| died_year = 2024

| term_start = 9 March 1988

| term_end = 9 March 1991

| timeinoffice = {{age in years|1988|03|09|1991|03|09}} years

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 6

| image = Chief-of-Air-Staff Farooq Feroze Khan.jpg

| military_rank = Air Chief Marshal

| officeholder = Farooq Feroze Khan {{post-nominals|country=PAK|size=75%|NI(M)|SBt}}

| officeholder_sort = Khan, Farooq

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1939

| died_year = 2021

| term_start = 9 March 1991

| term_end = 8 November 1994

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1991|03|09|1994|11|08}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 7

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

| military_rank = Air Chief Marshal

| officeholder = Abbas Khattak {{post-nominals|country=PAK|size=75%|NI(M)|SBt}}

| officeholder_sort = Khattak, Abbas

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1943

| died_year =

| term_start = 8 November 1994

| term_end = 7 November 1997

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1994|11|08|1997|11|07}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 8

| image = Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi.jpg

| military_rank = Air Chief Marshal

| officeholder = Pervaiz Mehdi Qureshi
{{post-nominals|country=PAK|size=75%|NI(M)|SBt}}

| officeholder_sort = Qureshi, Pervaiz

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1943

| died_year =

| term_start = 7 November 1997

| term_end = 20 November 2000

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1997|11|07|2000|11|20}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 9

| image = Mushaf-Ali-Mir.jpg

| military_rank = Air Chief Marshal

| officeholder = Mushaf Ali Mir
{{post-nominals|country=PAK|size=75%|NI(M)|SBt}}

| officeholder_sort = Mir, Mushaf

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1947

| died_year = 2003

| died = y

| term_start = 20 November 2000

| term_end = 20 February 2003

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|2000|11|20|2003|02|20}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = -

| image =

| military_rank = Air Marshal

| officeholder = Syed Qaiser Hussain

| officeholder_sort = Hussain Qaiser, Syed

| officeholder_note =

| born_year =

| died_year =

| term_start = 20 February 2003{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/83167|title=Qaiser acting Air Chief|date=21 February 2003|newspaper=Dawn}}

| term_end = 18 March 2003

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|2003|02|20|2003|03|18}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 10

| image = Chief-of-Air-Staff Kaleem Saadat.jpg

| military_rank = Air Chief Marshal

| officeholder = Kaleem Saadat
{{post-nominals|country=PAK|size=75%|NI(M)}}

| officeholder_sort = Saadat, Kaleem

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1951

| died_year =

| term_start = 19 March 2003{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/88640|title=Kaleem Saadat appointed air chief|date=20 March 2003|newspaper=Dawn}}

| term_end = 18 March 2006

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|2003|03|19|2006|03|18}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 11

| image = Chief-of-Air-Staff Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed.jpg

| military_rank = Air Chief Marshal

| officeholder = Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed
{{post-nominals|country=PAK|size=75%|NI(M)|SBt}}

| officeholder_sort = Ahmed, Tanvir

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1952

| died_year =

| term_start = 18 March 2006

| term_end = 18 March 2009

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|2006|03|18|2009|03|18}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 12

| image = Chief-of-Air-Staff Rao Qamar Suleman.jpg

| military_rank = Air Chief Marshal

| officeholder = Rao Qamar Suleman
{{post-nominals|country=PAK|size=75%|NI(M)|HI(M)|SI(M)|TI(M)|SBt}}

| officeholder_sort = Suleman, Rao

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1954

| died_year =

| term_start = 19 March 2009

| term_end = 19 March 2012

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|2009|03|19|2012|03|19}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 13

| image = Tahir Rafique Butt.jpg

| military_rank = Air Chief Marshal

| officeholder = Tahir Rafique Butt
{{post-nominals|country=PAK|size=75%|NI(M)|TBt}}

| officeholder_sort = Butt, Tahir

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1955

| died_year =

| term_start = 19 March 2012

| term_end = 19 March 2015

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|2012|03|19|2015|03|19}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 14

| image = Chief-of-Air-Staff Sohail Aman.jpg

| military_rank = Air Chief Marshal

| officeholder = Sohail Aman
{{post-nominals|country=PAK|size=75%|NI(M)|HI(M)|SI(M)|TI(M)}}

| officeholder_sort = Aman, Sohail

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1959

| died_year =

| term_start = 19 March 2015

| term_end = 19 March 2018

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|2015|03|19|2018|03|19}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 15

| image = Chief-of-Air-Staff Mujahid Anwar Khan.jpg

| military_rank = Air Chief Marshal

| officeholder = Mujahid Anwar Khan
{{post-nominals|country=PAK|size=75%|NI(M)|HI(M)|SI(M)|TI(M)}}

| officeholder_sort = Khan, Mujahid

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1962

| died_year =

| term_start = 19 March 2018

| term_end = 19 March 2021

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|2018|03|19|2021|03|19}}

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 16

| image = AIR CHIEF MARSHAL ZAHEER AHMED BABER SIDHU.jpg

| military_rank = Air Chief Marshal

| officeholder = Zaheer Ahmad Babar
{{post-nominals|country=PAK|size=75%|NI(M)|HI(M)|SI(M)|TI(M)}}

| officeholder_sort = Babar, Zaheer

| born_year = 1965

| died_year =

| term_start = 19 March 2021

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|2021|03|19}}

}}

{{Officeholder table end}}

• List of serving air marshals of the Pakistan Air Force
• Pakistan Air Force ranks
• Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (Pakistan)
• Chief of the Army Staff (Pakistan)
• Chief of the Naval Staff (Pakistan)
• Chief of the General Staff (Pakistan)

{{reflist|2}}

{{notelist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20130116183524/http://paf.gov.pk/cas_galleries.html Official Website – Pakistan Air Force Chiefs of Air Staff Gallery]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090225095224/http://paffalcons.com/cas/index.php PAF s' Chief of the Air Staffs]

{{Pakistan Air Force main}}

{{Chief of the air force by country}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chief Off Air Staff (Pakistan)}}

Category:Chiefs of Air Staff, Pakistan

Category:Pakistan Air Force air marshals

Pakistan

Category:Pakistan Air Force appointments