HMS Choudri

Haji Mohammad Choudhri was born in Batala, Punjab, British India in 1912 in an Arain familyAqil A. Jafri, Pakistan Chronicle, Virsa Publications, Karachi p.925. He is the cousin of Dr Raees M Mushtaq's Father. Very little is known about his early life which based on combined military history of India and Pakistan. As many of contemporaries in the British Indian military, he was educated at the Rashtriya Indian Military College and later joined the Britannia Royal Naval College in the United Kingdom.

He was among the first Indians and first Indian Muslim to be commissioned a midshipman in the Royal Indian Navy's Executive Branch in 1931.{{cite book |last1=Katari |first1=Admiral R. D. |title=A Sailor Remembers |date=8 May 2014 |publisher=Prabhat Prakashan |isbn=978-9-3504-8778-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=68PfDAAAQBAJ&q=Haji+Muhammad+Siddique+Chaudhri&pg=PT17 |access-date=3 November 2016 |language=en}} On 1 September 1933, he was promoted to sub-lieutenant,{{London Gazette|issue=33978|supp=|page=6018|date=15 September 1933}} receiving promotion to lieutenant on 1 September 1936.{{London Gazette|issue=34332|supp=|page=6614|date=16 October 1936}} On 24 May 1938, he was assigned to the escort vessel HMIS Lawrence as its first lieutenant and was serving in this position at the outbreak of war in 1939; the future Indian Navy CNS Sourendra Nath Kohli served under him as a sub-lieutenant.{{cite book |title=The Navy List |publisher=HM Government |date=September 1939 |page=624 |chapter=The Royal Indian Navy - Establishments}}

He was trained as torpedo and anti-submarine specialist and held various officer's appointments both at sea and with land-based naval formations before and after the World War II.{{cite news |last1=Wasay |first1=Rear Admiral Khalid |title=Vice-Admiral Choudri |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1065704/dawn-letters-09-march-2004 |access-date=3 November 2016 |newspaper=Dawn |date=9 March 2004}}{{cite news |last1=Askari |first1=M. H. |title=HMS Choudri: crusader for peace |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1065671/dawn-features-29-february-2004#2 |access-date=3 November 2016 |newspaper=Dawn |date=29 February 2004}} At the outset of the war, he saw action against the Italian Regia Marina in the Red Sea and off the Somali coasts. In 1942, he was sent to Britain where he qualified as a specialist officer in the Torpedo Branch. He then went to the United States in 1943, delivering lectures on the role of the Royal Indian Navy.{{cite web |title=Higher Ranks for Indian Officers of the R.I.N. |url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/DEFENCE/1947-JULY-DEC-MIN-OF-DEFENCE/PDF/DEF-1947-07-21_321.pdf |website=Press Information Bureau of India - Archive |date=21 July 1947 |access-date=5 April 2020}}

On 25 March 1944, Choudhri was promoted to acting lieutenant-commander and given command of the minesweeper HMIS Rohilkand.{{cite book |title=The Navy List |publisher=HM Government |date=October 1944 |page=3239 |chapter=The Royal Indian Navy - Establishments}} On 1 September 1944, he was promoted to substantive lieutenant-commander, the first Indian to become a substantive senior line officer in the RIN.{{London Gazette|issue=37076|supp=|page=2492|date=11 May 1945}} He participated in the Pacific theatre against the Imperial Japanese Navy. On 10 February 1945, he was promoted to acting commander and assigned to the sloop HMIS Godavari as its executive officer.{{cite book |title=The Navy List |publisher=HM Government |date=July 1945 |page=3436 |chapter=The Royal Indian Navy - Establishments}} In the 1945 Birthday Honours List, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, Military Division (MBE).{{London Gazette|issue=37119|supp=y|page=2941|date=8 June 1945}} He witnessed the Japanese surrender in 1945 and commanded a naval division that consisted of the two-ship formation that represented the Royal Indian Navy. After the war, Choudhri served on the Armed Forces Nationalisation Committee, and was promoted to acting captain in July 1947.

In 1947, Choudhri served on the committee that was involved in the division of the RIN's assets between India and Pakistan.{{rp|54}}{{cite book |last1=Roy |first1=Vice Admiral Mihir K. |title=War in the Indian Ocean |date=1995 |publisher=Lancer Publishers, Roy |location=New Delhi |isbn=1897829116 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tqr8r7EB18wC&q=hms+choudhri++Pakistan+Merchant+Navy&pg=PA54 |access-date=7 November 2016}}{{rp|474}} At the time of the partition of British India, Captain Choudhri was the senior-most Indian naval officer. He decided to opt for Pakistan in 1947. He was among the first twenty naval officers who joined the Royal Pakistan Navy (RPN) as a captain with a service number PN. 0001.{{cite web |last1=Kazi |first1=KGN |title=The first few executive officers transferred to the Pakistan Navy on Partition |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/pimu/5346639918/ |website=Flickr |date=11 January 2011 |access-date=2 November 2016}} He was the first most senior and the only captain in the navy in terms of seniority list provided by the Royal Indian Navy to the Ministry of Defense (MoD) in 1947. He did not actively participated in first war with India in 1947, instead he commanded a destroyer from Karachi to Mumbai to oversee the evacuation of Indian emigrants to Pakistan.{{rp|474}}{{cite book |last1=Read |first1=Anthony |last2=Fisher |first2=David |title=The Proudest Day: India's Long Road to Independence |date=July 1999 |publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |isbn=978-0-3933-1898-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q9ebuSG64dkC&q=HMS+choudhri&pg=PA474 |access-date=3 November 2016 |language=en}} In 1950, he was promoted to one-star rank, Commodore, and appointed to serve as deputy commander in chief under Rear-Admiral J.W. Jefford.{{rp|51–52}}{{cite book |last1=Goldrick |first1=James |title=No Easy Answers: The Development of the Navies of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, 1945–1996 |year=1997 |publisher=Lancer Publishers |isbn=978-1-8978-2902-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6XW7kKHQeQoC&q=M.+S.+choudri+&pg=PA66 |access-date=3 November 2016 |language=en}} Jefford's retirement was due in 1951 and favoured continuously appointing the British officers in the armed forces.{{rp|51}}

The Pakistan government called for appointing a native commanders-in-chief of army, air force and navy and dismissed deputation appointments from the British military.{{rp|82}}{{cite book |last1=Cheema |first1=Pervaiz I. |last2=Riemer |first2=Manuel |title=Pakistan's Defence Policy 1947–58 |date=22 August 1990 |publisher=Springer, Reimer |isbn=978-1-3492-0942-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CX6xCwAAQBAJ&q=Admiral+Choudhri&pg=PA82 |access-date=3 November 2016 |language=en}} In terms of seniority, he was the most senior officer to be appointed as an admiral in the navy but the British Admiralty and Commodore Choudhri himself was in doubt to be appointed as commander of navy mainly because of his youth and lack of experience in military staffing.{{rp|52}} Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan approved his nomination papers as navy's commander in chief on the condition that he would spend a year in commanding a squadron in sea, and then attend the Imperial Defence College.{{rp|53}} Upon returning to Pakistan in 1952 after he gained staff officer degree, he was appointed as Deputy Commander-in-Chief at the NHQ where he established staff corps and administration.{{rp|53}}

Although, the Pakistani government announced the appointment of navy's first native commander in chief in 1951 and Commodore Choudhri's nomination papers being approved by Prime Minister Ali Khan also in 1951, his appointment as navy's first native commander-in-chief came only in effect in 1953 with the crucial help provided from the army's Commander-in-Chief General Ayub Khan.{{rp|82}}{{rp|93–94}}{{cite book |last1=Cheema |first1=Pervaiz Iqbal |title=The Armed Forces of Pakistan |year=2002 |publisher=NYU Press |isbn=978-0-8147-1633-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cw_gduyRv5oC&q=Vice+Admiral+choudri+1953&pg=PA93|access-date=3 November 2016|language=en}} He was promoted as rear admiral and assumed the command of the navy with an objective of expanding navy's resources and infrastructure.{{rp|54}}

In 1951, Admiral Choudri decided to build the submarines and warships at the Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works, relaying his plans to the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Finance, but was told by the civilian planners that the "second-hand ships from the United Kingdom would be better off for Pakistan", that eventually led the Navy to rely on the obsolete vessels that had to be acquire from the United Kingdom.{{rp|155–156}}{{cite book |last1=Arnett|first1=Eric H. |title=Military Capacity and the Risk of War: China, India, Pakistan, and Iran |date=1997 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=978-0-1982-9281-4 |page=347 |edition=1st |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eOgj3HHDnJkC&q=mansurul+haq+joined&pg=PA155 |access-date=21 August 2017 |language=en |chapter=Arms Procurement in Pakistan}}

From 1953 to 1956, he bitterly negotiated with the U.S. Navy and Royal Navy over the acquisition of warship and made several unsuccessful attempts for the procurement of submarines imported from the United States.{{rp|155}}{{cite book |last1=Arnett |first1=Eric |title=Military Capacity and the Risk of War |date=1997|publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=0198292813|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eOgj3HHDnJkC&q=admiral+chaudhry+pakistan&pg=PA155|access-date=7 November 2016}}{{rp|56}} In 1954, he convinced the U.S. government to provide monetary support for modernization of aging O–class destroyers and minesweepers, while commissioning the Ch–class destroyers from British Navy.{{rp|54}}

In 1955, Admiral Choudhri cancelled and disbanded the British military tradition in the navy when the U.S. Navy's advisers were dispatched to the Pakistani military.{{cite web |first=Hamid |last=Hussain |title=Tale of a love affair that never was: United States-Pakistan Defence Relations |url=http://www.defencejournal.com/2002/june/loveaffair.htm |date=June 2002 |work=Defence Journal of Pakistan |access-date=12 February 2012 |archive-date=4 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304115412/http://www.defencejournal.com/2002/june/loveaffair.htm |url-status=dead }} British military tradition were only kept in the air force due to being under its British commander and major staff consisting of Royal Air Force officers. Despite initiatives, the Admiralty's influence slowly vanished from the navy until the native officers were educated and promoted to flag ranks to replace the Royal Navy's officers

In 1956, Admiral Choudhri sent recommendations for the construction of the seaport in Ormara and a naval base that would linked the Sonmiani but it was bypassed Ministry of Shipping that cited financial constraints.{{cite web |last1=Arbab |first1=Lt.Cdr. Tufail Akhtar |title=Pakistan Navy at the helm of new millennium |url=http://www.defencejournal.com/2000/oct/millennium.htm |website=Defence Journal |access-date=7 November 2016}}

In 1957, he finalize the sale of cruiser warship from the United Kingdom, and used the government's own fund to induct the warship that caused a great ire against Admiral Choudhri by the Finance ministry in the country.{{rp|55}} In 1958, he made an unsuccessful attempt induct the imported submarines from Sweden using the American funds that was halted by the United States and the Pakistan's own Finance ministry despite he had support from Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army General Ayub.{{rp|57}}

In 1958, his Navy NHQ staff began fighting with the Army GHQ staff and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) over the plans regarding the modernization of the navy.{{rp|57}} He was in bitter conflict with General Ayub who saw the purchase of PNS Baber and his submarine procurement approaches had jeopardized the foreign military relations with the United States.{{rp|57}} The MoD did sanctioned to pay off the costly PNS Baber but halted the crucial funds for the operations of the navy which had been assembled since 1956.{{rp|57}}

In another Joint Chiefs of Staff meeting chaired by General Ayub in 1958, he became involved with heated debate over the financial costs for the naval operations in deep sea.{{cite web |last1=Hussain |first1=Hamid |title=National Security Decision Making Process |url=http://www.defencejournal.com/2002/march/process.htm |date=March 2002 |website=Defence Journal |access-date=3 November 2016 |archive-date=14 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170114121820/http://www.defencejournal.com/2002/march/process.htm |url-status=dead }} General Ayub reportedly reached out to the President Iskander Mirza and lodged a complained against Admiral Choudhri by noting the Admiral of "neither having the brain, imagination or depth of thought to understand such (defence) problems nor the vision or the ability to make any contribution."{{cite news |last1=Ghani |first1=Nadia |title=Non-Fiction: The Narcissist |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/826646 |newspaper=Dawn |date=11 July 2010 |access-date=3 November 2016}} Admiral Choudhri then was called to meet with President Mirza to resolve the interservice rivalry between the army and navy but it was ended with "stormy interview" with the President.{{rp|57}}

Upon returning to NHQ, Admiral Choudhry decided to tender his resignation to broke the interservice impasse in protest as result of having differences with Navy's plans of expansion and modernization.{{rp|381}}{{cite book|last1=Singh|first1=Ravi Shekhar Narain Singh|title=The Military Factor in Pakistan|year=2008|publisher=Lancer Publishers |isbn=978-0-9815-3789-4-|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wCm2DFZblOYC&q=Admiral+Choudhri&pg=PA382 |access-date=3 November 2016|language=en}}{{rp|94}} He resigned the command of the navy on 26 January 1959 and cited to President: "major decision [which] have been taken with disagreement with the technical advice I have consistently tendered.... concerning the concept of our defence, the appointment of our available budget, and the size and shape of our Navy."{{rp|57}}

In 1958, Vice-Admiral Afzal Rahman Khan, who was known to be a confidant of General Ayub Khan, was appointed as naval chief by President Mirza.{{rp|104}}{{cite book |last1=Rizvi|first1=H. |title=Military, State and Society in Pakistan |date=15 May 2000 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-0-2305-9904-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZwGIDAAAQBAJ&q=Afzal+Rahman+Khan+admiral&pg=PA104 |access-date=1 November 2016|language=en}}

After retiring from Navy, he went on to establish Merchant Navy and promoted civilian shipping trade throughout his life. After retiring from Navy in 1959, he founded and became director of Pakistan Institute of Maritime Affairs (PIMA) which he remained associated with until his death in 2004.{{Cite web |url=http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/spedition/2004%20year%20supp/p4.htm |title=Those who left us during 2004: HMS Choudri |work=Jang.com |access-date=18 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100520040739/http://www.jang.com.pk/thenews/spedition/2004%20year%20supp/p4.htm |archive-date=20 May 2010 |url-status=dead}}{{cite news |last1=Cowasjee |first1=Ardeshir |title=Admiral of the Chinese fleet |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1073050 |access-date=13 November 2016 |newspaper=Dawn |date=4 September 2005}}

He avoided politics and provided no commentaries on conflicts and wars with neighboring India in successive years of 1965, 1971, and 1999. He died of old age on 27 February 2004 and was buried in a military graveyard in Karachi.

In his honor, the government established the "HMS Choudhri Memorial Hall" at the National Defence University in Islamabad in 2005.{{cite news |title='Religion and state should not interfere in each other's functioning' |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/145929-Altaf-is-Indian-facilitator-Khursheed-Fazl-seeks-treason-trial-of-MQM-chief |access-date=7 November 2016 |work=The News International |date=16 November 2008}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://forum.pakistanidefence.com/lofiversion/index.php/t27084.html Pakistani Defence Forum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725161331/http://forum.pakistanidefence.com/lofiversion/index.php/t27084.html |date=25 July 2011 }}
• [http://www.paknavy.gov.pk/ Official website of Pakistan Navy]

{{s-start}}

{{s-mil}}

{{s-bef|before=James Wilfred Jefford}}

{{s-ttl|title=Commander-in-Chief, Pakistan Navy|years=1953–1959}}

{{s-aft|after=Afzal Rahman Khan}}

{{end}}

{{Pakistan Navy Staff Chief}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Choudri, Hms}}

Category:1912 births

Category:2004 deaths

Category:People from Gurdaspur district

Category:Rashtriya Indian Military College alumni

Category:Graduates of Britannia Royal Naval College

Category:Royal Indian Navy officers

Category:Indian military personnel of World War II

Category:Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies

Category:People of the Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948

Category:Pakistan Navy vice admirals

Category:Chiefs of Naval Staff (Pakistan)

Category:Recipients of Hilal-i-Imtiaz

Category:Pakistan Merchant Navy

Category:Indian Members of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Pakistani recipients of the Order of the British Empire