Abdur Rahim Khan
Air Marshal Abdur Rahim Khan HJ HQA SPk SK SBt (Urdu: عبدالرحیم خان ; 25 October 1925 – 28 February 1990) was a three-star air officer who served as the last Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Air Force under President Yahya Khan, from 1969 until 1972.
Abdur Rahim Khan | |
|---|---|
| عبدالرحیم خان | |
| Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Air Force | |
| In office 1 September 1969 – 2 March 1972 | |
| President | Yahya Khan (1969–71) Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (1971–72) |
| Vice President | Nurul Amin |
| Preceded by | Nur Khan |
| Succeeded by | Zafar Chaudhry (As Chief of Air Staff) |
| Ambassador of Pakistan to Spain | |
| In office 11 May 1972 – 13 April 1977 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Abdur Rahim Khan 25 October 1925 |
| Died | 28 February 1990 (aged 64) Potomac, Maryland, United States |
| Citizenship | British Subject (1925–1947) Pakistan (1947–1990) |
| Nickname | "Shantay" Khan |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Royal Indian Air Force (1944–1947) Pakistan Air Force (1947–1972) |
| Years of service | 1942–72 |
| Rank | Air Marshal |
| Unit | No. 7 Squadron Bandits |
| Commands | Deputy Commander-in-Chief (Air Operations), AHQ AOC PAF Base Masrur PAF Staff College |
| Battles/wars |
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| Awards | Hilal-e-Jurat Hilal-e-Quaid-e-Azam Sitara-e-Pakistan Sitara-e-Khidmat Sitara-e-Basalat 1939-1945 Star Burma Star War Medal 1939-1945 Star of Jordan |
In 1972, Air-Marshal Abdur Rahim Khan along with the Pakistan Army's Commander-in-Chief Lieutenant-General Gul Hassan was prematurely retired from military service over his refusal to use Pakistan Air Force aircraft in Lyallpur to buzz over crowds of police agitation, demanding pay raise. Later he joined the Foreign Service and served as Pakistan Ambassador to Spain till 13 April 1977, when along with General Gul Hassan Khan, who was then the Pakistan Ambassador to Greece, he resigned as a protest against the rigging of the general elections held in 1977