Khalid Mahmud Arif
General Khalid Mahmud Arif NI(M) HI(M) SI(M) SBt LoM (Urdu: خالد محمود عارف 29 December 1930 – 6 March 2020) popularly known as K.M. Arif, was a senior officer of the Pakistan Army, serving as the vice-chief of army staff under President Zia-ul-Haq, who retained the command of the army since 1976.
Khalid Mahmud Arif NI(M) HI(M) SI(M) SBt LoM | |
|---|---|
General Khalid | |
| Native name | خالد محمود عارف |
| Other name(s) | K.M. Arif |
| Born | 29 December 1930 Jalandhar, East Punjab, British India (present-day in India) |
| Died | 6 March 2020 (aged 89) |
| Allegiance | Pakistan |
| Service/ | Pakistan Army |
| Years of service | 1947–87 |
| Rank | General |
| Service number | PA–3107 |
| Unit | 11th Cavalry (Frontier Force), Armoured Corps |
| Commands held | Vice Chief of Army Staff Ins-Gen. Training and Evaluation DG Military Intelligence (DGMI) OC, 111th Infantry Brigade |
| Battles/wars | Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistan War of 1971
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| Awards | Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military) Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military) Sitara-e-Basalat Legion of Merit |
| Other work | Military historian |
His career in the army was mostly spent in the military intelligence, and served in the East Pakistan Rifles, briefly fighting in the civil war aided by neighboring India.: 140 Upon repatriation to Pakistan in 1973, he continued with his military service in the army and eventually ascended as director-general of military intelligence before assuming the staff appointment at the Army GHQ.: 175 Appointed as vice-chief of army staff in 1984, he played crucial role in stabilizing the administration of President Zia-ul-Haq, and was succeeded by General Mirza Aslam Beg as army chief in March 1987.: 701
Upon his retirement in 1987, he authored several books on the political and military history of Pakistan, of which Working With Zia: Pakistan's Power Politics is the best known.