Rahimuddin Khan

Rahimuddin Khan was a Pakistani four-star general who held several high-ranking positions within the military and the government. He served as the fourth Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee from 1984 to 1987. Additionally, he acted as the seventh Governor of Balochistan and briefly served as the 16th Governor of Sindh in 1988.

Early life and education

Rahimuddin Khan was born on 21 July 1926, in Kaimganj, United Provinces, British India. He belonged to a Muslim Pathan Afridi family with ancestral roots in Tirah and Kohat. His relatives included the educator Zakir Husain, who later became the President of India. Rahimuddin was also the son-in-law of Mahmud Husain, a member of the first Constituent Assembly.

He attended Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi. When independence arrived in 1947, he opted for Pakistan and enrolled as Gentleman Cadet-1 at the Pakistan Military Academy.

Career

During the 1953 Lahore riots, Rahimuddin served as a captain during military operations under Azam Khan. He later attended the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. Following his studies, he attended the Command and Staff College in Quetta in 1965. He was posted to Hyderabad in 1969 and became the inaugural commander of the 111 Brigade in Rawalpindi in 1970.

He served as the Chief Instructor at the Armed Forces War College until 1975. Although Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto requested that he lead the new Atomic Energy Commission, Rahimuddin declined the offer. In 1976, he became the Commander of II Corps in Multan while holding the rank of lieutenant-general. General Zia-ul-Haq appointed him Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee on 22 March 1984.

As Chairman Joint Chiefs, he rejected a military plan for an offensive in Kargil in 1986. He and Air Chief Marshal Jamal A. Khan deemed the strategy untenable due to harsh conditions and the conflict in Afghanistan. Rahimuddin refused an extension of service upon reaching superannuation and retired in 1987.

He served as the Governor of Balochistan from 16 September 1978 to 1984. During this tenure, he declared a general amnesty for fighters and ended military operations in the province. He facilitated the opening of Sui gas fields to Quetta and oversaw the construction of nuclear test sites in Chaghai. His administration promoted infrastructure and manufacturing, which caused the provincial GDP to rise significantly.

In 1988, he became the civilian Governor of Sindh after Zia dismissed his own government. He initiated a crackdown on the land mafia in Karachi and dismissed various civil servants. He eventually resigned after Ghulam Ishaq Khan attempted to limit his gubernatorial powers. Following his retirement, he promoted Asif Nawaz for the position of Chief of Army Staff.

Personal life

Rahimuddin Khan died on 22 August 2022, in Lahore, Pakistan. He was 96 years old at the time of his death.