Sahabzada Yaqub Khan

Sahabzada Mohammad Yaqub Ali Khan was a distinguished Pakistani politician, diplomat, and retired 3-Star Officer in the Pakistani Army. According to The New York Times, he served as the public face of Pakistan in international affairs for three decades. He held various high-level positions including Foreign Minister and Governor of East Pakistan.

Early life and education

Mohammad Yaqub Ali Khan was born into Indian nobility on 23 December 1920 in Rampur, within the British Indian Empire. He belonged to the Rohilla branch of the Kheshgi family, which is a Pashtun Clan. His father, Sir Abdus Samad Khan, was an aristocrat and politician who served as the chief minister of Rampur. The family also maintained close ties to the Nawabs of Kasur in Punjab.

He received his early education at the Rashtriya Indian Military College in Dehradun before attending the Indian Military Academy. After gaining a commission in the British Indian Army in 1940, he was attached to the 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry. During World War II, he served in the North African campaign starting in April 1942. He was taken prisoner of war in North Africa in May 1942.

In September 1943, he escaped from the Italian prisoner of war camp P. G. 91 in Avezzano alongside two other Indian officers. Although they attempted to move south toward Allied lines for several months, German forces recaptured them. He remained in a German prisoner of war camp until April 1945, when U.S. Army soldiers released him. During his time in German custody, he studied various languages by reading literature and interacting with fellow prisoners.

Career

Upon returning to India in 1945, he served as an adjutant to Field Marshal Lord Wavell with the rank of major. Following the Partition of India, he opted for Pakistan and was appointed commandant of the Governor-General's bodyguard. He led this unit until 1948. Between 1948 and 1949, he completed a one-year course at the Command and Staff College in Quetta to earn a staff officer's degree.

His military progression continued through several specialized roles and promotions. He served as a lieutenant-colonel in Military Intelligence in 1951 and commanded the 11th Prince Albert Victor's Own Cavalry from December 1952 to October 1953. After being promoted to colonel in 1953, he attended the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr in France and graduated in 1954. He reached the rank of brigadier in 1955 and later became a major-general in 1960.

During the 1965 war against India, he commanded the 1st Armoured Division and helped develop operational plans for vehicular warfare in Punjab. General Musa Khan appointed him as the director-general military operations to direct ground operations during this conflict. He later served as the chief of general staff at the army GHQ from 1966 until 1969.

In 1969, President Yahya Khan posted him to East Pakistan as the commander of Eastern Command. He was subsequently appointed as the governor of East Pakistan, where he studied the Bengali language and culture. He famously resisted the use of brute force to settle political disputes and worked with Admiral Ahsan to advise the administration. In 1970, he coordinated relief operations following a disastrous cyclone.

The political deadlock in East Pakistan led to the Ahsan–Yaqub Mission, which sought to resolve tensions between the regions. When ordered to use military force against civil agitation in 1971, he refused the command and resigned instead. This decision earned him the reputation of a "conscientious objector" within the military. He transitioned to diplomacy in 1973, serving as the Pakistan Ambassador to the United States.

He ascended to the role of foreign minister under President Zia-ul-Haq in 1982. His tenure involved significant international involvement, including negotiations for the United Nations to end the Contras in Nicaragua between 1981 and 1987. In the 1990s, he worked as a United Nations official for Western Sahara. He was later reappointed as foreign minister under Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto before retiring from diplomatic services in 1997.

Personal life

After his retirement from diplomatic service, he resided in Islamabad. He passed away in Islamabad in 2016 at the age of 95.