Print Story
X
First native commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan passed away on Friday morning, a spokesperson of the PAF said in a statement.
Khan, who became the youngest head of PAF at the age of 35 passed away at the age of 96 after a prolonged illness. Due to his services for the country he will be given a state funeral.
Air Marshal Asghar Khan headed the PAF diligently and with courage. With his leadership capabilities he played a vital role in transforming the PAF into a modern air force, said Air Marshal Sohail Aman.
Tributes poured in from the political and military leadership eulogizing his services for nation building.
Khan, a former politician and a World War-II veteran fighter pilot was born in Jammu and Kashmir in 1921. He originally served as an officer in the British Indian Army.
In the era of Field Marshal Ayub Khan the former head of the PAF spearheaded a movement with the intent to have Zulfikar Ali Bhutto released from jail.
He also served as the president of Pakistan International Airlines, which was considered as the golden era of the national carrier.
In 1970 Khan founded Tehrik-e-Istiqlal, a secular political party, which was in 2012 merged into Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).
In March 2017 the PAF Academy in Risalpur was named after Khan.
