Sahabzada Yaqub Khan

Sahabzada Yaqub Khan

Lieutenant-General Yaqub Ali Khan (Urdu: صاحبزادہ یعقوب خان; born 23 December 1920) was a high-profile figure and high-ranking general who held the most senior and prestigious military and government assignments in the Pakistan Government, and was also the primary the international face of Pakistan for three decades, first served as the Foreign minister, military government of President General Zia-ul-Haq from 1982 to 1991 until the dying days of Cold War, and then also served as the caretaker Foreign minister from 1996 to 1997.

Educated and received commission in the army after attending the Rashtriya Indian Military College, Yaqub Khan served well in the World War II on behalf of British Indian Army, his military career saw the actions in Operation Tobruk, and later opted for Pakistan, joining the staff of Pakistan Army. As Major-General, he commanded the combantant 1st Armoured Division during the 1965 September war against India and posted in East-Pakistan shortly after the war was ended. In 1967, he was elevated as the Chief of General Staff of the Eastern Military High Command under Vice-Admiral Syed Mohammad Ahsan and succeeded Admiral Ahsan as commander of eastern command in 1971. After failing to restore peace, Yaqub Khan was re-called to West-Pakistan where he commanded the combatant corps against India, and took voluntarily retirement from the army. In 1973, he entered in foreign service assuming the diplomatic post of Pakistan Ambassador to the United States. Soviet Union and France, which he held until 1979. Upon his return, he was re-called for his military service by then-Chief of Army Staff General Zia-ul-Haq in 1980, re-assuming the foreign military in 1982.

Yaqub Ali Khan became an international figure when he played a central role in the UN-sanctioned negotiations to end the Soviet involvement in Afghanistan Soviet Socialist Republic, and also took part to end the civil war in Nicaragua, as he was the point man of the United Nations. Since 1990, Khan associated with the United Nations, served at the special representative of U.N. for Western Sahara and was finally reappointed as Foreign Minister in 1996. As a result of 1997 parliamentary elections, Yaqub Ali Khan took subsequent retirement from the foreign service and settled in Islamabad where he continues to spend his later life in peace.