Attiqur Rahman - Military Service

Military Service

Born on 24 June 1918, he was educated at St Paul's School, London and at the Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun, where he was awarded the Sword of Honour. Commissioned on 1 February 1940, he joined the 4/12th Frontier Force Regiment (The fabled "Charwanja") and was posted to Thall, Kurram Agency (Ahmedzai Operations) and then to Datta Khel (Lower Tochi Operations). In November 1941 his battalion went to join General Slim's Fourteenth Army to fight in Burma. His best friend in the battalion was Major (Later on Field Marshal)SAM Maneckshaw - this was a deep and special friendship that lasted a lifetime. Attiqur Rahman saw action at Moulmein on the Salween River, at the Sittang River, at the Siege of Imphal and was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous bravery in the face of the enemy. He was sent back to India and put through the Command and Staff College at Quetta and just before the war's end returned to Burma as DDA/QMG 33 Brigade, with 7 Division at Waw. Come to the end of the war, he was posted to the Indian Military Academy as an Instructor (GSO-2).

In 1947, with the birth of Pakistan (Army number PA 103) he was sent as Chief Instructor to the newly formed Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul. After that he was given command of his own regiment, the 4 FFR, until in 1950 he was sent to the Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, USA. He returned to Pakistan in 1951 to command 101 Brigade. Back to Quetta in 1952 to do a couple of 'old boy' courses at the staff College, after which he stayed on as Deputy Commandant. 1956 saw him commanding 53 Brigade in Comilla (East Pakistan) and later that year he was posted to GHQ first as DMO and then as VCGS.

In 1959, he was given command of 15th Infantry Division, Sialkot, then of 7th Infantry Division, Peshawar. He did the Imperial Defence College (London) course in 1962, and came back to GHQ in 1963 as Adjutant General. During the 1965 war, he was posted to HQ-1 Corps, and later given command of 12th Infantry Division, Murree.

In 1966, promoted to Lieutenant General, he commanded his first Corps, IV Corps then headquartered at Multan (later it was moved to Lahore). When Yahya's Martial Law was instituted on 25 March 1969, Attiq was appointed Martial Law Administrator, Zone A (West Pakistan) due to his position as Commander IV Corps. Later in August 1969, Attiq was moved to I Corps at Mangla, whereas Tikka Khan took charge of IV Corps and became the MLA of West Pakistan. Attiq stayed as the commander I Corps from August 1969 till February 1970. He was then replaced by Lt Gen Irshad Ahmed Khan.

From there, Attiq was appointed as the Governor of West Pakistan in February 1970 replacing Air Marshal Nur Khan. He stayed as governor till the break-up of One Unit in 1971, and then took over as Governor of Punjab. He retired from the army and from the governorship in December 1971.