Anwar Shamim

Early life and education Anwar Shamim was born in Haripur, Hazara District, North-West Frontier Province in the British Indian Empire, on 31 October 1931. He came from an academic family, his parents were teachers at the local school. In 1950, he joined the RPAF College at Risalpur from where he was selected to attend the Royal Australian Air Force College at Point Cook where he completed the basic flying training course. Upon returning to Pakistan, he gained a commission as a Pilot Officer in No. 12 Squadron Globe Globe Trotters in 1952. Flying Officer Shamim was sent to the United States to be trained to fly the F-104 Starfighter, and was later directed to attend the Air Command and Staff College in Montgomery, Alabama, in the 1960s where he gained degree in Defence studies. In the 1970s, he went to attend the National Defence University, Pakistan in Islamabad, and attained his master's degree in national security. While in the United States, he qualified as a test pilot, flying mostly the F-104 and F-86 while performing the combat maneuvering. His combat wing led several attacking and bombing missions against the Indian Air Force's attempts for air superiority. After the war with India, Group Captain (Gp. Capt.) Shamim was posted with the Pakistan Armed Forces–Middle East Command, serving first as an air adviser to the Royal Jordanian Air Force in 1967. His efforts won praise from King Hussain of Jordan, who honoured him with a national decoration. In 1971, Shamim returned to Pakistan and was appointed as base commander of Masroor Air Force Base, mainly focusing on aerial defence, though he continued directing combat air operations. In 1974–76, Air Commodore Shamim was appointed Air Officer Commanding of the Southern Air Command, but was later posted as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (ACAS) Air Operations at the Pakistan Air Headquarters (AHQ) on a two-star rank, Air Vice Marshal (AVM). In 1978, Shamim was promoted to Air Marshal (AM). ==Chief of Air Staff==

On 23 July 1978, when ACM Zulfikar Ali Khan completed an extended tenure of four years, Air Commodore Anwar Shamim was promoted to ACM and appointed Chief of the Air Staff. President Fazal Ilahi approved the elevation of the junior most air officer, Anwar Shamim, to four-star rank, superseding several seniors for this appointment. Once appointed as Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal (ACM) Shamim began taking initiatives to modernize the air force by acquiring fighter jets from the United States and China. In 1983, ACM Shamim was given another extension as an air chief for two more year. Repeated extension of ACM Shamim as Chief of Air Staff made him the longest serving chief of the air force. Under his command, the PAF was involved in combat sorties against the Soviet Air Forces in Communist Afghanistan in shooting down the fighter jets violating the airspace of Pakistan only, but he did not authorize the air force's F-16s for hot pursuit missions into Communist Afghanistan. ACM Shamim explored the idea of defending their nuclear deterrence by suggesting acquiring American F-16s, allowing the PAF to have a second strike capability to destroying the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre at Trombay, India. The Pakistan Ministry of Defence and the United States Department of Defense entered into negotiations to acquire F-16s for the PAF, with Air Chief Marshal Shamim later launching Project Falcon, appointing AVM H. Durrani as its Project-Director. On 15 January 1983, three F-16As in a single squadron, under the leadership of then-AVM Jamal A. Khan reached Pakistan. During this time, he maintained close relations with Lieutenant General Arnold W. Braswell of the United States Air Force on mutual security issues. In 1980, Air Chief Marshal Shamim also witnessed the commissioning and induction of the A-5 Fantan into the PAF, acquiring the first squadron in 1981. In 1982, ACM Shamim acquired an additional batch of Dassault Mirage 5 that would provide support in aerial defence for the Pakistan Navy. Air Force Strategic Command After Israel successfully launched its Operation Opera airstrike against Iraqs' Osirak nuclear power plant, fears in Pakistan increased with their intelligence community asserting that India could also destroy the nuclear infrastructure in Pakistan. The Air Force Strategic Command was primary tasked with protecting and providing aerial defence of the country's clandestine nuclear deterrence. The Air Force Strategic Command later took over satellite operations which ran under the Space Research Commission, providing financial support for developing Badr-1, the nation's first communication satellite. ==Retirement and later life==

In 1985, ACM Shamim refused to accept an extension as the Chief of Air Staff despite President Zia-ul-Haq approving a third extension. ACM Shamim was eventually succeeded by Air Chief Marshal Jamal Khan, and decided to settle in Islamabad, Pakistan. In 1987, he was then attempted to be sent as a Pakistan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia but this was also refused by the Saudi Arabia, citing unknown reasons. In 2010, he wrote and published his memoirs, Cutting Edge, recounting his memories during this tenureship as an air chief. ==Death and State funeral==

On 3 January 2013, Shamim was admitted to the Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi and died on 4 January 2013 after a prolonged illness. His death was widely reported and, it was announced by the Government of Pakistan to give him the proper burial with state honors. Shamim was given a state funeral that was attended by Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafiq, then-air chief, Admiral Asif Sandila, then-navy chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, then-army chief, former air chiefs, war veterans, diplomatics, and other dignitaries. President Asif Zardari paid tribute to Shamins' services for the nation and prayed to Allah, the Almighty, to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and to give courage to the bereaved family to bear this loss with fortitude. Anwar Shamim is buried in H-11 Graveyard, Islamabad; a granite memorial crowned by the Pakistan Air Force emblem marks his grave. ==Legacy==

ACM Anwar Shamim was noted as the second longest serving chief of air staff, commanding the air force for nearly seven years whose tenureship saw the induction of the F-16s in the air force. While there were several allegations of nepotism and improper conduct, But this has been fervently denied by his family ACM Anwar Shamim started the air force's exercise that were integrated with the other branches of the Pakistani military in the 1980s for the leadership under Chairman joint chiefs to understand and appreciate exactly what the PAF could and could not do. == Awards and decorations ==

Foreign Decorations == Published works ==

• • • • • Memoirs • ==See also==