Abdul Aziz Mirza

Abdul Aziz Mirza (; born 1943) is a retired Pakistan Navy admiral who served as the 15th Chief of Naval Staff from 1999 until retiring in 2002, after taking over the command of the Navy following the revolt and resignation Admiral Fasih Bokhari over the appointment of Chairman joint chiefs.

After retiring from the Navy, he briefly tenured as the Pakistan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 2001 to 2005 and later became the CEO of The Centaurus in Islamabad. During his military service in the Navy, Admiral Mirza is given credit for commissioning the country's first ingeniously and locally built long-range submarine, the Agosta 90B submarine in 1999.

Biography

Early life and naval career

Abdul Aziz Mirza was born in a small town, Dhamali Kallar Syedan, in Rawalpindi, Punjab, British India, in 1943. He was born into an influential military family, and his father briefly enlisted in the British Indian Army, retiring as chief warrant officer (CWO) in the Frontier Force Regiment of the Pakistan Army.

After graduation, Mirza applied for the Pakistan Military Academy and was selected with Pervez Musharraf and PQ Mehdi for the interview by the commandants in 1961. After passing the physical, he was studied at the Pakistan Military Academy with Pervez Musharraf who remained his life-long friend and Ali Kuli Khan.

He was trained as a surface warfare officer and participated in second war with India in 1965 against the Indian Navy as a gunnery specialist. In the war of 1965 he served in PNS Dhaka.

On 6 October 1999, he was promoted as four-star rank admiral and appointed Chief of Naval Staff after Admiral Bokharhi prematurely resigned from his commission in protest as the latter was denied the Chairmanship of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Admiral Mirza remained supportive of martial law in 1999, and was said to be closer to Chairman joint chiefs and chief of army staff General Pervez Musharraf. Two weeks later, he was inducted as a senior member in the National Security Council along with Chief of air staff Air Chief Marshal PQ Mehdi. On 4 November 1999, Admiral Mirza released a report of his assets, with General Musharraf also releasing his tax returns papers. In 2000, Admiral Mirza notably announced a deal involving the selling of Agosta-90B Submarines to the Royal Saudi Navy and Royal Malaysian Navy, but the deal never came through as Pakistan imposed an export restrictions.

In 2001, he questioned President Musharraf's decision policy towards the terrorism and military rotation in Western Pakistan, but he was reportedly warned by President Musharraf on his difference of opinion. He reportedly warned of expansion of Indian Navy and noted that the Indian Navy's budget had increased 6,900% since 1971.

He led the Pakistan Navy during the military standoff between India and Pakistan in 2001–02 and boldly stated that Pakistan Navy will hold its own against the Indian Navy. As the naval chief, he is credit of overseeing the development and nationwide construction of the Agosta-90B Khalid-class submarines in various capacities as Pakistan built its first indigenous submarine in 2002.

Diplomatic and corporate career

Admiral Mirza retired from the Navy as its naval chief on 4 October 2002 and handed over the command to Admiral Shahid Karimullah at the ceremony held in Navy NHQ.

On 8 October 2002, President Musharraf announced to appointed Admiral Mirza for a diplomatic post and appointed him as Pakistan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. In 2005, he oversaw the process of paperworks in order to release the passport of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family to travel from Jeddah to London.

In 2004, Ambassador Mirza was honored and decorated with the Legion of Honour with an order of Chevalier by the French government; the honor was bestowed to him in Saudi Arabia by the French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Bernard Polleti. The honor was given in recognition of outstanding contributions to a Pakistani-French joint submarine building program while the ambassador was chief of naval staff of the Pakistan Navy.

On 26 January 2006, Mirza left the diplomat post and returned to Pakistan as he was replaced by Admiral Shahid Karimullah who took over the diplomatic assignment from him in Riyadh. After his retirement from the diplomatic post, Mirza jointed the corporate sector of the country when he was appointed business adviser to the PakGulf Construction in 2007.

Currently, Mirza is CEO of The Centaurus in Islamabad, overseeing and managing the construction project of a community that integrates residential amenities with other facilities.

Awards and decorations

Pakistan Navy Operations Branch BadgeCommand at Sea insigniaNishan-e-Imtiaz (Military)

(Order of Excellence)Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military)

(Crescent of Excellence)Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military)

(Star of Excellence)Sitara-e-Basalat (Star of Good Conduct)Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War (War Star 1965)Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War (War Star 1971)Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War (War Medal 1965)Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War (War Medal 1971)Tamgha-e-Baqa (Nuclear Test Medal)

Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam

(100th Birth Anniversary of

Muhammad Ali Jinnah)

1976Hijri Tamgha (Hijri Medal)

1979Jamhuriat Tamgha (Democracy Medal)

1988Qarardad-e-Pakistan Tamgha (Resolution Day

Golden Jubilee Medal)

1990Tamgha-e-Salgirah Pakistan (Independence Day

Golden Jubilee Medal)

1997The Legion of Merit (Degree of Commander)

(United States)Tong il Order of National Security Merit

(South Korea)Legion of Honour (Grand Officer)

(France)

Foreign Decorations Foreign AwardsThe Legion of Merit (Degree of Commander)Tong il (Order of National Security Merit)The Legion of Honour (Grand Officer Class)