Anwar Shamim

Mohammad Anwar Shamim (1 October 1931 – 4 January 2013) was a former fighter pilot who was the Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force, serving in the post from 1978 until retiring in 1985.

By mid-1981, rumors of corruption were circulating within the Air Force, including allegations against Shamim. Reportedly, he had purchased a ranch in the United States for $500,000 and "nobody had the courage to inform or question the CAS about this". According to several sources, motivated by loyalty and a strong commitment to integrity, Air Commodore M. M. Alam confronted Shamim directly and recommended that an investigation be conducted. Rather, Shamim authored a negative Annual Confidential Report (ACR) on Alam at the end of the year, questioning his character and combat record, and had him retired. He died in January 2013 and was buried with full state honours.

Biography 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.

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. 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. 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

PAF GD(P) Badge RED (More than 3000 Flying Hours)Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military)

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

(Crescent of Excellence)Sitara-e-Jurat (Star of Courage)

1965 WarSitara-e-Imtiaz (Military)

(Star of Excellence)Tamgha-e-Diffa (General Service Medal)

1965 War Clasp 1971 War ClaspSitara-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-Sad Saala Jashan-e- Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam

(100th Birth Anniversary of

Muhammad Ali Jinnah)

1976Tamgha-e-Jamhuria (Republic Commemoration Medal)

1956Hijri Tamgha (Hijri Medal)

1979Order of Independence (Wisam al-Istiqlal)

(Jordan)Order of King Abdul Aziz (1st Class)

(Saudi Arabia)The Legion of Merit (Degree of Commander)

(USA)

Foreign Decorations Foreign AwardsOrder of Independence (Wisam al-Istiqlal)Order of King Abdul Aziz - Class IThe Legion of Merit (Degree of Commander)

Published works

Memoirs