Bilal Omar Khan

Early life and family Bilal Omar Khan was born on 3 February 1954 into a Burki Pashtun family. His father Omer Khan, was a retired Colonel in the Pakistan Army and was the founding father of the Pakistan Ordnance Factories depot in Havelian. Bilal has one brother, Talha Omer who retired as a major in the Pakistan Army and a sister Yasmin Salman Omer. Bilal grew up in Lalazar Colony Rawalpindi and later attended the Abbottabad Public School.

Personal life Bilal married Nabeela and has two sons, Arsalan Omer Khan, Ibrahim Omer Khan, and a daughter Zahra Omer Khan.

Once Bilal Omer, along with his wife and driver, experienced a car accident in Lahore Cantonment. The driver suffered a fatal heart attack and died at the scene. Bilal's swift action of moving from the backseat to the front prevented significant damage to the car and saved both his wife and himself.

He graduated from the Command and Staff College Quetta in 1986 and later went to Saudi Arabia after completing mid-level infantry officers course. Afterwards, he received his Master of Arts in International relations from the University of Denver.

On 16 January 2004, the Pakistan Army selection board reviewed 104 brigadiers and deemed 18 fit for promotion to Major General, including Bilal, constituting 2.2% of those commissioned in 1974–75.

Major General Bilal placed a floral wreath at the Tomb of Allama Iqbal to pay homage to the great poet-philosopher of the East on Defence Day 2004. Notably, he welcomed Chief of the Turkish General Staff Hilmi Özkök and a delegation at the Allama Iqbal International Airport on 8 March 2005.

On 23 August 2005, as the GOC 10 Division, Bilal was the chief guest at the Pakistan Cricket Board and Pepsi National School Cricket Tournament, where Ibrahim Ali Bhai School Karachi competed against Government High School Nanakpura Peshawar.

On 5 April 2008, as Director General Operations and Planning, Major General Bilal Omer Khan and other senior officials of the Joint Staff Headquarters welcomed Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Tariq Majid at the Islamabad Airport.

Death

On 4 December 2009, a terrorist attack occurred at the Parade Lane Mosque while Bilal and other worshippers were praying namaz. During the attack, Bilal's son, Arsalan, says Bilal tried to disarm one of the terrorists, allowing others to escape. In an interview, Arsalan shared that the neighbor's driver told him about General Bilal grappling with the terrorist's gun. Bilal reportedly exclaimed, "Are you going to kill kids?" He mentioned that his father was shot in the neck from behind by another terrorist at point blank range and grenade shrapnel was later discovered in his legs.

Awards & Decorations

Parachutist BadgeHilal-i-Imtiaz (Military)

(Crescent of Excellence)

2006Sitara-e-Basalat (Nuclear Test Medal)

1998Tamgha-e-Istaqlal Pakistan (Escalation with India Medal)

(100th Birth Anniversary of

Muhammad Ali Jinnah)

1976Hijri Tamgha (Hijri Medal)

1979Tamgha-e-Jamhuriat (Democracy Medal)

1988Qarardad-e-Pakistan Tamgha (Resolution Day)

(Golden Jubilee Medal)

1990Tamgha-e-Salgirah Pakistan (Independence Day

Golden Jubilee Medal)

1997Command and Staff College Quetta Centenary Student's Medal