Mohammad Shariff

Biography World War II and RIN career

Mohammad Shariff was born in Gujrat, Punjab, British India in 1920. As many of his contemporaries, he was educated at the Rashtriya Indian Military College and joined the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) in 1936 as a sailor in the Communications Branch. One of his close colleagues at this time was Gautum Singh, whom he would fight against in 1971. In the 1950s, he served on various assignments in the Pakistan military and served as a senior staff officer at the Navy NHQ from 1953 to 1956 as Lieutenant-Commander. In 1960, he was promoted as Commander in the Navy and went to the United States where he attended the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, and graduated with a master's degree in War studies in 1962.

Upon returning to Pakistan in 1962, he was appointed as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Personnel) with a promoting rank of Captain at the NHQ.

In 1965, Captain Shariff continued his staff appointment role as DCNS (Personnel) at the NHQ and participated in the second war with India in 1965. In 1968, Commodore Shariff paid a goodwill visit to China alongside and held defence talks with the senior leadership of People's Liberation Army.

Pakistan Eastern Naval Command Military map of East Pakistan, with Indian Army encircling the India-East Pakistan border. In 1969, Commodore Shariff was promoted as Rear-Admiral, a two-star rank, and posted in East Pakistan as Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) at the Eastern Naval Command HQ. His naval command was coordinated with the army's Eastern Command.

During the same time, President General Yahya Khan appointed Admiral S. M. Ahsan as the Governor of East Pakistan and Lt. Gen. Yaqub Khan as the commander of the army's Eastern Command, and the activities, momentum, and magnitude of the Pakistan Navy in East Pakistan increased at a maximum level, and more military and naval exercises began to take place in East Pakistan that initially focused on gathering intelligence on Indian infiltration in East.

The Searchlight resulted in quick success, but it had created a temporary momentum on Bengali rebels who started their insurgency from Barisal, a riverine city which the Army had failed to infiltrated. He personally led many operations undertaken after the deployment of the Marines and SSG(N) against the Eastern Command of the Indian Army despite logistical disadvantages.

About the deployment of US Taskforce 74 in support to the Pakistani military, Admiral Shariff had notified General Niazi that "if the American Fleet had been coming to help them [Eastern Command], it would have established contacts with his HQ."

During the entire military conflict, insurgency was widely spread to entire provincial state, East Pakistan. His TT Pistol is still placed in "covered glass" display at the Indian Military Academy's Museum. In 1974, he was promoted as Vice-Admiral and appointed as Vice-Chief of Naval Staff under Vice-Admiral H.H. Ahmed despite the latter being junior to Vice-Admiral Shariff.

Chief of Naval Staff

On 23 March 1975, Vice-Admiral Shariff's appointment as Chief of Naval Staff was approved by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto after Vice-Admiral H. H. Ahmed died of heart complications on 8 March 1975. At the time of his appointment, he was the most senior admiral and superseded no one.

Admiral Shariff was named deputy CMLA in the Military Council that is viewed to assist President Fazal Ilahi.

In 1977, he was appointed acting Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee in the absence of General Muhammad Shariff who later resigned amid disagreement of the decision of the martial law on 22 January 1977. After this meeting, Zia authorized this operation under General Akhtar, and it was later merged with Operation Cyclone, a programme funded by the United States and the CIA. On 23 September 2010, Admiral Shariff wrote and launched his first autobiography Admiral's Diary, in English.

Shariff died on 27 April 2020.

Awards and decorations

Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military)

(Order of Excellence)Hilal-e-Jurat (Crescent of Courage)

1971 WarHilal-e-Imtiaz (Military)

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

1. 1965 War Clasp

2. 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)Pakistan Tamgha (Pakistan Medal)

1947Tamgha-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)

19791939-1945 StarAtlantic StarAfrica StarBurma StarWar Medal 1939–1945India Service Medal 1939–1945Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal

(1953)The Legion of Merit (Degree of Commander)

(US)

Foreign Decorations