Muhammad Shariff

Muhammad Shariff ( ; 22 February 1921 – 6 August 1999) was a Pakistani four-star rank general who served as the first Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee from 1976 until tendering his resignation in 1977 over the disagreement with the military takeover of the civilian government by the army.

Biography

Muhammad Shariff was born on 22 February 1921 into a Punjabi family in Lahore, Punjab in India. After being educated at the Lawrence College in Murree, Shariff was commissioned in the 3rd infantry battalion of the 2nd Punjab Regiment of the British Indian Army in 1942.

In 1964–66, Brig. Shariff moved to the staff assignment at the Army GHQ, serving in the Corps of Education where he served on the army board to select the potential candidates to be educated at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. During this time, Lt-Gen. Shariff played a crucial role in his role as a secondment when he led his II Corps to provide the military aid to the civil power to maintain law and order in Karachi, amid the labour unrest. Initially, Lt-Gen, Shariff was in the race for the promotion to four-star rank alongside six other army generals.

Eventually, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto promoted and elevated the junior-most Lt-Gen, Zia-ul-Haq, to the four-star appointment and appointed him as nation's second army chief in 1976.

His relations with Gen. Zia were limited but he seemed to dislike General Zia personally. In 1974–75, Lt-Gen. Shariff had submitted a report to the then-army chief General Tikka Khan that detailed Maj-Gen. Zia's actions of bypassing the chain of command in the military but the report was overshadowed due to Zia's dedication towards promoting the professionalism in the military.

His relations with Gen. Zia soured and he was not supportive towards the actions by General Zia of military takeover of the civilian government, and regretted that this ultimate step had become inevitable. In July 1977, General Shariff prematurely sought retirement and he submitted his resignation to the President of Pakistan, asking him to relieve him of his duty.

In 1977, General Shariff left the chairmanship of the joint chiefs to his deputy Admiral Mohammad Shariff but it was not until 1979 when his resignation actually became effective. He died in Lahore on 6 August 1999.

Awards and decorations

Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military)

(Order of Excellence)Sitara-e-Pakistan (SPk)Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military)

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

Dir-Bajaur 1960-62 ClaspSitara-e-Harb 1965 War (War Star 1965)Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War

(War Star 1965)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)

1956War Medal 1939-1945India Service Medal 1939–1945Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal

(1953)

Foreign decorations