Tahir Rafique Butt

Tahir Rafique Butt (Urdu:طاهر رفيق بٹ;b. 1955), is a retired air officer who was the 13th Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force serving from 19 March 2012 to 19 March 2015. He was replaced by Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman.

Before being appointed chief he served as Vice Chief of the Air Staff (VCAS) since 5 October 2010. His other appointments include Deputy Chief of the Air Staff at Air Headquarters and commanding an operational base.

Biography

Tahir Rafique Butt was born in 1955 to a Kashmiri family, in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. He received his early education from the PAF Public School, a boarding school managed by the Air Force. After graduating from PAF Public School in 1973, he enrolled in Punjab University and attained BSc in Science in 1975. The same year, Butt's nomination was accepted at the Pakistan Air Force Academy after being interviewed by the Inter-Services Selection Board.

During his mid-officer career, Rafique studied at the National University of Modern Languages before transferring to Quaid-e-Azam University in 1993–94. From 1994 to 1995, he spent a semester at the Staff College in Turkey. From 2000 until 2001, Rafique continued his studies at National Defence University (NDU) where he gained his MSc in Defence and Strategic studies.

From December 2007 until July 2008, Rafique served as the Chief Instructor (CI) and commandant of the National Security College at NDU.

From 1977 to 1979, he served on various flight assignments and joined the Air Force Academy to instruct flying courses on fixed-wing aircraft.

At the time of retirement of ACM Rao Qamar Suleman, Rafique was most senior air marshal; his appointment came directly based on seniority. After much speculation, his four-star appointment was confirmed in the media. However, upholding the principle of seniority, the government chose Butt, similar to when the government appointed the new chief of naval staff, last year. On 7 March 2012, Butt's grade was promoted to four-star rank and elevated as the ACM;

Awards and decorations

PAF GD(P) Badge RED (More than 3000 Flying Hours) Pilot Rating: Command PilotNishan-e-Imtiaz (Military)

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

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

(Star of Excellence)Tamgha-e-Basalat (Medal of Good Conduct)Tamgha-e-Baqa (Nuclear Test Medal)

1998Tamgha-e-Istaqlal Pakistan (Escalation with India 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

(Turkey)

Foreign decorations Foreign AwardTurkish Legion of Merit

Effective dates of promotion