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Mohammad Shariff

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Admiral
Mohammad Shariff

Hilal-e-Jurat
NI(M)  HJ  HI(M)  LoM
محمد شريف
Admiral Shariff (left) meeting his UScounterpartAdmiralWilliam J. Crowe.
2ndChairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
In office
23 January 1977 – 13 April 1980
Preceded byGeneralMuhammad Shariff
Succeeded byGeneralIqbal Khan
Chief of Naval Staff
In office
23 March 1975 – 21 March 1979
Preceded byVice-AdmiralHasan Hafeez Ahmed
Succeeded byAdmiralKaramat Rahman Niazi
Chairman ofFederal Public Service Commission
In office
1980–1986
Personal details
Born1 July 1920
BhurchhinKharian Tehsil,District Gujrat,Punjab,British India[1]: 372 
(now Pakistan)
Died27 April 2020(2020-04-27)(aged 99)
Resting placeIslamabad, Pakistan
CitizenshipBritish Subject(1920-1947)
Pakistan(1947-2020)
Military service
Branch/serviceRoyal Indian Navy(1936–1947)
Pakistan Navy(1947–80)
Years of service1936-1980
RankAdmiral
UnitExecutive Branch
CommandsVice Chief of Naval Staff
DCNS (Operations)
DCNS (Personnel)
Eastern Naval Command,East Pakistan
Battles/wars
AwardsNishan-e-Imtiaz (Military)
 Hilal-e-Jurat
Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military)
Legion of Merit
Service numberS/No. PN. 138

AdmiralMohammad ShariffNI(M)HJHI(M)LoM(Urdu:محمد شريف;1 July 1920 – 27 April 2020[2]), was aPakistan Navysenior admiral, who served as the 2ndChairmanofJoint Chiefs of Staff Committeeand a memoirist who was at the center of all themajor decisions made in Pakistanin the events involving thewar with Indiain 1971, the enforcement ofmartial lawin the country in 1977, and the decision incovertly interveningagainstSoviet Union in Afghanistan.

Gaining commission in theRoyal Indian Navy,he participated inWorld War IIon behalf of Great Britain before joining the Pakistan Navy in 1947 as one of the senior staff officers. In 1969, he was appointed theFlag Officer Commandingof the Eastern Naval Command inEast Pakistanduring thecivil warthere, followed by the foreign intervention by India in 1971. After the war, he was taken as awar prisoneralong withLieutenant-GeneralA.A.K Niazi,the commander of Pakistan Army'sEastern Commandafter conceding thesurrenderof the Pakistan Armed Forces personnel to theIndian Army.

He resumed his active military service in the Navy after hisrepatriation from Indiaand was appointed theChief of Naval Staffin 1975 after the sudden death of Vice-AdmiralHasan Ahmed.He had the distinction of being the firstfour-staradmiral in the navy and was the first admiral to be appointed asChairman joint chiefs committeein 1978 until 1980. As the Chairman Joint Chiefs Committee, he continued to advocate for an aggressiveforeign policyand a strongnuclear deterrentagainst foreign intervention.[3]: 331–334 

After retiring from the military in 1980, Shariff was appointed as chairman ofFederal Public Service Commissionwhile he continued his role as military adviser to PresidentZia-ul-Haquntil 1988 when he retired from public service. After living a quiet life in Islamabad, he announced the publishing of his memoirs,Admiral's Diary,providing further accounts, causes, and failure of themilitary crackdownin East Pakistan.

Biography

[edit]

World War II and RIN career

[edit]
Main article:Royal Indian Navy mutiny

Mohammad Shariff was born inGujrat,Punjab,British India,into anKashmiri-Punjabi familyin 1920.[1]: 372 [4]As many of his contemporaries, he was educated at theRashtriya Indian Military Collegeand joined theRoyal Indian Navy(RIN) in 1936 as a sailor in the Communications Branch.[5][6]One of his close colleagues at this time was Gautum Singh, whom he would fight against in 1971.[7]: 218–219 

He participated in theWorld War IIas asignalistin the Royal Indian Navy on behalf of Great Britain and took part in military action in theAtlantic,Mediterranean,Red sea,andBay of Bengal.[1]: 372–373 In 1945, he went to the United Kingdom to attend theBritannia Royal Naval CollegeinDartmouth,England where he graduated with a staff course degree.[1]: 372–373 

War and staff appointments in Pakistan Navy

[edit]

In 1947, the United Kingdom announced thepartitionof India. After thecreationof Pakistan on 14 August 1947, Lieutenant Shariff decided toopt for Pakistanand joined the newly establishedPakistan Navy.

He was the 20th most senior Lieutenant in the navy in terms of seniority list provided by the Royal Indian Navy to theMinistry of Defense(MoD) in 1947.>[8]In the 1950s, he served on various assignments in thePakistan militaryand served as a senior staff officer at theNavy NHQfrom 1953 to 1956 asLieutenant-Commander.[9]In 1960, he was promoted asCommanderin the Navy and went to the United States where he attended theNaval War CollegeinNewport, Rhode Island,and graduated with a master's degree inWar studiesin 1962.[10]

Upon returning to Pakistan in 1962, he was appointed asDeputy Chief of Naval Staff(Personnel) with a promoting rank ofCaptainat the NHQ.[11]

In 1965, Captain Shariff continued his staff appointment role as DCNS (Personnel) at the NHQ and participated in thesecond warwith India in 1965.[9]He participated in planning of thenaval assaultagainst theIndian Navyand provided his analysis based on personnel preparation for the operation.[9]

In 1966, he was promoted asCommodoreand posted as DCNS (Operations) by theCommander in ChiefAdmiralSyed Mohammad Ahsanwhere he continued his role until 1969.[12]In 1968, Commodore Shariff paid a goodwill visit to China alongside and held defence talks with the senior leadership ofPeople's Liberation Army.[13]

Pakistan Eastern Naval Command

[edit]
Military map of East Pakistan, with Indian Army encircling theIndia-East Pakistan border.

In 1969, Commodore Shariff was promoted asRear-Admiral,atwo-starrank, and posted inEast PakistanasFlag Officer Commanding(FOC) at the Eastern Naval Command HQ.[14]His naval command was coordinated with the army'sEastern Command.[9][15]: 438 [16]

During the same time, President GeneralYahya Khanappointed AdmiralSyed Mohammad Ahsanas theGovernor of East Pakistanand Lt. Gen.Yaqub Khanas the commander of the army'sEastern 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.[9]East Pakistan, under the martial law administration of Admiral Ahsan, saw the period of stability and the civil control and law and order situation was effectively under control.[9]In 2010, Admiral Shariff authored his memories and concluded:

The initial military success (SearchlightandBarisal) in regaining the law and order situation in East-Pakistan in March 1971 was misunderstood as a complete success.... In actuality, the law and order situation deteriorated with time, particularly after September of the same year when the population turned increasingly against the [Pakistan] armed forces as well as the [Yahya's military] government. The rapid increase in the number of troops though bloated the overall strength, however, [it] did not add to our fighting strength to the extent that was required. A sizeable proportion of the new additions were too old, inexperienced or unwilling....

— Admiral Mohammad Shariff,Commander of Eastern Naval Command,[17]

In 1970, theElection Commissionheld thegeneral electionsin the country that resulted inAwami Leaguesecuring thesupermajorityin the East whilePakistan Peoples Partyclaiming the mandate in Pakistan. When the agitations in East Pakistan began to gain momentum, President Yahya held meeting with Governor Vice-Admiral Syed Mohammad Ahsan and army's Eastern Command's commander Lieutenant-General Yaqub Khan over theirmission outcomeswhere both objected the brute force against theBengali rebels.Despite opposition, President Yahya Khan authorized theOperation Searchlightand accepted the resignations from Governor Admiral Ahsan and General Yaqub, only to be appointed Lieutenant-GeneralTikka Khanas their capacity.[18][17]

TheSearchlightresulted in quick success, but it had created a temporary momentum on Bengali rebels who started their insurgency fromBarisal,ariverinecity which the Army had failed to infiltrated.[17]Therefore, Rear-Admiral Shariff's command was put in test when he authorized the launch ofBarisalwhich resulted in immediate success, but it had no long-lasting effects.[17]

As the war progressed, he insisted on deployment of the combat warships to mount a serious pressure on the Indian Navy'sEastern Naval Commandbut naval HQ did not grant his wishes in fear of losing the warships into the hands of the enemy.[19]He personally led many operations undertaken after the deployment of theMarinesandSSG(N)against theEastern Commandof theIndian Armydespite logistical disadvantages.[17]Overall, the Pakistan Navy performed its mission task well and diligently by providing support to the army until the end.[17]However, while the Navy was successful by performing its task, Pakistan Army's Eastern Military Commands were unsuccessful to achieve their objectives.[17]In the East, he earned his reputation as an effective commander within the military circles whose efforts had partially made the strategic shores of East Pakistan safe from the Indian Navy.[17]

Liberation war and surrender

[edit]

TheIndian Air Force'saerial campaignresulted in takingSq. LdrPQ Mehdiaswar prisonerand dismantling the onlyNo. 14 Squadronactive in the East.[20]Admiral Shariff authorizedLieutenant-ColonelLiaquat Asrar Bukhari to evacuate theAviation Corpsand take refuge to neighbouringBurma.[15]: 422–425 [20]WhenAir CommodoreInamul Haq, commander of Eastern Air Command, argued against the evacuation, Shariff strongly lobbied for the evacuation by convincingLieutenant-GeneralNiazithat Colonel Liaqat Bukhari should be allowed to give it a try, as several helicopters would be prevented from falling into enemy hands.[20]General Niazi agreed with Rear-Admiral Shariff and ordered Colonel Liaqat to launch an evacuation operation immediately.[20]Over several nights, the army aviators, large number of PAF pilots and personnel successfully left forAkyabin Burma.[20]

About the deployment ofUS Taskforce 74in support to the Pakistani military, Admiral Shariff had notified General Niazi that "if theAmerican Fleethad been coming to help them [Eastern Command], it would have established contacts with his HQ. "[21]

During the entire military conflict, insurgency was widely spread to entire provincial state, East Pakistan.[17]The Indian Military had intervened in East-Pakistan, the Eastern Air Command and Eastern Military Command forced Lieutenant-GeneralA. A. K. Niazito surrender the Pakistan Eastern Command Forces to his counterpartJagjit Singh Arora.In spite of Eastern Naval Command paying a heavy price, Admiral Shariff continued to keep the morale of Pakistan Navy personnel on high who were later pushed back to the wall by Mukti Bahni and the animosity of public that pounded the Pakistan Naval assets.

As Indian Armed Forces entered in East-Pakistan, Shariff planned an immediate evacuation operation.[9]He commanded and oversaw the maximum evacuation of Pakistan Naval assets from East Pakistan to Burma in a limited time.[9]However, the night Pakistan Eastern Military High Command were surrendered, Shariff with a small number of military officers planned to leave as the Pakistan naval vessel was waiting for their evacuation.[9]As the East-Pakistan fell, all the naval routes were closed by Indian Navy, forcing Shariff to remain in East-Pakistan.[9]

On 16 December, Rear-Admiral Mohammad Shariff surrendered hisTT pistolto Vice-AdmiralNilakanta Krishnan,the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Naval Command at 4:31pm (16:31hrs).[7]His TT Pistol is still placed in "covered glass"display at theIndian Military Academy's Museum.[7]

Later, he joined General Niazi where he was presented at the time when theInstrument of Surrenderwas signed. Shariff was the only Admiral at that particular event, with thirty brigadiers, and four Major-Generals, and thousands of soldiers and personnel witnessed the event and instrument that Niazi signed.[7]

War prisoner and return

[edit]

Upon surrendering of the Eastern Command, Rear-Admiral Shariff was taken asprisoner of war(POW) and was taken adjacent Camp No. 77A, where many of the senior military officials were held, including Lieutenant-General Niazi, in 1971.[7]: 218 In 1972, he was later shifted toFort WilliaminCalcuttawhere theU.S. Navynaval chiefAdmiralElmo Zumwaltpaid him a visit, followed by a visit of Indiannaval chiefAdmiralS. M. Nanda.[7]: 218 

Later, Admiral Nanda transferred him toJabalpur,to Rear-Admiral Gautum Singh who had done communications operations and specialization under Admiral Shariff inHMS Mercuryduring World War II.[7]: 218 He also requested a copy of theQuranwhich he recited during his time of his imprisonment.[7]: 218 

[At the end of the conflict]... We [Eastern Naval Command] had no intelligence and hence, were both deaf and blind with the Indian Navy and Indian Air Force pounding us day and night...

— Admiral Mohammad Sharifftelling AdmiralZumwaltin 1971,[7]

In March 1973, theIndian governmenthanded over Rear-Admiral Shariff toPakistan governmentat theWagha border.[7]: 219 He was allowed to resume his military service and testified in theWar Enquiry Commission,where he noted that: "the foundation for the defeat in East Pakistan could be traced back to themilitary coup d'étatin 1958 where senior officers became greedy self-serving politicians rather than soldiers. "[22]In 1974, he was promoted asVice-Admiraland appointed asVice-Chief of Naval Staffunder Vice-AdmiralH.H. Ahmeddespite the latter being junior to Vice-Admiral Shariff.[23]

Chief of Naval Staff

[edit]

On 23 March 1975, Vice-Admiral Shariff's appointment asChief of Naval Staffwas approved by Prime MinisterZulfikar Ali Bhuttoafter 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.[3]: 237–327 In 1976, Vice-Admiral Shariff was promoted tofour-starrank Admiral by PresidentFazal Ilahi Chaudhry— the first four-star appointment in the history of the Navy since its establishment in 1947.[1]: 3–4 

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff

[edit]

On 22 January 1977, he was appointed actingChairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committeein the absence of GeneralMuhammad Shariffand led the delegation to meet withVice ChairmanLi Xiannianwhen he paid a state visit to Pakistan.[24]

In 1977, Admiral Shariff supported themartial lawenforced byChief of Army StaffGeneralZia-ul-Haqafter the popular civil unrest sparked after thegeneral electionsheld in 1977.[25]He was named deputyCMLAin the Military Council that is viewed to assist PresidentFazal Ilahi.[26]

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.[3]: 331 [25]To sustain the presidency, the military staff appointments in the Navy and the Air Force were highly important for President Zia-ul-Haq to keep the inter-services loyal to General Zia-ul-Haq.[25]In 1978, his appointment to the chairman joint chiefs was officially confirmed by President Ilahi after the involuntary resignation of GeneralMuhammad Sharif.[3]: 331 He was the second Chairman joint chiefs and the first admiral to have been appointed chairman joint chiefs.[3]: 331 

With Admiral Shariff appointed as Chairman joint chiefs, he invited AdmiralKaramat Rahman Niazito be appointed as Chief of Naval Staff in his capacity who was also promoted to the four-star rank. His experience as DeputyMLAin East Pakistan highly benefitted General Zia-ul-Haq to consolidate and stabilize the presidency of President Zia-ul-Haq in 1978.[25]

Soviet–Afghan War

[edit]

On 25 December 1979, theSoviet Unionofficially intervenedin Afghanistan and President Zia called for a national security meeting that was attended by the Chairman joint chiefs, chiefs of staff of army, navy, and air force. At this meeting, he made no intentions against Soviet involvement in East Pakistan's crises after witnessing the Soviet support to India andMukti Bahini.[27]After this meeting, Zia authorized this operation under General Akhtar, and it was later merged withOperation Cyclone,a programme funded by the United States and theCIA.[27]

At this meeting, President Zia had asked Admiral Shariff and his army chief of staff GeneralKhalid Mahmud Arifto lead a geo-strategic civil-military team to formulate a geostrategy to counter Soviet aggression.[27]He played a crucial role in President Zia's policy onnuclear weaponsand was a strong proponent for the implementation of thenuclear deterrentwith a view to prevention of foreign intervention.[citation needed]

Later life and post-retirement

[edit]

In 1980, Admiral Shariff's retirement was due and decided not to seek an extension as he was succeeded by GeneralIqbal Khan.[3]: 285 He was given a guard of honour, and a monument under his name was built inNavy NHQand theJoint Staff HQ.[27]

Upon retirement, he was appointed as Chairman of theFederal Public Service Commissionand continued his role as military adviser to President Zia-ul-Haq.[27]However, he was given criticism for leading the appointment of those civil bureaucrats who were loyal to his government and his chairmanship, while those who were not were subsequently moved.[27]He continued his role as military adviser and the chairmanship until thedeath of President Zia-ul-Haqin 1988 and took retirement from public service and his role as the military adviser to theGovernment of Pakistan.[27]

Admiral Shariff was a recipient ofHilal-i-Jurat,which was awarded to him after the1971 warand theNishan-e-Imtiazby Bhutto after coming back from India.[27]

After his retirement, he lived a quiet life in Islamabad surrounded and supported by close friends and family, and served as President ofElaf Club of Pakistan,a political and military think tank based in Islamabad.[28]

On 23 September 2010, Admiral Shariff wrote and launched his first autobiographyAdmiral's Diary,in English.[6]The ceremony was held at theBahria UniversityAuditorium. Chief of Naval Staff AdmiralNoman Bashirwas chief guest on the occasion.[6]The book launching was attended by seasoned retired military officers and serving bureaucrats, senior retired and serving officers of the three services, family members and friends of the author, notable literary personalities, press and media.[6]

Shariff died on 27 April 2020.[2]

Awards and decorations

[edit]
Nishan-e-Imtiaz

(Military)

(Order of Excellence)

Hilal-e-Jurat

(Crescent of Courage)

1971 War

Hilal-e-Imtiaz

(Military)

(Crescent of Excellence)

Tamgha-e-Diffa

(General Service Medal)

1.1965 WarClasp

2.1971 WarClasp

Sitara-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)

1947

Tamgha-e-Sad Saala Jashan-e-

Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam

(100th Birth Anniversary of

Muhammad Ali Jinnah)

1976

Tamgha-e-Jamhuria

(Republic Commemoration Medal)

1956

Hijri Tamgha

(Hijri Medal)

1979

1939-1945 Star Atlantic Star Africa Star Burma Star
War Medal

1939–1945

India Service Medal

1939–1945

Queen Elizabeth II

Coronation Medal

(1953)

The Legion of Merit

(Degree of Commander)

(US)

Foreign Decorations

[edit]
Foreign Awards
UK 1939-1945 Star
Atlantic Star
Africa Star
Burma Star
War Medal 1939-1945
India Service Medal 1939–1945
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
USA The Legion of Merit (Degree of Commander)

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcdeAnjum, Zāhid Ḥusain (1979).Ilmi Encyclopaedia of General Knowledge.Lahore: Ilmi Kitab Khana.Retrieved3 January2017.
  2. ^ab"Former naval chief Muhammad Sharif passes away".The Express Tribune.28 April 2020.Retrieved28 April2020.
  3. ^abcdefRizvi, Hasan Askari (2000).The Military & Politics in Pakistan, 1947-1997.Lahore: Sang-e-Meel Publications.ISBN9789693511482.Retrieved4 January2017.
  4. ^"پاک بحریہ کے سربراہ۔: ایڈمرل محمد شریف".www.pakistanconnections.com.[dead link]
  5. ^"'Admiral's Diary' launched in capital ".The News International.24 September 2010.Retrieved3 January2017.
  6. ^abcdArshad, Muhammad."Book titled" Admiral's Diary "launched".World Tribune Pakistan.Retrieved21 December2011.
  7. ^abcdefghijRoy, Mihir K. (1995).War in the Indian Ocean.United States: Lancer Publishers. pp. 218–230.ISBN978-1-897829-11-0.
  8. ^"Admiral's Diary' launched in capital".The News International.24 September 2010.
  9. ^abcdefghijSharif, Admiral Mohammad (2010).Admiral's Diary: §battling through stormy sea life for decades.Islamabad, Pakistan: Army Press, 2010. p. 51.
  10. ^"President's Notes".Naval War College Review.29(2): 5. Spring 1976.Retrieved4 January2017.
  11. ^Jane, Frederick Thomas; Prendergast, Maurice Brazil; Parkes, Oscar (1962).Jane's Fighting Ships.Jane's Publishing Company Limited. p. 117.Retrieved4 January2017.
  12. ^Sirohey, Admiral Iftikhar Ahmed (1995).Truth Never Retires: An Autobiography of Admiral Iftikhar Ahmed Sirohey.Karachi: Jang Publishers. pp. 175–178.Retrieved4 January2017.
  13. ^Hsinhua Selected News Items.Hsinhua Selected News Items. 1968. p. 55.Retrieved4 January2017.
  14. ^Jane, Frederick Thomas (1969).Jane's Fighting Ships.S. Low, Marston & Company. p. 249.Retrieved4 January2017.
  15. ^abMatinuddin, Kamal (1994).Tragedy of errors: East Pakistan crisis, 1968-1971.Wajidalis.ISBN9789698031190.Retrieved4 January2017.
  16. ^Impact International.News & Media. 2000.Retrieved4 January2017.
  17. ^abcdefghi"Excerpt: How the East was lost: Excerpted with permission from".Dawn.Retrieved21 December2011.
  18. ^Cloughley, Brian (5 January 2016).A History of the Pakistan Army: Wars and Insurrections.Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. p. xxxx.ISBN9781631440397.Retrieved5 January2017.
  19. ^Pakistan Hamoodur Rehman Commission of Inquiry into the 1971 War (1976).The report of the Hamoodur Rehman Commission of inquiry into the 1971 war: as declassified by the Government of Pakistan.Vanguard. p. 455.ISBN9789694023519.Retrieved5 January2017.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ^abcdeKhan,Brigadier-GeneralSher (February 2001)."Last Flight from East Pakistan: Anamazing escape of the complete Army Aviation Detachment personnel from East Pakistan in December 1971".Defence Journal.pp. 45–48. Archived fromthe originalon 15 April 2001.Retrieved29 November2010.
  21. ^Hiranandani, G. M. (1996).Transition to Triumph: History of the Indian Navy, 1965-1975.Lancer Publishers. p. 156.ISBN9781897829721.Retrieved5 January2017.
  22. ^Murphy, Eamon (2013).The Making of Terrorism in Pakistan: Historical and Social Roots of Extremism.Routledge. p. 74.ISBN9780415565264.Retrieved5 January2017.
  23. ^Pakistan Affairs.Information Division, Embassy of Pakistan. 1973. p. xxxi.
  24. ^Service, United States Foreign Broadcast Information (1979).Daily Report: People's Republic of China.National Technical Information Service. p. 28.Retrieved5 January2017.
  25. ^abcdInstitute for Defense Studies and Analyses (1980).Strategic analysis: The Naval dictatorship.University of California: Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses., 1980.
  26. ^Mansuri, M.A. (17 August 2016)."In pictures: Gen Zia-ul-Haq's life and death".Dawn.Retrieved5 January2017.
  27. ^abcdefghYousaf, PA, Brigadier General (retired) Mohammad (1991).Silent Soldier: The Man Behind the Afghan Jehad General Akhtar Abdur Rahman.Karachi, Sindh: Jang Publishers, 1991. pp. 106 pages.
  28. ^"Active Members".
[edit]
Military offices
Preceded by Chief of Naval Staff
1975–1979 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairmanof theJoint Chiefs of Staff Committee
1978–1980 		Succeeded by
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