Anwar Shamim Air - Chief Marshal Anwar Shamim , ( 1 October 1931 - 4 January 2013 ) " NI ( M ) " , " SI ( M ) " , " HI ( M ) " , " SJ " , was a four - star air - force general officer who was the 10th Chief of Air Staff of Pakistan Air Force from July 23 , 1978 to March 5 , 1985 . Air Chief Marshal Shamim was promoted to four - star general and assumed the command of the Pakistan Air Force on 23 July 1978 . Air Chief Marshal Anwar Shamim , a war hero , is a one of the most decorated military officers in the Pakistan Armed Forces . Air - Chief Marshal Shamim was one of the important and powerful figure during the dictatorial regime of General Zia - ul - Haq . Shamim was one of the closest confident of General Zia - ul - Haq and had access to country ' s most confidential assets while he acted as Deputy Chief Martial Law Administrator when General Zia was abroad or / absent in the country . As four - star general and air officer , Shamim was one of the few figures that had played an influential and internal role in county ' s clandestine nuclear development programme , with major security and logistics issues needing his permission . In 1980s , Shamim took over the confidential and clandestine research and development projects of Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission — country ' s national space authority — and initiated , and administrated the integrated missile programme , of which the first Hatf missile system was developed under his administrative supervision . During his term as Chief of Air Staff , Shamim oversaw the induction and introduction of " F - 16 Fighting Falcon " and " A - 5 Fantan " and the creation of three regional ( corps size ) air commands , and the considerably expanded the air war operations in the country . After his retirement from Air Force , Air Chief Martial Shamim went to serve his life for the welfare and humanitarian issues , and further declined the government offices in later life . Biography . Shamim was born in 1931 to an educated family and hails from Haripur ( Hazara ) . He received early education in his native town , proceeding to Government College Campbellpur ( Attock ) , and subsequently joining Dyal Singh College , Lahore . He became a member of the then functional University Air Squadron , to begin his childhood dream career that of a fighter pilot in the Pakistan Air Force . He was a graduate of RAAF College , Point Cook . He entered the Pakistan Air Force in the General Duties ( Pilot ) Branch on 14 March 1952 . However in 1952 , Shamim entered the Air Force Academy where he gained B . Sc . in Mechanics , with a minor is aviation history in 1956 . However , he was commissioned on 14 March 1952 , as Pilot Officer ( 2nd Lieutenant ) in 10th GD ( P ) Course but did not started his active duty , as the Air Force wanted him to finish his college courses first . In 1956 , Shamim was promoted to Lieutenant and was selected to go to Australia to complete a jet training course there . After successfully completing an advanced flying training course at Royal Australian Air Force College , Point Cook , for which he had been selected by merit in 1958 . Upon his return , he was promoted to Flight Lieutenant ( Captain ) as he was also completed a Jet Conversion Course from Australia . In 1960 , Shamim attended the Air War College where he attained Master in War studies , and later forwarded to joined Combat Commander ' s School . At there , he won the trophy for being one of the distinguished and best fighter pilots in school . In 1962 , Shamim was Squadron Leader ( Major ) and attended the school with another fighter pilot Colonel Cecil Chaudhry . In 1965 , Shamim became Wing Commander ( Lieutenant - Colonel ) and commanded the Pakistan Air Force " Sherdils " . In 1973 , as Group Captain ( Colonel ) Shamim returned Combat Commander ' s School where he served their as Chief instructor . At there , the PAF detailed him to attend the Command and Staff College to complete a Join - Service staff course . Shamim went to Quetta where Shamim completed a course on Joint Service and also gained M . S . in Military science . After completion of staff couse , Shamim was re - posted in Combat Commander ' s School as Chief Instructor alongside Colonel Cecil Chaudhry . Shamim was also promoted to as Air - Commodore ( Brigadier - General ) by the Air Force Promotion Directorate . In 1975 , Shamim was promoted to Major - General ( Air - vice Marshal ) and throughout 1976 , Shamim served as Research associate at the National Defence College while he carried out research in his academic discipline . While at there , Shamim completed a short - year course on International Defence Management Course in the United States Air Force . Air Force Career . Shamim is one of the distinguish fighter pilot that country has produced . One of the top graduate of Combat Commander ' s School , Shamim actively participated in the 1965 and 1971 Wars . During the Indo - Pakistan 1965 " September war " , Shamim , as Lieutenant - Colonel ( Wing Commander ) was second - in - command of the No . 33 Fighter Wing , and actively participated in the Air war operations . During this conflict , he was one of the junior OC at Sargodha Air Force Base . After the war , he was honored with " Sitara - e - Jura ' at " by the Pakistan Government . His award citation reads : " " Wing Commander Muhammad Anwar Shamim in his capacity as Officer Commanding , fighter - bombers wing , made significant contribution to the high morale and aggressive attitude of the pilots who flew from this station . He efficiently managed the changing air defence and other requirements and ensured , while fully meeting these requirements , that the pilots got sufficient rest and other comforts to enable them to fly intelligently and confidently . During the operation , he led 14 air defence / escort missions and 5 ground attack missions . His leadership during these operational missions was aggressive and confident and served as a very good example for his pilots to follow . He accepted long hours of duty , including operational sorties at odd hours of the day , with enthusiasm . Wing Commander Muhammad Anwar Shamim was , therefore , awarded Sitara - i - Juraat . " " After the war , the PAF sent him to complete further staff courses . During the Indo - Pakistan " Winter War " in 1971 , Shamim , now as Major ( Squadron - Leader ) was the Air - Defence Commander at South of the Central Air Defence . Shamim too went on to participate in the 13 - day war but did not score any hits . After the war , Shamim was sent to Combat Commander ' s School as Chief Instructor . Senior Staff Appointments . From 1970s and onwards , Anwar Shamim has held several senior command and staff appointments . During 1960 , he commanded a No . 11 Squadron " Arrows " and the No . 33 Wing " Dragnov " of the Pakistan Air Force as Lieutenant - Colonel . He has flown a variety of airplanes and was always current on all fighter aircraft in the PAF inventory . He has served as Officer Commanding of three PAF Bases Masroor , Korangi Creek and Sakesar . In 1976 , as Major - General , Shamim was made Deputy Director of the Directorate for the Tactical Air War Operations ( TAWO ) at the Combatant Air Headquarters ( AHQ ) of Rawalpindi . However , he was replaced by Hakeem - Ollah and was posted as Director of Air War Operations ( AWO ) . In 1977 , Shamim was finally promoted to Air Marshal ( Lieutenant - General ) and was made Assistant Chief of Air Staff and Director General of the Air Research and Plans ( ARP ) , Air Headquarters . The same year , the Air Force appointed Shamim as Air attaché at the Pakistan High Commission to the United Kingdom but the PAF notified Colonel Shamim that he has not been cleared . He was immediately advised to go the General ' s Headquarter ( GHQ ) to see General Zia - ul - Haq . On July 23 , 1978 , the PAF Promotion Directorate promoted Anwar Shamim as a four - star air chief martial , overseeing three senior officers . The promotion was brought under the executive presidential order of General Zia - ul - Haq , Chief Martial Law Administrator during this period . Chief of Air Staff . As Chief of Air Staff , Air Chief Marshal Shamim supervised the modernization programme of Pakistan Air Force . Major reforms , intelligence operations , fighter training , strategic programmes were supervised under his command . His long tenure was notable for acquisition of F - 16s , A - 5 , and other fighter jets in the Air Force . Operation Sentinel . " Operation Opera " played a psychological role in Pakistan as it was a successful operation commenced by Israeli Air Force . The " Pakistani Establishment " and the began to worry about a symmetric operation that will be launched near Kahuta with more advanced weapons being used on the facilities . The Naval Intelligence learned that suspicious activities has been seen near the coastal cities of India , and Indira Gandhi has motives against the nuclear development in Pakistan . As he was made a four - star general in the Pakistan Air Force , Shamim served as one of the most and closest confident of General Zia - ul - Haq . In 1979 , while in private , General Zia told Air Chief Marshal Shamim that ISI had reliable intelligence that that Indian Air Force , ordered by Indira Gandhi , Prime Minister of India , has plans to attack and destroy Pakistan ' s nuclear research facilities at Kahuta , notably the Engineering Research Laboratories . While asking the capability of retaliation , Air Chief Marshal Shamim acknowledged that Indian Air Force could reach the area in 3 minutes whereas the Pakistan Air Force would take 8 minutes , allowing the Indians to attack the facility and return before the Pakistan Air Force could defend it . Because Kahuta is near borders so to effectively defend it , it was decided that the best way to deter an Indian attack would be to procure new advanced fighters and weaponry . But in meanwhile , Air Chief Marshal told General Zia to use diplomacy by sending Munir Ahmad Khan to Indian diplomatic mission in Vienna - based International Atomic Energy Agency . Shamim then placed Pakistan Air Force on high - alert with alert level 7 . Pakistan Air Force jets began to take sorties , equipped with missiles , on regular basis . The intelligence was confirmed by Air Intelligence who recommended the acquisition of Mirage - 2000 or F - 16 Falcon Fighters at an emergency level . Shamim advocated for the F - 16s and acknowledged General Zia about the plans . In 1981 , Air Intelligence command became alerted of suspected F - 16s jets who had landed near the Indian borders . Shamim alerted the Pakistan Air Force , and a counter operation was launched , " Operation Sentinel " . Pakistan Air Force jets intercepted the suspected F - 16s and confirmed their Israeli identity . Pakistan Air Force jets took aggressive measures and their tactics surprised the Israeli Air Force F - 16s . Panicked and surprised , the mission was cancelled and Israeli Air Force F - 16s were called off immediately . Pakistan then used Munir Ahmad Khan who was attending IAEA General Conference along with his Indian counterpart Dr . Raja Ramana . The Foreign Office directed a secret - coded message , through Ambassador of Pakistan to Austria Abdul Sattar , to Munir Khan who soon met Dr . Raja Ramana at the Imperial Hotel at Vienna , Austria . There , his Indian counterpart confirmed the possible surgical attack on Pakistani nuclear facilities . During their conversation , Munir Khan told the Chairman of India ' s Atomic Energy Commission that an Indian attack on Pakistani nuclear facilities would trigger a possible Pakistan retaliatory strike on Indian nuclear facilities at Trombay , which will result in the release of radioactivity causing a major disaster . Dr . Raja Ramana held a meeting with Indira Gandhi and conveyed Pakistan ' s possible response . Indira Gandhi immediately postponed the surprise attack , and subsequently the matter was shelved . Following these events , Indian and Pakistani officials met for negotiations and agreed that both countries would not attack each other ' s nuclear facilities . F - 16s acquisition programme . During the democratic regime of Prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto , the American - Pakistan relations were at its worst and severed . The United States had launched a secret diplomatic campaign against Prime minister Bhutto and his colleagues . Major embargo on Air Force was imposed , and the Air Force ' s modernization programmes were either halted or set backed . After receiving convincing intel that a proper attack , roughly equivalent to that " Operation Opera " , General Shamim made tremendous efforts to get the " F - 16 Fighting Falcons " from the United States . After the success of " Operation Fair Play " , the American - Pakistan relations were improved and strengthened . General Shamim then launched the F - 16 acquisition programme to induct F - 16s in the Pakistan Air Force . In 1983 , after two years of convincing the United States Government , the first batch of F - 16s were inducted in the Air Force . The day the F - 16s were introduced , Air Chief Marshal Shamim wrote to General Zia - ul - Haq that , " now we [ PAF ] in a position to confirm that Indians will not attack Kahuta because it is amply clear to them that we will retaliate and launch an attack on their atomic station in Trombay , and knowing that they will suffer much more devastation than us , will desist from taking any unwise action " . A - 5 Introduction Programme . General Shamim , as intensifying his role to modernize the Air Force , negotiated with People ' s Liberation Army Air Force ( PLAAF ) for the sell to Pakistan Air Force . After test - flying a A - 5 " Fantan " , General Shamim advocated for the aircraft to be inducted in the Air Force . On 20 October 1981 , Pakistan had placed an order for the A - 5C modified export version . In 1983 , the first A - 5C " Fantan " was introduced in the Air Force , and the deliveries were completed January 1984 . In 1985 , Pakistan Aeronautical Complex ( PAC ) launched programme to electronically upgrade the programme and in 1986 , modern Westernized technology was integrated in the A - 5C aircraft by the PAC . In 1986 , General Anwar Shamim launched an upgrade programme for the A - 5C to have a capability to carried out the naval and air operations simultaneously . The programme was completed in 19 February 1991 . Air Force Strategic Command . General Shamim was a close confident of General Zia - ul - Haq and had inner circle access in the most confidential programmes . Shamim also developed extremely cordial relations with Munir Ahmad Khan , weapon scientist and nuclear engineer . As Munir Ahmad Khan played an influential and administrative role in Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission ( Suparco ) , General Shamim decided to established the Air Force command that took over the space science operations for the military industrial use only . In 1980s , under General Shamim , the Air Force Strategic Command was established , with primary objectives to give aerial and external protection to senior academic scientists and the clandestine nuclear deterrence development . Per request of Munir Ahmad Khan and dr . Abdul Qadeer Khan , the Pakistan Government launched the Integrated missiles programme . However , as General Shamim was able to convince General Zia - ul - Haq that missile operations would be better off under the Air Force . The programme was put under the Air Force Strategic Command . The Air Force then authorized and administrated the Hatf missile system ( HMS ) programme , and the programme was directly reported to General Shamim . The missile was developed as a highly mobile missile for tactical use only . The Air Force Strategic Command then completely took over the space research and development programme ran under the Suparco . The programme , launched and culminated under General Shamim , its first developed missile was successfully launched in 1989 by the Pakistan Air Force . In 1986 , just before General Shamim ' s departure , Pakistan Air Force and the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission ( PAEC ) launched a guided - missile programme under which the tactical weapons were developed and could be dropped by using the toss - bombing method , a method which PAF pilots are reported to be mastered . The programme was completed in 1991 under Munir Ahmad Khan ' s supervision . Other awards . He has received the following awards — Nishan - e - Imtiaz ( Military ) , Hilal - e - Imtiaz Military ) , Sitara - e - Imtiaz ( Military ) . His foreign decorations include : Al Istiqlal from Royal Jordanian Government and Legion of Merit from the United States of America . Air Chief Marshal Shamim is widely traveled and is a keen sportsman . " He won several cups for Tennis , and Soccer as a young officer . " He likes Squash , and " he was very involved in the further development of the athletes and the game when he was the President of " Pakistan and Asian Squash Rackets Federations . " Legacy in the PAF . Anwar Shamim was the second longest serving PAF chief since Asghar Khan in the 60s . He was CAS for nearly seven years . After President Zia - ul Haq insisted on his extension as Chief of Air Staff , he had to continue his duty . The next officer was as yet junior , and the President wanted him to oversee the full induction of the F - 16 before he retired . While there were several allegations of nepotism and improper conduct , But this has been fervently denied by his family Air Chief Marshal Shamim is also legendary for inducting state - of - the - art F - 16 fighter jets into the Pakistan Air Force . This accomplishment was one of the biggest achievements in the history of the Pakistan military . Under Shamim ' s leadership , the PAF became one of the most operationally efficient air forces in the world . Personal life . Air Chief Marshal M . Anwar Shamim was married in July 1958 . His wife , Begum Tahira Shamim was an active social worker and President of Pakistan Air Force Women ’ s Association , with a professional dedication to welfare work , spanning over twenty - five years . She is a published poetess of four Urdu poetry books . He has three children : two daughters , who are attorneys ; and a computer engineer son . Post Retirement . Post retirement Shamim has been offered several ambassadorships , but has declined them , preferring to focus on family life . Death . Air Chief Marshal ( Retd ) Muhammad Anwar Shamim died on 4 January 2013 at CMH Rawalpindi after prolonged illness . State Funeral and Guard of Honour . Air Chief Marshal ( Retd ) Anwar Shamim was laid to rest with profound military honours on 5 January 2013 . The funeral parade was attended by Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt , Chief of Air Staff , Pakistan Air Force , Admiral Asif Sindhela , Chief of Naval Staff , Ex PAF Air Chiefs , ambassadors / diplomats , war veterans , military officials of brotherly countries , senior civil and military officials of tri - services , senior journalists and people from all walks of life . The family members of late Air Chief Marshal ( Retd ) Muhammad Anwar Shamim were also present . After the burial , the wreaths were laid at the grave of the deceased on behalf of President of Pakistan , Prime Minister of Pakistan , Chief of the Air Staff , Governor Punjab , Army Chief , Navy Chief , retired air chiefs and other dignitaries . The President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari , in his official condolence message , " paid tribute to his services for the nation and prayed to Allah , the Almighty , to rest the departed soul in eternal peace and to give courage to the bereaved family to bear this loss with fortitude . " Air Chief Marshal Shamim ' s funeral and burial with full military honours was one of the most respectable farewell that any retired military chief of Pakistan has ever received . Published works . DAWN : Saturday March 12 , 1988 < br > Afghanistan Problem : The End In Sight ? . . . I DAWN : Sunday March 13 , 1988 < br > Afghanistan Problem : The End In Sight ? . . . II DAWN : March 27 , 1988 < br > Implication ’ s of India ’ s Naval Build - Up . DAWN : April 4 , 1989 < br > Dilemma of the Bureaucracy . DAWN : Saturday May 20 , 1989 < br > What Does Agni Portend ? Cutting Edge PAF : A Former Air Chief ' s Reminiscences of a Developing Air Force Vanguard Books ( 2010 ) ISBN 978 - 969 - 402 - 540 - 7 HB