Zafar Muhammad Khan Commander Zafar Muhammad Khan ( 19 ? ? - 4 December 1971 ) was a naval officer in the Pakistan Navy who was the Captain and Commanding Officer of PNS Ghazi during the Indo - Pakistani War of 1971 . The PNS Ghazi was sunk under mysterious circumstances while on a reconnaissance mine - laying mission in the approaches to the Indian port of Vishakapatnum ( Bay of Bengal ) and sank at about 00 : 10 hours . A total of 93 men , including 11 commissioned officers , and 82 non - commissioned officers lost their lives . In 1971 , he was one the officer naval officers who were posthumously awarded Hilal - i - Jur ' at for their actions . Naval career . Khan graduated from Karachi University with a B . Sc . in Electrical engineering in 1956 . He gained a commission in the Pakistan Navy in 1956 , and was sent to Britannia Royal Naval College at Dartmouth to take the General Naval Course ( GNC ) . He began his active duty in 1960 when he graduated from there . He briefly served in PNS Ghazi as an Electrical Engineer Officer ( EEO ) , and actively participated in Indo - Pakistani War of 1965 . He then participated and also served as an Torpedo officer ( TO ) in Operation Dwarka on 7 September 1965 . After the war , he taught electrical engineering courses as an Associate professor at the Pakistan Navy Engineering College . He was promoted Lieutenant Commander in 1967 , and finally promoted Commander in 1971 . Four days later , he became a commanding officer of the PNS Ghazi . In late 1971 , the political crisis and tensions between East and West Pakistan were heightened . Naval Intelligence ( Pakistan Navy ) realized that Indian intervention in Pakistan ' s affairs was inevitable . Sensing a deteriorating military scenario with the move of Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikrant close to East Pakistan , the Pakistan Navy launched a covert reconnaissance mission codenamed " Operation Falcon " . It was followed by deploying PNS Ghazi around the Indian peninsula from the Arabian Sea to the Bay of Bengal . PNS Hangor was deployed near the coast of West Pakistan under the command of Captain Ahmed Tasnim . In the night of 14 November 1971 , PNS Ghazi sailed out of harbour under the command of Commander Zafar Muhammad Khan with 92 men on board . It was expected to report back to its home base on 26 November 1971 . According to Naval Intelligence , two different missions were assigned to PNS Ghazi . Copies of the missions were handed over to Commander Khan , marked " Top Secret " . The Operation ' s Commander had instructed Commander Zafar Khan not to open the files until PNS Ghazi approached Visakhapatnam port . One of the PNS Ghazi ' s missions was to lay mines on Vishakapatnam Port , Bay of Bengal . Another assignment was to launch an assault on the only aircraft carrier of the Indian Navy , the INS Vikrant . The PNS Ghazi was 400 miles off Bombay on 16 November , off Ceylon ( now Sri Lanka ) on 19 November , and entered the Bay of Bengal on 20 November 1971 . The PNS Ghazi had achieved the first objectives by laying the mines . On 23 November , as part of second assignment , PNS Ghazi under Commander Khan began to look for INS Vikrant . At 16 : 00 hours on 1 December 1971 , Indian Naval Intelligence Branch deployed INS Rajput to launch an attack on PNS Ghazi . At 23 : 40 hours on 3 December , taking on board a pilot , INS Rajput moved through the channel to the exit from Visakhapatnam . In the night of 4 December , INS Rajput set off two depth charges , and the loud explosions were heard at the distant area , though it is still a subject of dispute . The battle for PNS Ghazi ended when , on 4 December 1971 at 00 : 10 hours , PNS Ghazi was sunk with all 93 men abroad , under unknown circumstances . 11 commissioned officers and 82 non - commissioned officers lost their lives . The Sinking of PNS Ghazi ' s details and records are not fully publicly known . Pakistan and India have proposed different theories and reports . After the war , both countries concluded their investigations , not completely known to public . Pakistan had classified all the information regarding the PNS Ghazi , while the country has paid tribute to the men . Confusion remains as different military officers of both countries ( involved in the conflict at that time ) have put forward differing theories with their own points of view . Media . The Pakistan Navy has paid tribute to Commander Zafar and the crew of PNS Ghazi by establishing monuments of the fallen officers . In 1998 , a dramatization of PNS Ghazi , as P " NS Ghazi ( Shaheed ) " , was filmed , and it was financed and produced by ISPR of the Pakistan Defense Forces . It was here that the Pakistan Navy first outlined the naval career of Commander Zafar Muhammad Khan and other officers . A well - known Pakistani actor , Shabbir Jan , portrayed the life and career of Commander Zafar Muhammad Khan .