Agha Ibrahim Akram

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Staff College, Quetta
In office
17 September 1960 – 11 September 1965
Succeeded byAmjad Ali Chaudhri
Personal details
Born
Agha Ali Ibrahim Akram

22 September 1923
Piffers
CommandsFrontier Force Regiment[2]
7th Infantry Division
Battles/wars
  • World War II
    • Burma Campaign
  • Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
  • Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
  • Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
Service numberPA-911
Islamic history
Notable worksThe Sword of Allah, Khalid Bin Al-Waleed, His Life and Campaign. 2006. (1970)
The Muslim Conquest of Persia. (1975)
The Muslim Conquest of Egypt and North Africa. (1977)
The Muslim Conquest of Spain. 1980. (1980)
The Falcon of The Quraish Abdur Rahman The Immigrant of Spain. (1991)
The Rise of Cordoba. (1992)

Agha Ali Ibrahim Akram

President Zia-ul-Haq.[12][13][14]

He served in several key positions including as Pakistan's Permanent Military Representative to

GHQ, and Colonel Staff HQ 15th Division.[16][17][18][19]

Akram dedicated his books, The Muslim Conquest of Egypt and North Africa to his son Hassan, The Muslim Conquest of Spain to his son Masood, The Falcon of The Quraish: Abdur Rahman The Immigrant of Spain to his brother Mahmud, and The Rise of Cordoba to his late wife Loge. He was fluent in

Farsi, Arabic, and Spanish, learning the latter two for research.[20][21][22][23]

Throughout the 1980s, Akram was vocal about his opposition to nuclear weapons, suggesting that Pakistan and other developing countries should use their resources towards generating nuclear energy. He expected that by the end of the 20th century, only about 10 countries would have nuclear weapons.[24][25]

Early life

Agha Ali Ibrahim Akram was born in

Government College, Lahore in 1942 and joined the British Indian Army.[26] Akram's brother, Agha Masud Akram, was a Major General in the Pakistan Army.[27]

Personal life

He was married to Loge, who died a few years before him. They have three children, daughter Yasmin, and sons Hassan and Masood.[28]

In his memoirs,

Allama Iqbal's poetry.[29]

British Indian Army career

Akram was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the

War substantive Lieutenant.[26]

During

Burma and was promoted to Acting Captain on 31 December 1944. Afterwards, he received a promotion on 1 January 1945 as Temporary Captain and was appointed as the Quartermaster of the 14th Battalion of the 55th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force).[26][30][31]

Pakistan Army career

Staff College, Quetta
(1960)

After the

Piffers.[30][20][32][33]

In September 1949, Pakistan was among several countries which received an invitation to attend the Harbnen Medal presentation by the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene of the United Kingdom. The Government of Pakistan accepted the invitation and sent Major A. I. Akram as a representative.[34]

Akram was the Assistant Army Liaison officer of Pakistan at the High Commission of Pakistan, London in 1951.[35]

Colonel Akram taught military history as Chief Instructor at

Khalid bin Walid, The Sword of Allah.[36][37][38][39][40]

Colonel Akram was appointed as Colonel Staff HQ 15 Division on 20 September during the

1965 war.[41][42]

Brigadier Akram was the Parade commander of the

D.I. Khan, as well as the tribal territories governed by these districts in 1969.[43]

His first book, The Sword of Allah is about the life and campaigns of Khalid ibn al-Walid which was published during his army service in 1970 after a five year effort, including visiting battle-fields in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia for research. It has two English editions and has been translated into Urdu, Arabic, German, French and Bahasa.[44]

On 6 July 1971,

President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's government.[45][46]

During a parade in

FF Regiment, made the presentation.[47]

While Akram was Pakistan's Permanent Military Deputy to

CENTO, he published his second book The Muslim Conquest of Persia in 1975 after a four year research effort including visiting battlefields in Iran and discussing with Iranian scholars.[48]

The Muslim Conquest of Egypt and North Africa was his third book, published in 1977, which also took four years of preparations and visits to Egypt and Tunisia.[44]

Hamoodur Rehman Commission report

Main article: Hamoodur Rahman Commission

Major General Akram was not involved in the Bangladesh genocide as he was posted at the Western Front to defend Pakistan's borders against the Indian Army. However, he later appeared as Witness Number 139 in the Hamoodur Rahman Commission report.[49]

Consideration for the role of Chief of Army Staff

In March 1976, several generals were in consideration for the role of

Chief of Army Staff to succeed Tikka Khan
.

In order of seniority, these officers were

Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, who would later be responsible for hanging Bhutto.[50][51][52]

Akram retired from the Pakistan Army on 8 April 1978.[53][54]

Military research papers

Akram, A. I. (1958). "On Relative Strengths". Pakistan Army Journal.

Diplomatic career

On 9 April 1978, Akram assumed charge as Officer on Special Duty Grade 20 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.[55] He was appointed as the Ambassador of Pakistan to Madrid on 12 May 1978 by President Zia-ul-Haq.[56][57]

Here, Akram learned Spanish and wrote his book The Muslim Conquest of Spain, his final book published during his lifetime, in 1980.[58] To research for writing all these books he learned Arabic, Persian and Spanish and collected an impressive library of historical works.[30] His tenure ended on 30 September 1980.[59][60]

Later life

On 24 March 1981, Akram was elected as Chairman Rawalpindi Club.[61] He founded the Institute of Regional Studies in November 1981 or March 1982 and remained its president till his death.[62]

On 27 February 1984, Akram disclosed that President Zia-ul-Haq had offered India to send its military team to Pakistan to evaluate the latter's defence requirements and suggest how much of armed strength Pakistan should possess.[63]

Death

He died on 4 March 1989 in Islamabad, Pakistan at the age of 65.[64]

Posthumous book releases

His final books, The Falcon of The Quraish: Abdur Rahman The Immigrant of Spain and The Rise of Cordoba, were published after his death.[65][21]

Books

Awards and decorations

Hilal-e-Imtiaz

(Military)

(Crescent of Excellence)

Sitara-e-Imtiaz

(Military)

(Star of Excellence)

Sitara-e-Khidmat

(Star of Service)

(SK)

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-Diffa

(Defence Medal)

1.

1965 War
Clasp

2.

1971 War
Clasp

Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War

(War Medal 1971)

Pakistan Medal

(Pakistan Tamgha)

1947

Tamgha-e-Qayam-e-Jamhuria

(Republic Commemoration Medal)

1956

1939-1945 Star
Burma Star
War Medal 1939-1945
 		India Service Medal

1939–1945

Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal

(1953)

Foreign Decorations

Foreign Awards
UK
1939-1945 Star
Burma Star
War Medal 1939-1945
India Service Medal 1939–1945
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal

Notes

  1. ^ Urdu: آغا علی ابراہیم اکرم

References

  1. ^ Pakistan (1978). The Gazette of Pakistan. p. 681.
  2. ^ Attiqur Rahman (1980). The Wardens of the Marches A History of the Piffers, 1947-1971. p. 190.
  3. ^ Sûrya India. Vol. 8. 1984. p. 71.
  4. ISBN 978-0-300-24052-8
    .
  5. ^ Air University Library Index to Military Periodicals. Vol. 26. 1975. p. 82.
  6. ^ Afghanistan Today. 1987. p. 3.
  7. ^ Near East/South Asia Report. 1984. p. 3, 105.
  8. ^ Azam, Ikram (1992). Geopolitics, Political Geography, and Pakistan. p. 107.
  9. ^ Indo-Pak Conflicts Over Kashmir. pp. 186, 218.
  10. ^ The Pakistan Army: With a New Foreword and Epilogue. 1998. p. 166.
  11. ^ UFO's in the Quran. 2008. p. 102.
  12. ^ Journal of Peace Studies. Vol. 5. 1998. p. 11, 13.
  13. ^ Times of India Illustrated Weekly. Vol. 108. October 1987. pp. 20–21, 45.
  14. ^ India Today. Vol. 13. 1988. p. 24, 135.
  15. ^ "Colonel Commandants - Frontier Force Regiment". Pak Army Museum. Archived from the original on 24 November 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  16. ^ Said, Hakim Mohammad (1973). Main Currents of Contemporary Thought in Pakistan: 1970-1972. p. 7, 77.
  17. ^ Pakistan, Hamdard Foundation (1990). Dialogue with a Galaxy of Scientists, Culturists, Historians, Educationists... p. 15, 16.
  18. ^ Defence Journal. Vol. 6. 2002. p. 139.
  19. ^ Pakistan (1978). The Gazette of Pakistan. p. 586.
  20. ^ a b Defence Journal. 1990. p. 12.
  21. ^ a b The Rise of Cordoba. 1992.[page needed]
  22. ^ Akram, A. I. (1980). The Muslim Conquest of Spain. p. 5.
  23. ISBN 978-969-0-00224-2
    .
  24. ^ "War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with A. I. Akram". 2 September 1987. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022.
  25. ^ ACDIS Bulletin. Vol. 4–6. 1982. p. 1.
  26. ^ a b c "Indian Army List For October I Part 1". 1945.[page needed]
  27. ^ Brig (Retd) Mian Muhammad Mahmud (2021). My Reflections In Passion. p. 207.
  28. ^ Akram, A. I. (2006). The Sword of Allah Khalid Bin Al-Waleed, His Life and Campaigns (Second ed.).[page needed]
  29. ^ Haq, Inamul (1999). Memoirs of Insignificance. p. 74.
  30. ^ a b c Akram, A. I. (2006). The Sword of Allah Khalid Bin Al-Waleed, His Life and Campaigns (Second ed.).[page needed]
  31. ^ The Frontier Force Rifles. 1953. p. 176.
  32. ^ Defence Journal. 1990. p. 13.
  33. ^ The Asiatic Review. 1949.
  34. ^ The Journal of the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene. Vol. 12. 1949.[page needed]
  35. ^ The Commonwealth Relations Office List. 1951. p. 20.
  36. ^ Mahdī, Sayyid G̲h̲Affār (1987). Mehdi Papers. Vol. 3. pp. 15, 27.
  37. ^ "Gallery Chief Instructors". Archived from the original on 26 March 2017.[page needed]
  38. ^ South Asia A Strategic Survey · Volume 550, Issue 3. 1966.
  39. ^ "Chief Instructors Staff College Quetta". Archived from the original on 13 May 2017.[page needed]
  40. ^ Qayyum, Abdul (June 2000). The Army's Mosaic of Ideas-III. Archived from the original on 26 October 2017.
  41. ^ ""A Matter of Honour"". 2002. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017.
  42. ISBN 978-0-19-989271-6
    .
  43. ^ Ikram, Muhammad (1969). The Martial Law Regulations and Orders, 1969 and 1958. p. 36.
  44. ^
    OCLC 191257949
    .
  45. ^ Pakistan News Digest. Vol. 19–20. 1971. p. 3.
  46. ^ The All Pakistan Legal Decisions. Vol. 24. 1972. p. 92.
  47. ^ Rahman, Mohammed Attiqur (1980). The Wardens of the Marches: History of the Piffers, 1947-1971. p. 190.
  48. ^ Akram, A. I. (1975). The Muslim Conquest of Persia.
  49. ISBN 978-969-402-351-9
    .
  50. ISBN 978-0-19-577570-9
    .
  51. ^ Ayub, Muhammad (2002). An Army Its Role & Rule. p. 300.
  52. ISBN 978-0-19-579396-3
    .
  53. ^ Pakistan (1978). The Gazette of Pakistan. p. 681.
  54. ISBN 978-0-19-577570-9
    .
  55. ^ Pakistan (1978). The Gazette of Pakistan. p. 322.
  56. ^ Akram, A. I. (1980). The Muslim Conquest of Spain. Army Education Press GHQ, Rawalpindi. p. XII.
  57. ^ The Gazette of Pakistan. 1978. p. 371.
  58. ^ Al-Mashriqi, the Disowned Genius: The Story of a World Revolutionary who was Bogged Down in His Own Country, at Once Inspiring and Painful. 1991. p. 288.
  59. ^ Pakistan (1980). The Gazette of Pakistan. p. 726.
  60. ^ Pakistan (1980). The Gazette of Pakistan. p. 479.
  61. ^ Senate, Pakistan. Parliament (1986). The Senate of Pakistan Debates: official report. p. 264.
  62. ISBN 978-81-85002-34-7
    .
  63. ^ Pakistan Year Book. 1985. p. 238.
  64. ^ OBITUARY. Vol. 40–45. Pakistan Affairs. 1989.
  65. ^ The Falcon of The Quraish: Abdur Rahman The Immigrant of Spain. 1991.
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