Aziz Ahmed (civil servant)

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For the Bangladeshi general, see Aziz Ahmed (general).

Aziz Ahmed
Muhammad Ali Bogra
Succeeded byGhulam Ahmed
Personal details
Born
Aziz Ahmed

(1906-06-24)24 June 1906
British Subject (1906–1947)
Pakistan (1947–1982)
Alma materGovernment College, Lahore
University of Cambridge
CabinetZulfikar Ali Bhutto Government

Aziz Ahmed

Foreign secretary (1960–67) by President Ayub Khan.[1][3]

He initially gained national prominence when he served as the

Foreign Service, Ahmed lived a quiet life in Islamabad
and died in 1982.

According to historian Prabhas Chandra Lahiri, Aziz Ahmed was responsible for planning the Anderson Bridge massacre.[4]

Early life and education

Aziz Ahmed was born in a Sheikh Qureshi family of

MSc in foreign policy. Upon his return Ahmed passed the civil service exam and was commissioned into Indian Civil Service
.

Career as civil servant

President John F. Kennedy (in rocking chair) meets with Minister of External Affairs of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Bogra. Ambassador of Pakistan, Aziz Ahmed, sits at far left. Oval Office, White House, Washington, D.C. in 1962.

Aziz Ahmed was a senior member of the Indian Civil Service (ICS) and later

Ayub Khan declared martial law and assumed full powers in 1958, Aziz Ahmed was made the highest ranking civil servant in his government as Secretary General, Cabinet Division and Deputy Martial Law Administrator.[1] Aziz Ahmed's tenure as Chief Secretary was marred by allegations of discrimination against the local population, his heavy handed demeanor and colonial style management style. Many have attributed Aziz Ahmed's attitude to the beginning of the long list of grievances that former East Pakistan populace had against the Pakistani establishment.[5]

Subsequently, he was sent as

Ayub Khan as was Bhutto. He retired from government service in 1966 and was assigned to head the National Press Trust.[1]

Indo-Pakistan war of 1965

Main articles:
Tashkent Agreement

Ahmed initially gained public prominence with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1965.[6] On 4 September 1965, following skirmishes, Ahmed received a warning from the Pakistan Embassy to Turkey, that the Indian Army was preparing and planning an attack on West-Pakistan. The Pakistani Government decided to launch a counter-attack.[6]

Aziz and Bhutto played an important role in drafting Operation Gibraltar, and along with Bhutto, Aziz Ahmed pressed the Government to take advantage of the disturbed situation in the valley and direct the Army to send raiders into Indian held Kashmir for conducting guerrilla activities. Operation Gibraltar was designed to help local Kashmiris to organise a movement of agitation, the objective being to eventually start an uprising against the occupying power.[6] Throughout this war, Ahmed assisted Bhutto on numerous occasions thereby gaining Bhutto's confidence. From there onwards Bhutto and Aziz Ahmed became good friends. During this war, Morrice James, a senior British diplomat and British High commissioner to Pakistan from 1962 to 1965, convinced Ayub Khan to accept the cease-fire appeal from India, on the basis that Pakistan may not be able fight without weapons or sustain a long war.[7] At the UNSC, Aziz joined Bhutto, when the latter famously announced that, "Pakistan will fight, fight for a thousand years", in reference to the war of 1971".[7]

Aziz and Bhutto disagreed with Ayub Khan's decision to enter into a cease-fire with

Tashkent Agreement with India under the auspices of Soviet Union.[7] Soon after this agreement, Aziz Ahmed took the retirement from the Foreign Service and expressed a strong opposition against the government of Ayub Khan.[6]

Foreign Minister

Soon after the

Islamic Summit at Lahore in 1974, where he headed Pakistan's delegation. As Minister of Defence, he played a key role in re-building Pakistan's defence capability after the 1971 war with India, as well as, the development of the Country's nuclear programme. Aziz convinced Richard Nixon to ensure the supply of weapons to Pakistan to counter Indian hegemony and weapons build-up.[9]

Aziz Ahmed continued to work with Bhutto in building ties with China, and the Arab world. He also helped Bhutto to negotiate with Soviet Union for economical assistance. His term as Foreign Minister was cut short in 1977.

Aziz Ahmed remained a staunch opponent of martial law and the military government of General Zia-ul-Haq.

Death and legacy

Aziz Ahmed died on 23 October 1982, aged 76 and was buried in Karachi. He was a recipient of Pakistan's highest civil award, HPk. He was survived by his wife Shereen Ahmed, two sons and two daughters.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Profile of Aziz Ahmed on New York Times newspaper, Published 27 April 1972, retrieved 28 June 2017
  2. ^ "Index Ah-Al".
  3. ^ a b Aziz Ahmed as Pakistan's Ambassador to the U.S., Dawn newspaper, Updated 8 September 2015, retrieved 28 June 2017
  4. ISBN 978-93-82059-27-1
    .
  5. ^ Chowdhury, Hamidul Huq (1989). "Memoirs".
  6. ^ a b c d Mehdi, Colonel Sherjiel Gaz. "Operation Gibraltar". Defence Journal of Pakistan. Colonel (retired) Sherjiel Gaz Mehdi, Commanding Officer of the 5th Alpha Airborne Regiment, Special Service Group (SSG). Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  7. ^ a b c Malik, PAF, Colonel M Zaman. "An Insiders' View (1965 War with India)". Pakistan Air Force's Directorate General for Air History. Colonel M. Zaman Malik, Directorate-General for the Air war history of Pakistan Air Force. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
  8. ^ Aziz Ahmed as Foreign Minister of Pakistan on mofa.gov.pk website, retrieved 28 June 2017
  9. ^ Memorandum of Conversation between Aziz Ahmed and Henry Kissinger in NY on 30 September 1975, Declassified from The National Archives (U.S.), Published 11 October 2007, retrieved 28 June 2017
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Muhammad Ali Bogra
Pakistan Ambassador to the United States

1959–1963 		Succeeded by
Ghulam Ahmed
Political offices
Preceded by
S.K. Dehlavi
Foreign Secretary of Pakistan

1963–1966 		Succeeded by
S.M. Yusuf
Preceded by
none
 Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
1973–1977 		Succeeded by
Zain Noorani
Preceded by
Foreign Minister of Pakistan

1977 		Succeeded by
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