Mushaf Ali Mir

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Chairman Pakistan Aeronautical Complex
In office
1999–2000
Personal details
Born
Mushaf Ali Mir

(1947-03-05)5 March 1947
Sitara-e-Basalat
  • Turkish Legion of Merit
  • Military Merit Order
  • Legion of Merit

    • Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), appointed on 20 November 2000 until his accidental death in a plane crash on 20 February 2003.[2]

    A fighter pilot and a

    Fokker F-27 in which he was a passenger crashed near Kohat
    , Pakistan.

    His death has been subject of numerous conspiracy theories, with many American authors charging him of having advanced knowledge on terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001.[4]

    Biography

    MiG-21, shooting down the Indian MiG with his missile.: 103–104 [5]

    Mushaf Ali Mir was born in

    1965 war.[1]

    His father, Farzand Ali Mir, was a

    Government College University but joined the Pakistan Air Force in 1966 which directed him to attend the famed Pakistan Air Force Academy in Risalpur, after the second war with India.[2][9]

    In 1967, he gained

    P) branch through the Second Short Course.[9]

    At the

    MiG-21, and was credited with shooting an Indian Air Force jet down with his missile.: 103–104 [5]

    After the war in 1971, Flt. Lt. Mir attended the Air War College where he attained his master's in War studies, and later went on to attend the National Defence University where he graduated with a master's in Strategic studies.[2] During this time, he became acquainted with then-Brig. Pervez Musharraf.[10][11]

    War and command appointments in the military

    In the 1970s, Mir joined the

    air attaché at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington, D.C. in United States.[13]

    He qualified to fly the F-16 Fighting Falcon, as a Group Captain of No. 33 Wing at Kamra Air Base, with personnel from No. 14 Squadron.[13]

    In 1994–95,

    Su-27 Flanker but returned since the aircraft was not available.: 94–95 [14]

    In 1995,

    F-16As/Bs.: 99–100 [14]

    In 1996–99, Air Vice Marshal Mir took over the command of the

    military adviser to the Saudi Arabian Army and later assumed the short-time command of the Pakistan Armed Forces-Middle East Command before returning to Pakistan for the command appointments.[13]

    In 1999,

    Air Marshal Mir was appointed as the chairman of Pakistan Aeronautical Complex at Kamra.[9]

    Chief of Air Staff

    In 2000,

    Rafiq Tarar, and the Pakistan MoD sent potentials list of three-star air officers for the promotion of the four-star rank.[3]

    At the time of promotion to the four-star appointment, there were six senior air marshals who were in the race which included in seniority:

    Eventually, the race for the appointment for the

    air chief was rumored between Air Marshal Farooq Qari and Air Marshal Riazuddin.[3]

    On 13 November 2000,

    Chief of Air Staff.[3] The surprise promotion and command appointment was said to be at the behest of special and personal requests made by then-Chairman Joint chiefs Gen. Pervez Musharraf.[3][15]

    This appointment was one of the center of controversies in the

    news media, the appointment was also given a strong criticism when the Gen. Musharraf's clique attempted a damage control exercise by pointing out that supersessions were nothing new in the country's military establishment having happened five times in the Air Force and at least four times in the Army.[16]

    Despite the agitation and criticism,

    Air Chief Marshal Mir eventually assumed the command of the air force as its chief on 20 November 2000.[9]

    After the deadly terrorist attacks in New York in the United States in 2001, ACM Mir successfully negotiated with the United States Air Force of releasing the spare parts and updating the software of the F-16s.: 82 [17]

    During his tenure, the PAF's

    Bangladeshi Air Force.: 63 [18] During the military standoff with the Indian Army, ACM Mir placed the air force at war level command, issuing orders for targeting the Indian military posts.[19]

    In spite of his closeness to

    foreign support for their operations to spread sectarian violence in the country.: contents [20]

    Death in the air crash

    This is a very sad day for me. I have lost a very good friend. This is a sad day for the whole nation. The death of Mushaf Ali Mir is a great loss for the country.

    — President Musharraf, 2003[21]
    A civilian PIA Fokker F27 in flight. A similar but military F27 was involved in the 2003 crash.

    On 20 February 2003, Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir boarded on a

    Kohat, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa
    in Pakistan to review annual preparations and readiness.

    The plane lost contact from its military radars at the

    Air Commodore Rizwan Ullah Khan, Personal Staff Officer and the air crew.[24]

    Upon his accidental death, the Pakistan government give him a state funeral, with many foreign dignitaries attending his funeral and was buried in Mominpura cemetery in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.[25]

    The

    Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) ruled out the "act of sabotage" and termed the incident as an accident.[21] Additional inquiries in 2015 resulted by the air force and civilian investigations, the Government declared the aircraft as faulty, not an act of sabotage.[26]

    Further military insights revealed at the parliamentary committee noted that the aircraft was in fact faulty, as it was first identified as such by the Navy's inspection team as early as 1993.[27] The Navy purchased the aircraft for its reconnaissance missions before it was transferred to Army Aviation in 1993, which then transferred the plane to Air Force in 1994, which never reviewed the inspection protocol to assess the performance of the aircraft.[27]

    Reactions

    American ambassador to Pakistan Nancy Jo Powell expressed her sorrow and grief over the tragic air crash on behalf of the United States.[25]

    Syed Mohammad Khatami convened a message to President Pervez Musharraf saying: "While expressing condolence and sympathy to Your Excellency as well as the noble people of Pakistan, I pray to Almighty Allah for forgiveness and Divine blessings for the deceased, and patience and fortitude for the survivors."[25]

    Afghanistan Afghanistan: Afghan President Hamid Karzai sent a cable where he noted: "On behalf of the people, government of transitional Islamic state of Afghanistan and on my own behalf, I would like to express deepest sorrow and condolences to Your Excellency and to the families of the victims and to the brotherly people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan."[25]

    Air Chief Marshal S. Krishnaswamy conveyed sympathies on behalf of the Indian IAF and his own behalf on the sudden and untimely demise of Mushaf Ali Mir.[25]

    K.M. Kasuri termed the death of Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir a great loss for Pakistan and its military, and he quoted: "We have lost one of our great sons and a fine soldier; he was an outstanding soldier and his services to Pakistan will always be remembered."[13]

    Conspiracy theories

    Main articles:
    Allegations of support system in Pakistan for Osama bin Laden
    ISI in 1999.: 105 [28]

    Since the plane crash in 2003, Air Chief Marshal Mir's death has attracted significant amount of attention and has been subject of conspiracy theories in media and literature.[29] According to Gerald Posner, an American journalist, Mir's death in a plane crash was not an accident but an act of sabotage, which he claimed in his book: Why America Slept: The Failure to Prevent 911, written in 2003.: 105–194 [28]

    Several American authors of counterterrorism studies have suspected him of having advanced intelligence knowledge on the

    ISI as its spymaster.: 269 [4]: contents [30]: conts. [31]: contents [29]

    Subsequently,

    Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud — the Saudi intelligence chief.[29]

    However, after the

    Afghan Taliban and their allies al-Qaeda, the three Saudi princes associated with the deals died within days, and seven months after that, Mir's plane crashed in the Kohat region of Pakistan.[29]

    Prince

    Turki bin Faisal, on the other hand, was removed as intelligence chief and sent as Ambassador to United Kingdom during the same time.[32]

    In 2015, the Air Force's Flight Inquiry Board and the CAA dismissed the claims of sabotage when they submitted their year long investigation reports to the

    Public Accounts Committee of the Pakistan Parliament, citing the poor maintenance of the aircraft.[26] They backed up their evidence when identifying the faulty Fokker F27 Friendship that the Air Force had transferred the plane to Navy but the aircraft was returned to the Air Force due to its faults during its flight.[26]

    According to the analysis written in 2003 by

    Pakistani military.[33]

    Awards and decorations

    PAF GD(P) Badge RED (More than 3000 Flying Hours)
    Nishan-e-Imtiaz

    (Military)

    (Order of Excellence)

    		Hilal-e-Imtiaz

    (Military)

    (Crescent of Excellence)

    Sitara-e-Imtiaz

    (Military)

    (Star of Excellence)

    		Sitara-e-Basalat

    (Star of Good Conduct)

    Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War

    (War Star 1971)

    Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War

    (War Star 1971)

    Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War

    (War Medal 1965)

    Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War

    (War Medal 1971)

    		Tamgha-e-Baqa

    (Nuclear Test Medal)

    1998

    		10 Years Service Medal
    20 Years Service Medal 30 Years Service Medal Tamgha-e-Sad Saala Jashan-e-

    Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam

    (100th Birth Anniversary of

    Muhammad Ali Jinnah)

    1976

    		Hijri Tamgha

    (Hijri Medal)

    1979

    Jamhuriat Tamgha

    (Democracy Medal)

    1988

    		Qarardad-e-Pakistan Tamgha

    (Resolution Day

    Golden Jubilee Medal)

    1990

    		Tamgha-e-Salgirah Pakistan

    (Independence Day

    Golden Jubilee Medal)

    1997

    		UAE Defence Forces

    Unification Medal

    (UAE)

    Abu Dhabi Defence Forces

    Service Medal

    (UAE)

    		Turkish Legion of Merit

    (Turkey)

    		Military Merit Order

    1st Class

    (UAE)

    		The Legion of Merit

    (Degree of Commander)

    (USA)

    Foreign decorations

    Foreign Awards
     UAE UAE Defence Unification Medal
     UAE Abu Dhabi Defence Forces Service Medal
     Turkey Turkish Legion of Merit
     UAE Military Merit Order - 1st Class
     USA The Legion of Merit (Degree of Commander)

    See also

    References

    1. ^ a b Qadri, Azam (2014). Sentinels in the Sky: A Saga of PAF's Gallant Air Warriors. PAF Book Club. p. 60.
    2. ^ a b c Hussain, Air-Cdre. (Brig) Jamal. "Obituary: Remembering a Friend". www.defencejournal.com. Islamabad: Defence Journal. Archived from the original (web cache) on 17 January 2005. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
    3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "New Pak. Air chief supersedes 5 seniors". The Hindu. Islamabad, Pakistan. Pakistan Bureau. 13 November 2000. Retrieved 18 January 2018.[dead link]
    4. ^
      ISBN 9780743266239
      . Retrieved 19 January 2018.
    5. ^
      ISBN 9781473874633
      . Retrieved 17 January 2018.
    6. ^ a b Mushaf, Zia, and Liaquat Ali Khan. Lahore, Pakistan: News & Media. 2003. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
    7. ^ "PAF Falcons - PAF s' Chief of the Air Staffs". www.paffalcons.com. Archived from the original on 14 March 2010.
    8. ^ Naseer, Khawaja (22 February 2003). "A jewel of the Walled City". Daily Times.
    9. ^ a b c d e Correspondents, Staff writers (4 November 2000). "New Air Chief designated". people.virginia.edu. No. 6/42. Islamabad, Pakistan: Dawn Wire Service. Dawn Newspaper. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
    10. ^ "Obituary". www.defencejournal.com. Archived from the original on 17 January 2005.
    11. ^ Hali, Sultan M. (3 February 2017). "Tributes to a humble soul - PakObserver". PakObserver. Pakistan Observers, 2017. Pakistan Observers. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
    12. ^ Hussaini, Syed Masood Akhtar; Affairs, Pakistan Air Force Directorate of Media (2002). Pakistan Air Force over the years. Directorate of Media Affairs, Pakistan Air Force.
    13. ^ a b c d Varma, KJM (20 February 2003). "Pakistan's air chief killed in plane crash". rediff.com. Rediff News, 2003. Rediff News. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
    14. ^
      ISBN 9789698553005
      . Retrieved 18 January 2018.
    15. ^ "5 Pak Air Marshals to retire on Monday". Daily Excelsior. 18 November 2000.
    16. ^ a b c PTI officials, Press Trust of India (13 November 2000). "The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News". tribuneindia.com. Chandigarh, India: Press Trust of India, Pakistan Desk. Press Trust of India. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
    17. ^ Afghanistan in Transition (first ed.). New Delhi: Indian Council of World Affairs. 2003. p. 231. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
    18. ISBN 9788124102381
      . Retrieved 19 January 2018.
    19. ^ "PAF ready to face any challenge: Mushaf". DAWN.COM. 5 June 2002. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
    20. ISBN 9780973368765
      . Retrieved 19 January 2018.
    21. ^ a b c "Funeral held for Pakistan air chief". BBC Pakistan Bureau. BBC. 21 February 2003. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
    22. ^ Yusufzai, Rahimullah (22 February 2003). "Doomed plane might have hit mountain peak". GulfNews. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
    23. ^ Goraya, Abdul-Majid (21 February 2003). "PAF chief killed in air crash: Two AVMs, Mushaf's wife among 17 dead •Inquiry begins". DAWN.COM. Kohat Pass: Dawn Newspaper, AM Goraya. Dawn Newspaper. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
    24. ^ "Obituary: Dedicated to the Glorious PAF Shaheeds". Defence Journal. March 2003.
    25. ^ a b c d e staff writers, agencies. (22 February 2003). "Air chief's death condoled". DAWN.COM. Dawn Newspaper, 2003. Dawn Newspaper. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
    26. ^ a b c GEO Urdu; et al. (5 October 2015). "Fokker that caused martyrdom of Mushaf Ali Mir was faulty". thenews.com.pk. News International, 2015. News International. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
    27. ^ a b Rahman, Javaid (6 October 2015). "'Faulty plane behind air chief's crash-death'". The Nation. The Nation. The Nation. Retrieved 19 January 2018. The committee head Rana Afzaal, giving three months time to present report to the committee, said "due to a faulty aircraft we lost Air chief."
    28. ^
      ISBN 9780375508790
      . Retrieved 19 January 2018.
    29. ^
      ISBN 9781429928083
      . Retrieved 19 January 2018.
    30. ISBN 9781510721265
      . Retrieved 19 January 2018.
    31. ISBN 9781934708361
      . Retrieved 19 January 2018.
    32. ^ McGeary, Johanna (31 August 2003). "Confessions of a Terrorist". Time. Archived from the original on 10 November 2006.
    33. ^ Sethi, Najam (5 September 2003). "Come Clean". www.najamsethi.com. Islamabad: Najam Sethi. Retrieved 19 January 2018.

    External links

    Military offices
    Preceded by
    Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi
    Chief of Air Staff

    2000 – 2003     		Succeeded by
    Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mushaf_Ali_Mir&oldid=1219693383"