Nazir Latif

Air Commodore Nazir Latif SJ and Bar (July 10, 1927 – June 30, 2011) was a one-star general officer in the Pakistan Air Force and a former director-general of the Operations and Plans at the Air Headquarters, Islamabad. Latif was one of the distinguished Christian pilots who participated and fought, for Pakistan side, in 1965 Indo-Pak War and the 1971 Winter War.

Nazir Latif was born into a highly educated Christian family in 1927. Bill Latif grew up in Lahore, where his father was a well-known professor of psychology and had done his doctorate at Princeton University. His father taught at FC College in Lahore as a full professor.

Bill Latif had always wanted to be a fighter pilot and joined the Pakistan Air Force soon after the independence of Pakistan in 1947. He was accepted in Pakistan Air Force Academy in 1947. He did 8th GD pilot’s course but because of his high standard in flying, was upgraded to the 7th GD (P) course and graduated in 1950. Nazir was sent to Great Britain where he attended and graduated from Royal Air Force College Cranwell in 1954.

In 1958, he was promoted to Wing Commander as Air Marshal Asghar Khan assumed as Chief of Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force.

In 1971 he was base commander of the Mauripur Base.