Tariq Kamal Khan

Admiral Tariq Kamal Khan (Urdu: طارق کمال خان‎; b. 21 May 1930), NI(M), SI(M), SBt, is a retired four-star rank admiral and a former diplomat who served as a Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) of Pakistan Navy from being appointed in 1983 until retiring from his service in 1986.
Prior to that, he was appointed as the High Commissioner of Pakistan to Australia and served from 1986 until 1992 when he retired from the foreign service.

Naval Career and star appointments

Tariq Kamal Khan was born in Jhelum, Punjab, British India into a Punjabi-Pathan family on 21 May 1930. After graduating from a local high school, he was commissioned as Midshipman in the Pakistan Navy in 1948 in Surface warfare branch and was initially trained at the Pakistan Military Academy. He was later trained in the United Kingdom as a communication specialist and as the surface warfare officer and promoted as Sub-Lieutenant after returning to Pakistan. His further military training came from the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, England and did qualified on courses on military communications.

In 1965, Lieutenant TK Khan participated in second war with India and served on PNS Shah Jahan as its executive officer while taking part on naval shelling in Dwarka, India.

In 1969, he was promoted as Lieutenant-Commander and Commander after posting in East Pakistan as commanding officer of PNS Jehangir.:xxx Cdr TK Khan also helped the Pakistan Army with the communication gears and firing at the East Pakistan Rifles headquarters to crush Bengali resistance in Chittagong area.

Cdr Khan participated on various military riverine missions while commanding a gunboat, Jehangir, and was taken war prisoner after the accessioning the surrender with India in 1971. He was repatriated to Pakistan and continue resuming his military service when he was promoted as Captain in the Navy.

From 1975–1978, Captain Khan was posted in the Foreign minister to be served as naval attaché to the Pakistan High Commission in London, United Kingdom.:564 Upon returning to Pakistan, he was promoted to one-star rank, Commodore and posted in Karachi for a command assignment in 1978.

Cdre Khan commanded the 18th Destroyer Squadron as its officer commanding until 1980 after promoting as Rear-Admiral.:151

Chief of Naval Staff

Rear-Admiral Khan was appointed Commander Karachi (COMKAR) until 1983 when he succeeded Admiral K.R. Niazi as Chief of Naval Staff.:278:241 On 22 March 1983, President Zia-ul-Haq announced to appoint Rear-Admiral Khan as the Chief of Naval Staff but this promotion came with controversy.:194 Rear-Admiral TK Khan, a junior admiral, supersedes the most senior Vice-Admiral Iqbal Quadir and two senior Rear-Admirals for the command of the Navy in 1983.:278-279 Rear-Admiral TK Khan was known to be close to President Zia and had experience in military administration in civil affairs from the East Pakistan, that may have been a factor for his appointment to the four-star appointment.:277 After his appointment was announced, Rear-Admiral Tariq Kamal Khan was appointed as four-star rank admiral in the Navy.:278

In 1983, he helped negotiated the acquisition of Mirage V aircraft from France for the Pakistan Air Force when he traveled to Paris, France.:159

As naval chief, Admiral TK Khan began initiating a program to acquire and procure modern warships to replace and scrap the aging warships in service with the Navy.:109 Admiral Tariq Kamal worked closely towards strengthening bilateral relations between China and Pakistan, briefly meeting with Chinese President Li Xiannian for that purpose in 1984.:44

Admiral Tariq Kamal Khan remained naval chief until naval chief he seeked retirement from his active service and handed over the command to his VCNS, Vice-Admiral Iftikhar Ahmed Sirohey.:51-52

Ambassadorship and later life

After his retirement from Navy, Admiral Khan joined the Foreign Service when he was nominated to be appointed as High Commissioner of Pakistan to Australia by President Zia and served from 1986 until 1992 when he retired from the foreign service.:352 During his tenure as High Commissioner, he helped secure the deal of second-hand and Royal Australian Air Force's retired Dassault Mirage III to be inducted in the service with Pakistan Air Force in 1990.:14-15

In 1992, Admiral Tariq Kamal retired from the Foreign Service and currently lives on military pension.:352