Arshad Sami Khan

Arshad Sami Khan

Ambassador Arshad Sami Khan
Birth name Arshad Sami Khan
Born (1942-01-08)8 January 1942
Died 22 June 2009(2009-06-22) (aged 67)
Service/branch Pakistan Air Force
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Culture
Commissioner General of Pakistan
Awards Sitara-e-Jurat
Sitara-i-Imtiaz (posthumous; 2012)
Military Medal of Honour from King Hussain of Jordan
Military Medal of Honour from the Shah of Iran
Military Medal of Honour from Turkey
Special Medal for Services to Humanity from the United Nations
Spouse(s) Naureen Sami Khan
Other work Diplomat, Bureaucrat, author

Arshad Sami Khan (Urdu ارشد سمیع خان); (January 8, 1942 – June 22, 2009) was a Pakistani diplomat, bureaucrat and soldier.[1] He started his career as a Pakistan Air Force fighter pilot and later served 3 Presidents of Pakistan as their aide-de-comp (A.D.C.) and later went on to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where he served 3 Presidents and 4 Prime ministers as chief of protocol. He was later appointed as a diplomatic ambassador of Pakistan to 14 countries. This was followed by his appointment as the first Commissioner General of Pakistan. He was also Federal Secretary of Culture and retired as a top Grade-22 bureaucratic officer. He was also the father of singer and music composer Adnan Sami.[2][3][4]

Personal life

Born in January 1942, Arshad Sami Khan was a distinguished member of the Aristocracy. His father General Mehfooz Jan hailed from Herat, Afghanistan and was the governor of 4 provinces in Afghanistan, namely Herat, Kabul, Jalalabad and Balkh, under the Reign of King Amanullah Khan. Khan's Grand father General Ahmed Jan was the Military Adviser to King Abdur Rahman Khan. General Ahmed Jan was the conqueror of Kafiristan and named it Nuristan. However, at the time of the famous Bacha Saqqa revolution in Afghanistan, Arshad's father General Mehfooz Jan was assassinated. The family therefore migrated to Peshawar which was a part of British India at that time.[1] He was of Pashtun origin.[5] Arshad was married to Naureen Sami Khan. Together they have two sons. Their elder son, Adnan Sami, is a famous Singer and Music Composer based in Mumbai. Their younger son's name is Junaid Sami Khan.

Pakistan Air Force

Khan decided in his early years to follow the military traditions of his forefathers and joined the Pakistan Air Force. He became a national hero and was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat, Pakistan's third highest military medal of honour for bravery. His name is honoured at the Pakistan Air Force Museum in Karachi.[6] He was also the youngest recipient of the prestigious "Best Fighter Pilot's Trophy".

Khan also had the distinction of serving three Presidents of Pakistan as their Aide-de-camp (ADC); namely presidents Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

He retired from the Air Force in 1972 and joined the Foreign Service on the behest of President Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.

Ambassador

Arshad Sami Khan was appointed Pakistan's first Ambassador to Estonia in August 1993 along with serving as Ambassador to three other Scandinavian countries simultaneously; Sweden, Denmark and Norway.[7] He served as Ambassador of Pakistan to ten other countries.

He was Chief of Protocol to presidents Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Wasim Sajjad and Farooq A. Leghari and also served as Chief of Protocol to Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi and Nawaz Sharif. Khan went on to become the first Commissioner General of Pakistan (appointed by Benazir Bhutto) and then a Federal Secretary to the Government of Pakistan.[8] On the occasion of Independence Day on 14 August 2012, the President of Pakistan posthumously conferred Khan the third highest Civilian Award of Sitara-i-Imtiaz to honour his services to Pakistan.

Author

Khan wrote a book about his experience as an Aide-de-camp entitled "Three presidents and an Aide" which was released in March 2008 and went on to become a best-seller in South Asia.[9] The book is a candid eye witness account of historical events, seen from within the 'ring-side' that occurred during the reign of the 3 presidents- Presidents Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. No Publisher in Pakistan was willing to publish the book. It was therefore published and released in India, launched by former Indian Prime Minister I.K. Gujral to rave reviews and sales.

Illness

Khan was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer in 1989. Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had him flown to London where he was operated at Cromwell Hospital. However, within 3 months of the operation thereafter, he resumed working in the Foreign Office continuing his Ambassadorial Assignments around the world, whilst battling cancer for 20 years. He died on 22 June 2009 at 'Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani' Hospital in Mumbai. His burial ceremony took place in Islamabad with profound Military Honours including a 21-Gun Salute.

Awards

References

  1. 1 2 Adnan Sami: I respect my earlier two wives for the times we shared and for being a part of my life
  2. ↑ Squadron Leader Arshad Sami Khan Retrieved 21 April 2011
  3. ↑ PM visits residence of Arshad Sami to condole his death Retrieved 21 April 2011
  4. ↑ Musician leaves for Pakistan
  5. ↑ Adnan Sami: Fastest fingers first
  6. ↑ PAF Museum
  7. ↑ Estonia and Pakistan Bilateral Relations Archived 22 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Retrieved 21 April 2011
  8. ↑ Arshad Sami Khan — an ambassador of love and humanity Archived 25 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ Three Presidents & an Aide
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