Jehanzeb Arbab
Jehanzeb Arbab | |
|---|---|
| Martial Law Administrator (Military Governor) of Sindh | |
| In office 5 July 1977 – 1978 | |
| President | Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Sahibzada Muhammad Sadiq-ur-Rashid Ibrahim Abbasi |
| Ambassador of Pakistan to Qatar | |
| In office 1980–1986 | |
| President | Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1924 Tehkal Bala, Peshawar, British India |
| Died | 2020 (aged about 95) Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan |
| Relations | Arbab Sikandar Khan (relative) Arbab Jehangir Khan (nephew) Shehzad Arbab (nephew) |
| Awards | Hilal-i-Jur'at Sitara-i-Jurat |
| Military service | |
| Nickname(s) | Bobby |
| Allegiance |  Pakistan |
| Branch/service | Pakistan Army |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands | V Corps, Karachi |
| Battles/wars | Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 |
Jehanzeb Arbab (c. 1924 – 2020) was a Pakistani general who served as Commander of V Corps in Karachi and as the Martial Law Administrator (military governor) of Sindh in the early period of General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq's military regime, and was subsequently appointed as Pakistan's Ambassador to Qatar from 1980 to 1986.[1]
Early life and family
Jehanzeb Arbab was born in 1924 in Tehkal Bala, on the outskirts of Peshawar in the North-West Frontier Province of British India (present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan). He belonged to the influential Khalil Arbab family of Peshawar, several of whose members were prominent in Pakistani politics and administration.[2] His relatives included Arbab Sikandar Khan Khalil, who served as Governor of the North-West Frontier Province in the government of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto; his nephew Arbab Jehangir Khan, who served as Chief Minister of the North-West Frontier Province from 1985 to 1988; and his nephew Shehzad Arbab, who served as Chief Secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.[2]
Career
Arbab was commissioned into the Pakistan Army and saw service in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, for which he was decorated with the Hilal-i-Jur'at (HJ) and the Sitara-i-Jurat (SJ), Pakistan's second- and third-highest gallantry awards.[3]
He rose to the rank of Lieutenant General and was appointed Commander of V Corps in Karachi, the Pakistan Army formation responsible for the defence of Sindh province.[1][3] In that capacity, he inaugurated the Defence Authority Club, the first club established within the Defence Housing Authority, Karachi, on 22 September 1977.[3]
Following the military coup of 5 July 1977, in which Chief of Army Staff General Zia-ul-Haq overthrew the elected government of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Arbab, then Corps Commander V Corps, Karachi, was appointed Martial Law Administrator of Sindh.[1]
Although the formal constitutional Governorship of Sindh was held by Abdul Kadir Shaikh and, from September 1978, by Sadiq-ur-Rashid Ibrahim Abbasi, Arbab, by virtue of his role as Martial Law Administrator and Corps Commander, is often described as the military governor of the province during 1977–1978.[1][2]
After his retirement from the Pakistan Army, Arbab was appointed Pakistan's Ambassador to the State of Qatar, a post he held from 1980 to 1986.[2][4] During his tenure in Doha he oversaw the construction of new premises for the Embassy of Pakistan and of the Pakistan Education Centre (PEC), later renamed the Pakistan International School. The land for the school was donated by the Government of Qatar, while funds for the campus, built on a 75,000-square-metre site in the Abu Hamour area, were raised entirely through community donations coordinated by Arbab. The building was completed in 1985 and inaugurated by Zia-ul-Haq on 6 November 1985; its auditorium was subsequently named the Arbab Auditorium in his honour.[2]
He also served as a deputy general secretary of the South Asia Territory Organisation.[2]
Later life and death
After leaving diplomatic service, Arbab settled in Karachi, where he became involved in social, welfare and horticultural activities. He served as a long-time patron of the Horticultural Society of Pakistan, supporting the annual Karachi flower show.[5] He revisited Qatar in 2007 as the chief guest at celebrations marking the legacy of the Pakistan Education Centre.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Aziz, Shaikh (March 23, 2014). "A leaf from history: Zia's planned precision". Dawn.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 "Pakistani community pays rich tributes to former ambassador to Qatar Lt Gen Arbab". Qatar Tribune. March 18, 2020.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Defence Authority Club". Pakistan Defence Officers Housing Authority, Karachi.
- ↑ "Lt Gen (Retd) Jehanzeb Arbab – Former Ambassador". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan.
- ↑ "Corps commander opens 68th annual flower show". The Nation. February 22, 2019.
This article "Jehanzeb Arbab" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Jehanzeb Arbab. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
