Muhammad Afzal Tahir HI SI LoM was a Pakistan Navy admiral, writer, and the military historian currently serving in the faculty at the Naval War College of Pakistan Navy.
20 Facts About Afzal Tahir
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Muhammad Afzal Tahir was born on 4 January 1949 in Lyallpur, Punjab, Pakistan to a Punjabi family who belonged to the Arain tribe.
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Afzal Tahir's father was a civil servant in the British Indian government who worked as an administrative officer in the Kapurthala State before the partition of India in 1947.
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Afzal Tahir is the graduate in the class of 40th PMA Long Course and promoted as sub-lieutenant upon his graduation.
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Afzal Tahir did his sea training at the Pakistan Naval Academy in Karachi prior to being promoted as lieutenant in the Navy and inducted in Operations Branch.
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Afzal Tahir was trained as a surface warship officer and qualified as a naval aviator to fly the Alouette III of Pakistan Army board in the surface warships during the western front of the third war with India in 1971.
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Afzal Tahir later saw combat action in the naval operations during the third war with India and served on the minesweepers as an executive officer.
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Afzal Tahir was promoted as lieutenant-commander in 1982 and was posted in Qatar to serve as a military adviser to Qatar military until 1985 when he returned to Pakistan.
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Cdr Afzal Tahir was appointed Staff Officer to the Commander Naval Aviation.
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In 1988, Cdr Afzal Tahir was sent to attend the Joint Services Staff Course at Joint Services Staff College at Chaklala and upon completion of the course he was appointed to its Directing Staff.
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Afzal Tahir was nominated to attend the National Defence University where he gained master's degree in Strategic studies in 1997 and assumed the command of the Naval Aviation as its commander.
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In 2000, Cdre Afzal Tahir was promoted as rear-admiral and moved to the Navy NHQ as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff and took participation in naval defense preparations during the military standoff between India and Pakistan in 2001.
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In 2002, Rear-Admiral Afzal Tahir was later moved as DCNS but later assumed the command of the fleet vessel as Commander Pakistan Fleet, the same year.
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Afzal Tahir facilitated a visit of Lieutenant-General Earl B Hailston of US Marines at the Navy NHQ to hold talks on geo-strategic situation in South Asia.
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Afzal Tahir is a recipient of the Sitara-i-Imtiaz and Hilal-i-Imtiaz.
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In 2005, Vice-Admiral Afzal Tahir was announced to be appointed as the next Chief of Naval Staff by President Pervez Musharraf and promoted as four-star rank Admiral before taking over the command of the Navy from Admiral Shahid Karimullah who was appointed for a diplomatic post in Saudi Arabia.
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Admiral Afzal Tahir superseded Vice-Admiral Mohammad Haroon who was serving as chief of staff under Admiral Karimullah and was senior to Admiral Afzal Tahir.
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In October 2005, Admiral Afzal Tahir assumed the command of the Navy and had Vice-Admiral Haroon to serve on his capacity until retiring from his service.
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Afzal Tahir belongs to an Arain agriculturalist family of Punjab.
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Afzal Tahir has married twice, and has three daughters and two sons.