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Fasih Bokhari (; 8 March 1942 – 24 November 2020) was a
Pakistani Pakistanis (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the second-largest Muslim population as of 2023. As much as ...
admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...
who served as the Chief of Naval Staff from 1997 to 1999. He was a well-known
pacifist Pacifism is the opposition to war or violence. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaigner Émile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress in Glasgow in 1901. A related term is ''a ...
and a prominent political figure as the Chief of Naval Staff from 1997 until his voluntary resignation in 1999, which stemmed from his staunch opposition to the then-
Pakistani President The president of Pakistan () is the head of state of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The president is the nominal head of the Government of Pakistan#Executive branch, executive and the commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the Pakistan ...
Pervez Musharraf Pervez Musharraf (11 August 1943 – 5 February 2023) was a Pakistani general and politician who served as the tenth president of Pakistan from 2001 to 2008. Prior to his career in politics, he was a four-star general and appointed as ...
's instigation of the
Kargil War The Kargil War, was fought between India and Pakistan from May to July 1999 in the Kargil district of Ladakh, then part of the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir (state), Jammu and Kashmir and along the Line of Control (LoC). In In ...
with
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, a conflict that Bokhari reportedly saw as an act of inappropriate and uncoordinated aggression from
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
and one that subsequently led him into a bitter dispute with Musharraf. Bokhari also served as the chairman of the
National Accountability Bureau The National Accountability Bureau (; abbreviated NAB) is Pakistan's anti-corruption agency. Its chairman is Nazir Ahmed Butt, a retired general. History The Ehtesab Act, 1997 established an Ehtesab Cell, charged with the investigation and pr ...
, a Pakistani anti-corruption agency. In 1999, Bokhari publicly disagreed and revolted against the decision of then-
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
Nawaz Sharif Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (born 25 December 1949) is a Pakistani politician and businessman who served as the 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan, prime minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms, first serving from 1990 to 1993, then ...
to extend Pervez Musharraf's tenure as the
Chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...
of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee The Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC), (); is an administrative body of senior high-ranking uniformed military leaders of the unified Pakistan Armed Forces who advises the civilian government of Pakistan, National Security Council, Defen ...
preceding the latter's supersession as the Chief of Army Staff. He is notable for his war opposition stance, having called for public introspections about Musharraf's decisions related to the 1999 Kargil War in 2000. In 2011, Bokhari was appointed the chairman of the
National Accountability Bureau The National Accountability Bureau (; abbreviated NAB) is Pakistan's anti-corruption agency. Its chairman is Nazir Ahmed Butt, a retired general. History The Ehtesab Act, 1997 established an Ehtesab Cell, charged with the investigation and pr ...
by President
Asif Ali Zardari Asif Ali Zardari (born 26 July 1955) is a Pakistani politician serving as the 14th president of Pakistan since 2024, having held the same office from 2008 to 2013. He is the president of Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians and was the ...
. However, his appointment was mired in public controversies, leading to his eventual removal by the
Supreme Court of Pakistan The Supreme Court of Pakistan (; ''Adālat-e-Uzma Pākistān'') is the apex court in the Judiciary of Pakistan, judicial hierarchy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Established in accordance witPart VIIof the Constitution of Pakistan, it h ...
in 2013.


Biography


Naval career and between wars (1965–1971)

Fasih Bokhari was born in 1942 in
British Indian Empire The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...
, now
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
and
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
. In 1959, he was commissioned in the
Pakistan Navy The Pakistan Navy (PN) (; ''romanized'': Pākistān Bahrí'a; ) is the naval warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The Chief of the Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Com ...
as a
Midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...
and was sent to the
Britannia Royal Naval College Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth, also known as Dartmouth, is the naval academy of the United Kingdom and the initial officer training establishment of the Royal Navy. It is located on a hill overlooking the port of Dartmouth, Devon, En ...
in
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
to complete his training. His S/No. was PN No. 858 when he joined the Navy in 1959. Upon returning to Pakistan in 1962, he was promoted to Sub-Lieutenant and inducted into the Submarine Command as a navigation officer. He served in the ''Ghazi'' and did short training on submarine operations at the
Naval Academy A naval academy provides education for prospective naval officers. List of naval academies See also

* Military academy {{Authority control Naval academies, Naval lists ...
in
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. S/Lt. Bokhari joined ''Ghazi'' as a torpedo specialist under then- Cdr. K.R. Niazi and participated in war operations in the second war with
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
in 1965. In 1969, he was promoted to
Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
and moved to join the ''Hangor'' under the command of Cdr.
Ahmed Tasnim Ahmad Tasnim (; born 1935) is a retired three-star rank admiral of the Pakistan Navy who is known for his command of ''Hangor'', a submarine that sank INS Khukri on 8 December 1971 during Indo-Pakistani war of 1971, off the coast of Diu, G ...
. He earned notability for his valor of actions in the third war with
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
in 1971 when he served as a torpedo officer in the ''Hangor''. Lt. Bokhari, together with then- Lt.Cdr A.U. Khan correctly identified the INS ''Khukri'', and provided coordinates that ultimately sank the ''Khukri'' in 1971. After the war, he was honored with ''
Sitara-e-Jurat Sitara-e-Jurat (, Star of Courage) is the third highest military award of Pakistan. It was established in 1957 after Pakistan became a republic; however, it was instituted retrospectively back to 1947. It is awarded for gallantry or distinguish ...
'' together with Commander Tasnim. During the war, Lt. Bokhari was pulled off the Submarine Command after ''Hangor'' reported back to its base and was sent to join the elite Special Services Group Navy (SSGN) after completing the quick training on special operations. He led a
Platoon A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...
that consisted of 80 men and was stationed in
Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...
to defend the coastal areas from the advancing
Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...
. After learning of the surrender and the
secession Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...
of east-Pakistan as
Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...
, Lt. Bokhari became disillusioned with his war career and immediately submitted his resignation in the face of what he considered bleak prospects in the Navy for his future. However, his resignation was not accepted by his superior
commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...
s who successfully persuaded him to continue serving in the Navy. In 1973, Lt. Bokhari was sent to
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
where he attended the
École Militaire École or Ecole may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région Île-de-France * Éco ...
(a French naval war college) and graduated with a staff course degree in 1975. Upon returning to Pakistan, he was promoted as Lieutenant-Commander and commanded the PNS ''Mangro'' as his commanding assignment. In 1978, he was promoted to
Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...
and briefly completed a war assignment at the
Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...
(MoD). In 1983–84, Commander Bokhari attended the National Defence University and briefly studied at the Armed Forces War College. He studied under then-Colonel Jehangir Karamat who had profound influence on his critical thinking and authored his thesis on the
war studies War studies, sometimes called polemology, is the multi-disciplinary study of war. It pertains to the military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfa ...
, required for his
master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
which he attained in 1984.


Command and staff appointments

From 1985 to 1991,
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Bokhari was posted at the Navy NHQ and served as the Director of Naval Operations (DNO) and director of the naval warfare operation plans. In addition, Captain Bokhari also commanded a Daphné submarine and two destroyers as part of his command experience in the Navy. In 1991, he was promoted to one-star rank,
Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (India), in India ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ' ...
, and briefly tenured as ACNS (Personnel) until 1992 when he was promoted to
Rear-Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...
. At the NHQ, Rear-Admiral Bokhari was appointed DCNS (Supply) until 1995 when he was promoted to the three-star assignment. From 1995 to 1997, Vice-Admiral Bokhari commanded the Pakistan Fleet as its commander when he took over the command from out-going Vice Admiral Shamoon Alam Khan. In 1995,
Vice-Admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of vic ...
Bokhari was elevated as the Vice Chief of the Naval Staff (VCNS) under
Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...
Mansurul Haq Mansurul Haq (16 October 1937 – 21 February 2018) was a senior officer of the Pakistan Navy who was forcibly retired from his service in 1997 on the allegations leveled against him in the corruption and kickbacks resulting during the technol ...
. Vice-Admiral Bokhari became involved in the acquisitions and indigenous production of Agosta 90B submarines, with the French assistance. He died on 24 November 2020.


Chief of Naval Staff

On 1 January 1997, Vice-Admiral Bokhari was promoted to four-star rank admiral and took over the command of the Navy from the dismissed Admiral
Mansurul Haq Mansurul Haq (16 October 1937 – 21 February 2018) was a senior officer of the Pakistan Navy who was forcibly retired from his service in 1997 on the allegations leveled against him in the corruption and kickbacks resulting during the technol ...
as Chief of Naval Staff on 5 February 1997. Upon appointment, Admiral Bokhari superseded Vice-Admiral A. U. Khan who was already on extension due to his chairmanship of the National Shipping Corporation, and visited the Joint Staff Headquarters and called on Chairman joint chiefs Gen.
Feroze Khan Feroze Khan (born 11 July 1990) is a Pakistani actor and video jockey who primarily works in Urdu television. One of Pakistan's highest-paid actors, he is the recipient of several accolades, including three Lux Style Awards. He made his act ...
. As a naval chief, Admiral Bokhari made numerous attempts to reconstruct the Navy and encouraged his subordinates to be more analytical in their thinking. Admiral Bokhari also provided his crucial support for
naval base A naval base, navy base, or military port is a military base, where warships and naval ships are docked when they have no mission at sea or need to restock. Ships may also undergo repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that usu ...
to be established in
Balochistan Balochistan ( ; , ), also spelled as Baluchistan or Baluchestan, is a historical region in West and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. This arid region o ...
,
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
, which was made operationalized on 26 April 1997. In 1999, Admiral Bokhari oversaw the Hammerhead– 99 as part of a series of conceptual exercises conducted annually by the Navy as a prelude to the ''Sea Spark''.


1998 Nuclear tests and General Karamat's relief

Admiral Bokhari was the naval chief when
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
announced that the country conducted the series of nuclear tests under codename
Operation Shakti Pokhran-II (''Operation Shakti'') was a series of five nuclear weapon tests conducted by India in May 1998. The bombs were detonated at the Indian Army's Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan. It was the second instance of nuclear testing conducted ...
on 12 May 1998. He attended the informal meeting with Chairman Joint Chiefs General Jehangir Karamat and
Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British i ...
PQ Mehdi Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi (born 1 October 1943) best known as PQ Mehdi, is a retired four-star air officer and former fighter pilot who served as the eighth Chief of Air Staff (CAS) of the Pakistan Air Force from 1997 until his retirement in 2000 ...
, the Chief of Air Staff of Pakistan Air Force, at the residence of General Karamat. Admiral Bokhari reportedly argued against the authorisation of nuclear testings on moral grounds, stressing his arguments on the fact that "Pakistan would be able to claim moral high ground." Admiral Bokhari made a case for the support of nuclear ambiguity and pointed out that Pakistan still had the nuclear capability and recommended the "wait and watch" policy to see the world's reaction. At the National Security meeting held on 13 May 1998, Admiral Bokhari again stressed his stance on opposing atomic tests and was joined by
Finance Minister A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfoli ...
Sartaj Aziz who argued against the tests in a fear of economic sanctions. At the meeting, Admiral Bokhari again exhorted for practicing the nuclear ambiguity and strongly urging restraint. Nonetheless, the nuclear tests were carried out on
28 May Events Pre-1600 *585 BC – A solar eclipse occurs, as predicted by the Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling Cyaxares in the Battle of the Eclipse, leading to a truce. This is one of the cardinal dates from wh ...
and 30 May in 1998, authorized by the Prime Minister Sharif himself. On 6 October 1998, Admiral Bokhari invited Chairman joint chiefs General Karamat to deliver the lecture on civil-military relations at the
Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...
where the General Karamat pressed for the idea of reestablishing the official
National Security Council A national security council (NSC) is usually an executive branch governmental body responsible for coordinating policy on national security issues and advising chief executives on matters related to national security. An NSC is often headed by a n ...
that would take on the perennial problem posed to the country, with military having the representation. Prime Minister Sharif viewed this lecture as military's interference on national politics and eventually relieved from the command of the military as the Chairman joint chiefs tendered the signed resignation. At the public circle, Admiral Fasih Bokhari criticized General Karamat for resigning but Karamat defended his actions as "right thing" to do as he lost the confidence of a constitutionally and popularly elected Prime Minister.


Kargil War and Atlantique incident

In 1999, General
Pervez Musharraf Pervez Musharraf (11 August 1943 – 5 February 2023) was a Pakistani general and politician who served as the tenth president of Pakistan from 2001 to 2008. Prior to his career in politics, he was a four-star general and appointed as ...
led the
Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ), commonly known as the Pak Army (), is the Land warfare, land service branch and the largest component of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The president of Pakistan is the Commander-in-chief, supreme commander of the army. The ...
to engage in bitter conflict with
Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...
in disputed
Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...
– an event known as
Kargil War The Kargil War, was fought between India and Pakistan from May to July 1999 in the Kargil district of Ladakh, then part of the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir (state), Jammu and Kashmir and along the Line of Control (LoC). In In ...
. Over the issue of Kargil debacle, Admiral Bokhari attended multiple meetings with the Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (born 25 December 1949) is a Pakistani politician and businessman who served as the 12th Prime Minister of Pakistan, prime minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms, first serving from 1990 to 1993, then ...
and
General Musharraf Pervez Musharraf (11 August 1943 – 5 February 2023) was a Pakistani general and politician who served as the tenth president of Pakistan from 2001 to 2008. Prior to his career in politics, he was a four-star general and appointed as t ...
to be briefed on the Kargil events, and the Indian Army's counterattacks on the Pakistan Army soldiers. After attending the last session on Kargil with the Prime Minister Sharif, Admiral Bokhari did not view the Pakistan Army's engagement with Indian Army as appropriate and lodged a powerful protest against General Musharraf's grand strategy while recommending the constitution of a Commission to completely probe the Kargil issue. About the
Indian Navy The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...
maneuvering its fleets to
Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea () is a region of sea in the northern Indian Ocean, bounded on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, Gulf of Aden and Guardafui Channel, on the northwest by Gulf of Oman and Iran, on the north by Pakistan, on the east by India, and ...
, Admiral Bokhari reportedly marked that: "Pakistan's already badgered economy could be throttled in a war scenario." Bokhari had the Pakistan Navy's warships begin providing escorts for its existing oil tankers, and secretly deployed submarines to keep track of any attempt by the Indian Navy to block the
Karachi coast The Port of Karachi (, ''Bandar gāh Karāchī'') is one of South Asia's largest and busiest deep-water seaports, handling about 60% of the nation's cargo (25 million tons per annum) located in Karachi, Pakistan. It is located on the Karachi H ...
. At the country's
news media The news media or news industry are forms of mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public. These include News agency, news agencies, newspapers, news magazines, News broadcasting, news channels etc. History Some of the fir ...
, Admiral Bokhari became well known for his publicly questioning the
military strategy Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired Strategic goal (military), strategic goals. Derived from the Greek language, Greek word ''strategos'', the term strategy, when first used during the 18th ...
behind the Kargil infiltration and gave criticism on General Musharraf's inability for not taking the Navy into the planning stage, while the latter hoped for Navy's intervention to support the nation's defence after the conflict had reached an impasse. After the Kargil debacle and the martial law in 1999, Admiral Bokhari advised Musharraf to resign from the command of the military and it would be the best for him to leave as soon as possible and seek a solution like former army chief General A.W. Kakar did. About the
Atlantique incident The Atlantique incident occurred on 10 August 1999, when a Breguet Atlantic maritime patrol aircraft of the Pakistan Naval Air Arm was shot down by a MiG-21 fighter of the Indian Air Force over the Rann of Kutch, on the border between India an ...
in 1999, Admiral Bokhari reacted angrily on statements issued by the Indian External Affairs ministry and reportedly quoted: "They
ndian Ndian is a Departments of Cameroon, department of Southwest Region, Cameroon, Southwest Region in Cameroon. It is located in the humid tropical rainforest zone about southeast of Yaoundé, the capital. History Ndian division was formed in 1975 ...
have been trying take the conflict to maritime scale, after the Kargil incident."


Revolt and the resignation

On 7 October 1998,
Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normall ...
Pervez Musharraf Pervez Musharraf (11 August 1943 – 5 February 2023) was a Pakistani general and politician who served as the tenth president of Pakistan from 2001 to 2008. Prior to his career in politics, he was a four-star general and appointed as ...
was promoted to four-star army general and took over the command of army from General Karamat as the Chief of Army Staff; in addition, General Musharraf was also made acting Chairman Joint Chiefs on 7 October 1998. The appointment to the Chairman Joint Chiefs was only meant to be temporary and it was hoped that Admiral Bokhari would be appointed to the post. In September 1999, General Musharraf had sent a message to Prime Minister Sharif that "anyone in the Navy and Air Force can become the Chairman Joint Chiefs as I did not care." General Musharraf reportedly backed Admiral Bokhari's bid for the Chairman Joint Chiefs but he was overseen by the Prime Minister who confirmed and extended General Musharraf's term until 2001. Upon hearing the news, Admiral Bokhari lodged a strong protest against this decision in the news media and reportedly revolted against
Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
Sharif's appointment for the Chairman joint chiefs in 1999. Admiral Bokhari telephoned the Prime Minister Sharif and announced his intention to resign from the command of the Navy despite the Prime Minister urging to complete his tenure. Admiral Bokhari strongly urged his resignation since General Musharraf was his junior and often referred to him as "Sir." On 5 October 1999, Admiral Bokhari resigned from the command of the
Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
as the
news media The news media or news industry are forms of mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public. These include News agency, news agencies, newspapers, news magazines, News broadcasting, news channels etc. History Some of the fir ...
construed Admiral Bokhari's resignation merely as unhappiness over not being appointed
Chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...
of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee The Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC), (); is an administrative body of senior high-ranking uniformed military leaders of the unified Pakistan Armed Forces who advises the civilian government of Pakistan, National Security Council, Defen ...
. Admiral Bokhari, however, maintained in 2002 that his resignation came only after realizing that General Musharraf and Prime Minister Sharif had decided to topple each other and he did not want to be part of these "dirty games". Admiral Bokhari's revolt saw the meltdown of the civil-military relations between the elected civilian government and the military leaders that eventually led to the military taking over the civilian government by dismissing Prime Minister Sharif on 12 October 1999.


Public service


Chairman National Accountability Bureau

In 2007, Bokhari became the President of the Pakistan Ex Servicemen Association which he remained until 2010 before becoming the Convenor of The Save Pakistan Coalition in 2010. On 17 October 2011, Bokhari was appointed Chairman of the
National Accountability Bureau The National Accountability Bureau (; abbreviated NAB) is Pakistan's anti-corruption agency. Its chairman is Nazir Ahmed Butt, a retired general. History The Ehtesab Act, 1997 established an Ehtesab Cell, charged with the investigation and pr ...
by the then-
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Asif Ali Zardari Asif Ali Zardari (born 26 July 1955) is a Pakistani politician serving as the 14th president of Pakistan since 2024, having held the same office from 2008 to 2013. He is the president of Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians and was the ...
, which the president also confirmed his appointment. His appointment was met with the controversy when then-
Opposition leader The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
Nisar Ali Khan Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan (; born 31 July 1954) is a Pakistani politician who served as the Interior Minister from 2013 to 2017. He had been a member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab from August 2018 till January 2023. He however was uns ...
raised objection to the nomination on technical grounds but was rejected by the President Zardari. In 2012, he vowed to eliminate the corruption and maintained that the NAB should adapt to eliminate corruption from the country. Following his appointment, Admiral Bokhari's appointment was challenged by then-
Opposition leader The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
Ali Khan after he submitted a complaint at the
Supreme Court of Pakistan The Supreme Court of Pakistan (; ''Adālat-e-Uzma Pākistān'') is the apex court in the Judiciary of Pakistan, judicial hierarchy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Established in accordance witPart VIIof the Constitution of Pakistan, it h ...
on technicality. In 2013, Senior Justice T.H. Jillani declared the Bokhari's appointment as "null and void." On 28 May 2013, President Zardari approved the summary that officially terminated Fasih Bokhari's appointment as chairman of NAB.


Peace activism


Kargil War Introspection and pacifism

After his famous revolt and resignation, Admiral Bokhari began his political activism aimed towards peace between two countries and showed opposition towards wars. In 2002 and again in 2011, Admiral Bokhari pressed for constituting a commission that would introspect the events that led to the
Kargil War The Kargil War, was fought between India and Pakistan from May to July 1999 in the Kargil district of Ladakh, then part of the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir (state), Jammu and Kashmir and along the Line of Control (LoC). In In ...
and showed his willingness to testify before an inquiry commission that would be formed by the government of the day. His support for forming an inquiry commission was supported by then- air chief
PQ Mehdi Parvaiz Mehdi Qureshi (born 1 October 1943) best known as PQ Mehdi, is a retired four-star air officer and former fighter pilot who served as the eighth Chief of Air Staff (CAS) of the Pakistan Air Force from 1997 until his retirement in 2000 ...
,
Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was normall ...
Gulzar Kiyani ( DG MI), Lieutenant-General Tauqeer Zia ( DG MO), Lieutenant-General Shahid Aziz (DG ISI Analysis Wing), and Lieutenant-General Abdul Majeed Malik. After the Kargil War and
coup d'état A coup d'état (; ; ), or simply a coup , is typically an illegal and overt attempt by a military organization or other government elites to unseat an incumbent leadership. A self-coup is said to take place when a leader, having come to powe ...
in 1999, followed by the military standoff between two nations, Admiral Bokhari became politically active in supporting peace and expressing opposition to war by pressing towards the idea of resolving any possible sources of future conflict at sea. The
Indian Navy The Indian Navy (IN) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Navy, maritime and Amphibious warfare, amphibious branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff (India), Chief ...
's former Chief of the Naval Staff
Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...
J.G. Nadkarni recently opined that Pakistan had sensible mariners in decision-making positions who were keen to have agreements with the Indian Navy. Admiral Fasih Bokhari, Pakistan's naval chief from 1997 to 1999, was a great proponent of maritime co-operation with India and believed that it would benefit both countries." From 2010–2011, Admiral Bokhari wrote
column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...
based on defence and strategic strategies for the English-language newspaper,
Express Tribune ''The Express Tribune'' is a daily English-language newspaper based in Pakistan. It is the flagship publication of the '' Lakson Group'' media group. It is Pakistan's only internationally affiliated newspaper in a partnership with the '' Intern ...
, where he focused on
peaceful coexistence Peaceful coexistence () was a theory, developed and applied by the Soviet Union at various points during the Cold War in the context of primarily Marxist–Leninist foreign policy and adopted by Soviet-dependent socialist states, according to wh ...
with India and balanced relations with the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
.


Views on 1999 Coup d'état

In 2002, Admiral Bokhari quoted that: he knew about General Musharraf’s plans to topple
rime Minister Rime may refer to: *Rime ice, ice that forms when water droplets in fog freeze to the outer surfaces of objects, such as trees. Rime is also an alternative spelling of "rhyme" as a noun: *Syllable rime, term used in the study of phonology in lin ...
Nawaz Sharif and did not want to be part of these "''Dirty Games''". Admiral Bokhari also noted that a power struggle between an elected Prime Minister and appointed- Chairman joint chiefs ensued and relations were severely damaged after the Kargil war. Before enforcing the
martial law Martial law is the replacement of civilian government by military rule and the suspension of civilian legal processes for military powers. Martial law can continue for a specified amount of time, or indefinitely, and standard civil liberties ...
in 1999 against the elected government, Admiral Bokhari noted: "The two men could not work together, both were preparing to take active actions against each other. I could see that there now two centers of power on a collision course". At an informal meeting held at the Navy NHQ in September 1999, Chairman joint chiefs
General Musharraf Pervez Musharraf (11 August 1943 – 5 February 2023) was a Pakistani general and politician who served as the tenth president of Pakistan from 2001 to 2008. Prior to his career in politics, he was a four-star general and appointed as t ...
indicated his displeasure with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's handling of the country describing Prime Minister Sharif as "incompetent and incapable of running the country." Admiral Bokhari firmly got the impression whether General Musharraf was sounding out to rely on the support from the Navy in the event of the coup and Admiral Bokhari discouraged the Chairman joint chiefs from doing so. He contended that the Lahore Declaration process was the best trajectory for Pakistan and should be continued through a political dialogue. He further added that any rupture in the dialogue process would set the country back. Bokhari realised that this meeting was held to secure his support against the elected government.


Contribution to "Military Inc." by Ayesha Siddiqa

Admiral Bokhari is mentioned multiple times by
Ayesha Siddiqa Ayesha Siddiqa (; born 7 April 1966) is a Pakistani political scientist, and an author who serves as a research associate at the SOAS South Asia Institute. She previously served as the inaugural Pakistan Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center ...
in her book Military Inc., which describes the ideology and actions of the Pakistani military in running their commercial enterprises and business interests. He is quoted directly, as well as cited in multiple other places as an observer of the events and ideology that are described within the military. His significant contribution is acknowledged at the start of the book.


Criticism

In 2012, Brian Coughley, the historian of Pakistan, found it strange that Admiral Bokhari did not inform the government or President Tarar if he had the prior knowledge of intended martial law against the elected government. In 2011, the ''News International'' editorial gave criticism to Bokhari after his appointment as Chairman NAB and opined that "Admiral Bokhari, as CNS, had quietly closed the case against retired
Mansurul Haq Mansurul Haq (16 October 1937 – 21 February 2018) was a senior officer of the Pakistan Navy who was forcibly retired from his service in 1997 on the allegations leveled against him in the corruption and kickbacks resulting during the technol ...
when the latter was not found guilty but did not take actions against those naval officers who had received kickbacks, including
Aftab Shaban Mirani Aftab Shaban Mirani () is a Pakistani politician who had been a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from August 2018 till August 2023. Previously, he was a member of the National Assembly from May 2014 to May 2018. He served as 18th Chi ...
who the
Defence Minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...
involved in the affairs."


Awards and decorations


Foreign Decorations


See also

*
Philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
** Morality and ethics **
Moral values Morality () is the categorization of intentions, decisions and actions into those that are ''proper'', or ''right'', and those that are ''improper'', or ''wrong''. Morality can be a body of standards or principles derived from a code of conduc ...
*
Interservice rivalry Interservice rivalry is rivalry between different Military branch, branches of a country's Military, armed forces. This may include competition between army, land, Marines, marine, navy, naval, Coast guard, coastal, air force, air, or space for ...
** Army vs. Navy


References


External links


Fasih Bokhari Biography

Fasih Bokhari appointed naval chief

"Cut the umbilical cord" by Adm Fasih Bokhari (The News) 18 October 2008

"Let’s get our act together in South Asia" by Adm Fasih Bokhari (The News) 15 December 2008

The Official Website of the National Accountability Bureau, Pakistan.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bokhari, Fasih 1942 births 2020 deaths Pakistani Shia Muslims École Navale alumni Graduates of Britannia Royal Naval College Pakistan Navy submarine commanders B Pakistani military personnel of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 French–Urdu translators Chiefs of Naval Staff (Pakistan) People of the Kargil War Pakistani pacifists Pakistani military writers Pakistani democracy activists B Pakistani anti-war activists Pakistani anti–Iraq War activists Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz Recipients of Hilal-i-Imtiaz Recipients of Nishan-e-Imtiaz Recipients of Sitara-e-Basalat Recipients of the Order of Military Merit (Jordan) 2011 controversies Defence and security analysts in Pakistan Chairmen of the National Accountability Bureau