General Muhammad Musa Khan ( ur, ; ) was a
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
senior general who served as the 4th
Commander-in-Chief of
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
from 1958 to 1966, under President
Ayub Khan
Ayub Khan is a compound masculine name; Ayub is the Arabic version of the name of the Biblical figure Job, while Khan or Khaan is taken from the title used first by the Mongol rulers and then, in particular, their Islamic and Persian-influenced s ...
. Following his tenure as C-in-C of the Army, he later became a politician.
Gaining
commission as a
Second lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank.
Australia
The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...
in the
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...
, Khan served with distinction in the
Burma and
North African campaigns as part of the
Allied effort in
World War II. Following the
Partition of India
The Partition of British India in 1947 was the Partition (politics), change of political borders and the division of other assets that accompanied the dissolution of the British Raj in South Asia and the creation of two independent dominions: ...
in 1947, he opted for the
Dominion of Pakistan, subsequently transferring his military service to the newly created Pakistan Army. He led forward
combat brigades against
India during the
First Kashmir War in 1947–1948, and eventually ascended the ranks to become C-in-C after the
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
imposed
martial law in the country following the
1958 coup d'état. Khan gained notability and public fame throughout
Pakistan when he was in command of the Pakistan Army during the
Second Kashmir War
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 or the Second Kashmir War was a culmination of skirmishes that took place between April 1965 and September 1965 between Pakistan and India. The conflict began following Pakistan's Operation Gibraltar, which was d ...
with India in 1965.
Khan retired shortly after the 1965 war and embarked on a career in
national politics, after which he was appointed to serve as the
Governor of West Pakistan
West Pakistan ( ur, , translit=Mag̱ẖribī Pākistān, ; bn, পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান, translit=Pôścim Pakistan) was one of the two Provincial Enclave and exclave, exclaves created during the One Unit, One Unit Schem ...
, a position he held from 1966 to 1969. In 1985, he was appointed as the
Governor of Balochistan and remained in office until his death in 1991.
Early life and military career
Musa was born on 20 October 1908 in
Quetta,
Baluchistan
Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...
,
British India to an ethnic
Hazara
Hazara may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* The Hazaras, a Persian-speaking people of Afghanistan and Pakistan
* Aimaq Hazara, Aimaq's subtribe of Hazara origin
* Hazarawals, a Hindko-speaking people of the Hazara region of northern Pakistan
* Hazar ...
family.
His family was ''
Sardar'' (lit. Chief) of Hazara tribe and was the eldest son of
Sardar Yazdan Khan who was the local
Tribal chief.

After his schooling, he was recruited to the
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...
as a
''Jawan'' in 1926 and eventually joined the
4th Hazara Pioneers
The 4th Hazara Pioneers (or Independent Pioneer Battalion) was a regiment of the British Indian Army formed in 1922, when the Indian army moved from single battalion regiments to multi-battalion regiments; the 106th Hazara Pioneers became the 1st ...
after being promoted as the
Naik a
non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
in the
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...
.
He was selected to join the
Indian Military Academy at
Dehra Dun
Dehradun () is the capital and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous district and is governed by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation, with the Uttarakhand Legislativ ...
as a cadet in October 1932.
In 1935, he was commissioned from the
IMA, Dehradun following a two years and six months long military training.
He was said to be an excellent sportsman and played
hockey.
In 1936, he was posted to the 6th Royal Battalion of the
13th Frontier Force Rifles
The 13th Frontier Force Rifles was part of the British Indian Army, and after 1947, Pakistan Army. It was formed in 1922 by amalgamation of five existing regiments and consisted of five regular battalions.
History
The 13th Frontier Force Rifle ...
as a
Platoon Commander
{{unreferenced, date=February 2013
A platoon leader (NATO) or platoon commander (more common in Commonwealth militaries and the US Marine Corps) is the officer in charge of a platoon. This person is usually a junior officer – a second or firs ...
and saw actions in the violent
Waziristan campaign in 1936 until 1938.
He participated well in the
World War II on the side of the United Kingdom and served well in the
Burma Campaign and
North African theatre as part of the
Norfolk Regiment of the British Indian Army.
In Middle East, he led the
company
A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
and was listed in
mentioned in despatches
To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...
for "distinguished services in the Middle East during the period February to July 1941" and in the
London Gazette
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
30 December 1941 as a Lieutenant and acting Major.
In 1942, his heroic action for valor won him the praise and was appointed as
Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for "gallant and distinguished services in the Middle East."
In 1945, he was promoted as substantive
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
and substantive major in 1946 and was serving with the Machine Gun battalion,
13th Frontier Force Rifles
The 13th Frontier Force Rifles was part of the British Indian Army, and after 1947, Pakistan Army. It was formed in 1922 by amalgamation of five existing regiments and consisted of five regular battalions.
History
The 13th Frontier Force Rifle ...
by October 1942.
During his time at the Indian Military Academy, Musa was selected as part of the first batch of cadets. Called "The Pioneers", his class also produced
Smith Dun and
Sam Manekshaw, future army chiefs of Burma and India, respectively.
After the
partition
Partition may refer to:
Computing Hardware
* Disk partitioning, the division of a hard disk drive
* Memory partition, a subdivision of a computer's memory, usually for use by a single job
Software
* Partition (database), the division of a ...
of
British India that followed the
establishment of Pakistan in 1947, he
opted for
Pakistan and joined the
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
as a
staff officer.
In 1947 in the acting rank of
Brigadier, he commanded the
103rd Infantry Brigade based in
Sialkot brigade in
Kashmir
Kashmir () is the 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 Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
and served as commander of military units in the
first war with India.
In 1948, he went on to command the 52nd Infantry Brigade positioned in Quetta.
After the war in 1948, Musa studied and graduated from the
Command and Staff College in
Quetta and proceeded to attend the
Imperial Defence College in United Kingdom prior to his graduation.
Later military career
In 1950s, Musa's commanding assignments included his role as the Commandant of the
East Pakistan Rifles
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
, and also having served as GOC of 14th Infantry Division in
Dhaka,
East Pakistan, in 1951.
In 1952, his last field assignment included his role as
General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 8th Infantry Division positioned in
Quetta before stationed at the GHQ.
Later, he soon became the Chief of Staff of the Pakistan Army (then the
commander-in-chief of the army's deputy) in the rank of major-general at the
Army GHQ.
His career progressed well in the
army and was ascended as
Commander-in-Chief by President
Ayub Khan
Ayub Khan is a compound masculine name; Ayub is the Arabic version of the name of the Biblical figure Job, while Khan or Khaan is taken from the title used first by the Mongol rulers and then, in particular, their Islamic and Persian-influenced s ...
in 1958 when the latter disposed President
Iskander Mirza who
imposed martial law in 1958.
Musa's promotion to the
four-star appointment came with controversy in the country as many saw that his appointment was based on "dependability rather than merit."
In October 1958, Musa was elevated as
three-star general and appointed as
Commander in Chief with
Ayub Khan
Ayub Khan is a compound masculine name; Ayub is the Arabic version of the name of the Biblical figure Job, while Khan or Khaan is taken from the title used first by the Mongol rulers and then, in particular, their Islamic and Persian-influenced s ...
promoting himself as
Field Marshal
Field marshal (or field-marshal, abbreviated as FM) is the most senior military rank, ordinarily senior to the general officer ranks. Usually, it is the highest rank in an army and as such few persons are appointed to it. It is considered as ...
and promoting Musa to four star general later.
President Ayub delegated the military affairs to General Musa when heading the civic government.
In 1960, he was appointed to serve as the President of the
Pakistan Hockey Federation
The Pakistan Hockey Federation ( ur, ) is the governing body for the sport of field hockey in Pakistan. It is affiliated with the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
Management positions
The current Patron-in-Chief is Prime Minister Mian M ...
which he remained in the post until being retired in 1966.
It was during his stint as president when the
Hockey Team won its first
Gold Medal
A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture.
Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...
against the
Indian Hockey Team in the
Summer Olympics
The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...
in Rome in 1960.
Bajaur Campaign

In September 1960,
Afghan Regular Troops disguised as local tribesmen started border incursions into the
NWFP
NWFP may refer to:
*North-West Frontier Province, a province of British India, and later, Pakistan
*Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP o ...
(now
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) province of Pakistan with the goal of starting a local rebellion to capture the
Pashtun Inhabited Territory, under General Musa's leadership, Pakistani troops and Local Pashtun tribesmen along with Pakistan Airforce support pushed back the Afghans in 1961 and captured many Afghan soldiers.
The 1965 War
In 1964, he became aware of
covert operation
A covert operation is a military operation intended to conceal the identity of (or allow plausible deniability by) the party that instigated the operation. Covert operations should not be confused with clandestine operations, which are performe ...
studied by the
Foreign ministry led by Foreign Minister
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, and presented views against the operation due to no linkage between the covert actions and the
conventional backup.
General Musa also had the support from
President Ayub Khan on his views; however, the
war began in 1965.
General Musa did not order the
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
without the confirmation by President Ayub Khan despite Foreign Minister
Bhutto's urging.
After the
Indian Army moved to the
Rann of Kutch, General Musa ordered
Army GHQ to respond to the Indian Army by moving the 12th Division.
After reviewing the aerial view of the area and getting directions from President Ayub to make way for Maj General
Yahya Khan, General Musa controversially relieved
GOC Maj Gen
Akhtar Hussain Malik
Akhtar ( fa, links=no, ) means "star" in Persian. It is a unisex name. It is also a common surname. A variant spelling is Akhter.
Notable people with the given name or surname include:
Given name Akhtar
* Akhtar Aly Kureshy Pakistani lawyer a ...
and handed over the command of the 12th Division to Major-General
Yahya Khan, which resulted in critical time delays of troop movements and eventual failure of the operation.
About the failure due to command change, General Musa justified his actions that he had not had time to select a commander or staff despite the authority given to him.
He led and commanded the
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army (, ) is the Army, land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the partition of India, Partition of British India, wh ...
in the largest
tank battle
''Tank Battle'' is a Milton Bradley board game of strategy where players attempt to out-guess and out-maneuver their opponent in a contest of armored warfare, and includes the extra strategy brought by fuel and ammunition dumps as well as anti-tank ...
, which earned him public fame.
His strategy based on classical
trench method supported by
armory,
artillery and
airpower was tactically powerful and successful as it stopped the advancing
Indian Army but politically unsuccessful due to the country being party of the
peace treaty
A peace treaty is an agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually countries or governments, which formally ends a state of war between the parties. It is different from an armistice, which is an agreement to stop hostilities; a surr ...
brokered by the
USSR in 1965.
General Musa's military service is unique due to the fact that he had received two extension as a
Commander-in-chief from the period of 1958 until 1966.
Upon his retirement, General Musa did not recommend Yahya Khan's nomination as
Commander-in-chief and
Yahya's name was not included in the list of nomination sent to President Ayub Khan; nonetheless, General Musa was succeeded by General Yahya Khan as Commander in Chief.
About the
war with India in 1965, General Musa provided his views and testimonies in two books written on
military history
Military history is the study of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, cultures and economies thereof, as well as the resulting changes to local and international relationships.
Professional historians norma ...
of Pakistan Army: first being the "My Version" and the second being the "
Jawan to
General".
Politics
At the time of his retirement in 1966, General Musa was a famed and popular military figure which led President Ayub Khan to appoint him as the
Governor of West Pakistan
West Pakistan ( ur, , translit=Mag̱ẖribī Pākistān, ; bn, পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান, translit=Pôścim Pakistan) was one of the two Provincial Enclave and exclave, exclaves created during the One Unit, One Unit Schem ...
.
News of the appointment was met with enthusiasm by the
West Pakistani
West Pakistan ( ur, , translit=Mag̱ẖribī Pākistān, ; bn, পশ্চিম পাকিস্তান, translit=Pôścim Pakistan) was one of the two Provincial exclaves created during the One Unit Scheme in 1955 in Pakistan. It was d ...
people.
In 1967, he became Governor of West Pakistan until submitting his resignation on 2 March 1969 when General Yahya Khan imposed
martial law to takeover the
presidency.
From 1969 to 1984, he settled in
Karachi while receiving a
military pension.
In 1985, he became active in
national politics on a
Pakistan Muslim League platform led by Prime Minister
M. K. Junejo.
He was appointed as
Governor of Balochistan by the President
Zia-ul-Haq after the
general elections held in 1985.
[name="Hazara The Best"] After the
general elections held in 1988, Governor Musa controversially dissolved the
provincial assembly on the then-Chief Minister
Zafarullah Khan Jamali's advice.
However, the
Balochistan High Court
The Balochistan High Court ( ur, ) is the highest judicial institution of Balochistan, Pakistan. The court is formally known as the High Court of Balochistan. It is situated in the provincial capital, Quetta.
Mir Ali Dost Bugti was the first ...
restored the
provincial assembly amid public condemnation of the Governor's move.
The step towards dissolving the assembly was believed to have been taken with the consent of the
President and
Prime Minister.
On 12 March 1991, General Musa died while in office and per accordance to his wishes, he was buried in
Mashhad
Mashhad ( fa, مشهد, Mašhad ), also spelled Mashad, is the List of Iranian cities by population, second-most-populous city in Iran, located in the relatively remote north-east of the country about from Tehran. It serves as the capital of R ...
,
Razavi Khorasan, Iran.
In his honour, the provincial
Balochistan government established a vocational school, the General Muhammad Musa Inter-College (GMMIC), in
Quetta, Pakistan in 1987.
Post-1965 war
About the
war with India in 1965, General Musa provided his views and testimonies in two books written on
military history
Military history is the study of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, cultures and economies thereof, as well as the resulting changes to local and international relationships.
Professional historians norma ...
of Pakistan Army: the first being ''My Version'' and the second being ''
Jawan to
General''. General Mohammad Musa, who commanded the Army in the '65 war, gave his account of how the events unfolded at GHQ, the C-in-C and the Supreme Commander Field Marshal Ayub Khan surprising India on 6 September 1965 in ''My Version''.
Awards and decorations
Foreign Decorations
See also
*
List of Hazara people
Hazara people make up the second or third largest ethnic group in Afghanistan with 8–12 million population, making 20%–25% of the total population of Afghanistan (Some suggest the real population might reach 30%) where they mainly inhabit the ...
*
List of people from Quetta
References
External links
Official profile at Pakistan Army website
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Musa, Muhammad
1908 births
1991 deaths
Pakistani people of Hazara descent
People from Quetta
People from Karachi
Hazara people
Hazara politicians
Hazara military personnel
Indian Military Academy alumni
Frontier Force Regiment officers
British Indian Army officers
Indian Army personnel of World War II
Members of the Order of the British Empire
Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies
Pakistani generals
Commanders-in-Chief, Pakistan Army
Military personnel of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Pakistani autobiographers
Pakistani memoirists
Pakistan Hockey Federation presidents
Governors of West Pakistan
Governors of Balochistan, Pakistan
Pakistan Muslim League politicians
Recipients of Hilal-i-Jur'at
Recipients of Hilal-i-Imtiaz
Pakistani sports executives and administrators
Generals of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
20th-century memoirists
Burials in Mashhad
Burials at Imam Reza Shrine
Indian Members of the Order of the British Empire
Pakistan Command and Staff College alumni