Muzaffar Hassan

Muzaffar Hassan
Birth name	Muzaffar Hassan
Born	1914 British Indian Empire
Died	1984 (70 years old) Karachi, Sindh Province
Buried	Military Graveyard, Karachi
Allegiance	Pakistan
Service / branch	Pakistan Navy Royal Navy
Years of service	1932-1972
Rank	Vice Admiral
Service number	PN No. 073
Unit	Naval Executive Branch
Commands	Chief of Naval Staff Eastern Military High Command Commander Karachi Western Naval Command Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST)
Battles / wars	World War II Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Operation Falcon
Awards	Sitara-e-Pakistan Hilal-i-Quaid-i-Azam

Vice Admiral Muzaffar Hassan, HQA, SPk, was the last Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Navy from 1969 to 1972, and led the Pakistan Navy during the Indo-Pakistan Naval Operations of the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War. In 1972, he was later sacked and court-martial as Naval Chief of Staff, along with the Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant-General Gul Hassan Khan and the Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Abdul Rahim Khan. All of these Armed Forces and Services commanders were forcefully retired in a stand-up military trial led by the Judge Advocate General Branch.

Naval career

Hassan joined the Royal Indian Navy as a Non-Commissioned Officer in 1932. He was later sent to United Kingdom where he attended the Britannia Royal Naval College where he graduated from there. He was quickly inducted in Royal Navy's Executive Branch and served in World War II (in European front) on behalf of Royal Navy. In 1947, he returned to British Indian Empire and briefly served in Royal Indian Navy (RIN). After Independence and Partition of India, he was among one of the 20 Executive officers transferred to Pakistan Navy. At that time, he had reached the rank of Lieutenant. In 1952, as Commander, he was commanded PNS Tariq, the destroyer. At there, he accompanied Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar, then Governor of Punjab Province, in a Hajj mission led by Pakistan Navy. He actively participated in Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 where he, as Rear-Admiral, led the Navy's mild operation in the conflict

In 1967, he became commander of Western Naval Command, followed by another 2 star assignment. In 1968, he was made Commander Karachi, a senior staff appointment of Pakistan Navy. In 1969, he was promoted to Vice-Admiral in the Navy and assumed the Command of Pakistan Navy.

Chief of Naval Staff

As Chief of Naval Staff, he led the Pakistan Navy in Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Before starting of the conflict, he has denied the request of Eastern Naval Command's Commander, Rear-Admiral Mohammad Shariff to deploy the Pakistan Naval destroyers in the East Pakistan. During the conflict, Karachi came under an intense attack led by the Indian Navy. He repeatedly request to his counter part Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Abdul Rahim Khan to protect the Naval vessels. However, the PAF did not intervene to protect naval assets in Karachi. After the war, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Abdul Rahim Khan famously had said to him: "Well old boy,this happens in war. I am sorry your ships have been sunk".

In July 1972, Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Pakistan Justice Hamoodur Rahman released the first report of the investigated commission created by Pakistan Government. Following the release of the reports, he was arrested by the Naval police of Pakistan Navy in Rawalpindi. He, along with Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant-General Gul Hassan Khan and the Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Abdul Rahim Khan, were brought up to the military trial led by the Judge Advocate General Branch of Pakistan Defence Forces. President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Civil Martial Law Administrator at that time, had led the JAG Branch. After the hearing, all of these Armed Forces and Services commanders were forcefully retired in a stand-up military trial led by the Judge Advocate General Branch. Their 3-Star ranks and state conferred medals and awards were revoked as well as their ousted from the list of Honorable citizens of Pakistan.

After his released, he moved to Karachi where he was put out of public and media eye. He currently lives in Karachi.

External links

• Official website of Pakistan Navy