high-ranking general in the
Pakistan Army, and the former martial law administrator (MLA) of
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. He was the "Corps-Commander" of the
XI Corps 11 Corps, 11th Corps, Eleventh Corps, or XI Corps may refer to:
* 11th Army Corps (France)
* XI Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* XI Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army
* ...
, and commanded all the Pakistan Army assets assigned in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province. He commanded the combatant brigades, and supervised the
clandestine covert network during the
Soviet–Afghan War
The Soviet–Afghan War was a protracted armed conflict fought in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989. It saw extensive fighting between the Soviet Union and the Afghan mujahideen (alongside smaller groups of anti-Sovie ...
. He was one of the leading generals who led the Pakistan Combatant Forces during the Soviet–Afghan War. As military administrator, he had set up a network of training of the
Afghan mujahideen. Under his command, the elements of Pakistan's administrative XI Corps participated in numerous operations against the Soviet Union.
He served as a chief military administrator (governor) throughout the military dictatorial rule of General
Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq
General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq HI, GCSJ, ร.ม.ภ, (Urdu: ; 12 August 1924 – 17 August 1988) was a Pakistani four-star general and politician who became the sixth President of Pakistan following a coup and declaration of martial law in ...
from 1978 to 1985 and also served as the caretaker chief minister of the province in the latter half of 1988.
Army career
As an army officer, Fazle Haq was commissioned in the Guides Cavalry (Frontier Force) regiment of the Armoured Corps. He was instructor at
Pakistan Military Academy
Pakistan Military Academy ( ur, ), also referred to by its acronym PMA. PMA is an officers training school located near Kakul village in the city and district of Abbottabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa established in 1947. It is the sole service academy ...
in 1953–54 at the rank of
captain. During the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, then Major Fazle Haq was part of the Guides Cavalry in the
6th Armoured Division, when the regiment launched a two-squadron attack at Phillaurah on 11 September. The attack was targeted against the Indian 1st Armoured Division, and as a result both sides faced heavy casualties. This was presumed a Pakistani victory, as the fighting did not resume until 13 September, as the enemy was more cautious. However, it was a Pyrrhic victory.
[A.H. Amin]
"Interview with Brig (retd) Shamim Yasin Manto"
''Defence Journal'', February 2002
As a lieutenant-colonel, Fazle Haq commanded his own regiment, the Guides Cavalry, during 1968 and 1969. Then by 1975, as a major general, he took over the 6th Armoured Division stationed at Kharian.
Now promoted to lieutenant general, Haq was the commander of
XI Corps 11 Corps, 11th Corps, Eleventh Corps, or XI Corps may refer to:
* 11th Army Corps (France)
* XI Corps (Grande Armée), a unit of the Imperial French Army during the Napoleonic Wars
* XI Corps (German Empire), a unit of the Imperial German Army
* ...
at Peshawar from January 1978 to March 1980. By this time, General
Zia-ul-Haq
General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq HI, GCSJ, ร.ม.ภ, ( Urdu: ; 12 August 1924 – 17 August 1988) was a Pakistani four-star general and politician who became the sixth President of Pakistan following a coup and declaration of martial ...
had imposed a martial law in the country, and Fazle Haq was concurrently appointed the
Governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. After retirement from the army in 1980, he stayed on as the governor, finally relinquishing the charge in December 1985 when the martial law was lifted in the country. During his time as governor and corps commander, he was considered one of President Zia-ul Haq's closest confidantes and a key architect of the Afghan
mujahidin groups. He was actively involved with Afghan
mujahidin groups, including the Haqqani group and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar until the end of the Soviet-Afghan war and often met with high-ranking CIA and government officials, including Attorney General of the United States William F. Smith and other political key figures for funding and support for the Afghan terrorism. He remains well respected and well known among the people of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa for services rendered during his tenure as governor.
Family and personal life
Fazle Haq was born on 10 September 1928, in
Mardan
Mardān (Pashto and ; Urdu ; Pashto: ) is a city in the Mardan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Located in the Valley of Peshawar, Mardan is the second-largest city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (after Peshawar). It is a fast-growing ...
(
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 ...
,
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
), now
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...
, Pakistan, to an ethnic
Pashtun
Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically re ...
family. Fazle Haq had two sisters and three brothers. His father, Pir Fazle Khaliq, served as a civil servant. His eldest brother was Major General Fazl-i- Raziq who was chairman of WAPDA and Pakistan ambassador to several countries. His other brothers were Pir Fazle Hussain and Pir Fazle Rehman.
Fazle Haq studied in Mardan up to Grade 3 and pursued his education up to class 8 in Kohat from 1935 to 1939. He then joined Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College, Dehradun, for further education.
Political career
He was governor of the province from October 1978 to December 1985. He remained senator from March 1988 to December 1988, member of the National Assembly from November 1988 to August 1990. He also served as caretaker chief minister of the province from 31 May 1988 to 2 December 1988. He was also the provincial president of Pakistan Muslim League.
He contested and lost the 1988 general elections from his home town of
Mardan
Mardān (Pashto and ; Urdu ; Pashto: ) is a city in the Mardan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Located in the Valley of Peshawar, Mardan is the second-largest city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (after Peshawar). It is a fast-growing ...
; however, he won from
Kohistan. In the next elections, he won from Malakand with an overwhelming majority and remained a member of the NWFP provincial assembly until his assassination in 1991. He also remained as caretaker chief minister of NWFP. On 3 October 1991, he was assassinated on his way home from the provincial assembly session by an unknown assailant. He was buried in Peshawar at the Cantonment Board graveyard on Warsak road.
[PESHAWAR: Court indicts outlaw in ex-governor murder case (15 November 2001) ''Dawn'' newspaper.]
Awards and decorations
References
External links
NWFP Provincial government
{{DEFAULTSORT:Haq, Fazle
Pakistani generals
Pakistan Armoured Corps officers
Governors of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Chief Ministers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
1928 births
Military government of Pakistan (1977–1988)
1991 deaths