Mohammad Shariff facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Admiral Mohammad Shariff Hilal-e-Jurat NI(M)  HJ  HI(M)  LoM
محمد شريف
Admiral Shariff (right) meeting his US counterpart Admiral William J. Crowe.
2nd Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
In office 23 January 1977 – 13 April 1980
Preceded by	General Muhammad Shariff
Succeeded by	General Iqbal Khan
Chief of Naval Staff
In office 23 March 1975 – 21 March 1979
Preceded by	Vice-Admiral Hasan Hafeez Ahmed
Succeeded by	Admiral Karamat Rahman Niazi
Chairman of Federal Public Service Commission
In office 1980–1986
Personal details
Born	1 July 1920 Bhurchh in Kharian Tehsil, District Gujrat, Punjab, British India (now Pakistan)
Died	27 April 2020(2020-04-27) (aged 99)
Resting place	Islamabad, Pakistan
Citizenship	British Subject (1920-1947)  Pakistan (1947-2020)
Military service
Branch/service	Royal Indian Navy (1940–1947) Pakistan Navy (1947–80)
Years of service	1936-1980
Rank	Admiral
Unit	Executive Branch
Commands	Vice Chief of Naval Staff DCNS (Operations) DCNS (Personnel) Eastern Naval Command, East Pakistan
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of the Atlantic Battle of Mediterranean 1946 Royal Indian Navy mutiny Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Operation Dwarka Bangladesh Liberation War Operation Searchlight Operation Barisal Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Operation Fair Play Soviet–Afghan War
Awards	Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military)  Hilal-e-Jurat Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military) Legion of Merit
Service number	S/No. PN. 138

Admiral Mohammad Shariff (1 July 1920 – 27 April 2020) was a very important admiral in the Pakistan Navy. He became the second Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. This role meant he was the top military officer in Pakistan. He was involved in many big decisions for Pakistan, including the war with India in 1971. He also played a part in the martial law in 1977 and the decision to help against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.

Admiral Shariff started his career in the Royal Indian Navy and fought for Great Britain in World War II. After Pakistan became independent in 1947, he joined the Pakistan Navy. In 1969, he was put in charge of the Eastern Naval Command in East Pakistan during the civil war. After the 1971 war, he was taken as a prisoner of war.

After being released, he returned to the Navy. In 1975, he became the Chief of Naval Staff. He was the first four-star admiral in the Pakistan Navy. From 1978 to 1980, he was the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. He believed in a strong nuclear program to protect Pakistan. After retiring from the military in 1980, he served as chairman of the Federal Public Service Commission. He also advised President Zia-ul-Haq until 1988. He later wrote a book about his experiences called Admiral's Diary.

Early Life and Naval Career

Joining the Navy

Mohammad Shariff was born in Gujrat, Punjab, British India in 1920. He went to the Rashtriya Indian Military College. In 1936, he joined the Royal Indian Navy (RIN) as a sailor. He worked in the Communications Branch, which deals with signals and messages.

World War II Service

During World War II, he worked as a signal specialist for the Royal Indian Navy. He took part in battles in the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, and the Bay of Bengal. In 1945, he went to the Britannia Royal Naval College in England to study more about naval operations.

Pakistan Navy Service

Joining the Pakistan Navy

In 1947, India was divided, and Pakistan became a new country. Lieutenant Shariff chose to join the new Pakistan Navy. He was one of the senior officers from the Royal Indian Navy to join.

Early Roles and Training

In the 1950s, he worked in different roles within the Pakistan Navy. From 1953 to 1956, he was a senior officer at the Navy Headquarters (NHQ). In 1960, he was promoted to Commander. He then went to the Naval War College in the United States. He earned a master's degree in war studies in 1962.

After returning to Pakistan in 1962, he became the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Personnel). This meant he was in charge of naval staff and their training.

1965 War and Promotions

In 1965, Captain Shariff helped plan the naval attack against the Indian Navy. He helped prepare the naval personnel for the operation. In 1966, he was promoted to Commodore. He then became the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (Operations). In this role, he was responsible for naval operations. In 1968, he visited China to discuss defense with their military leaders.

Leading the Eastern Naval Command

Role in East Pakistan

In 1969, Mohammad Shariff was promoted to Rear-Admiral, a two-star rank. He was sent to East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) to lead the Eastern Naval Command. His naval command worked closely with the army's Eastern Command.

During this time, the military presence in East Pakistan grew. More naval exercises took place to gather information about Indian activities. The situation in East Pakistan was stable under military rule at first.

Challenges in East Pakistan

In 1970, elections were held. The Awami League won most of the votes in East Pakistan. When protests started, President Yahya Khan ordered a military operation called Operation Searchlight. This operation aimed to stop the Bengali rebels. Rear-Admiral Shariff's command launched Operation Barisal, which was successful at first.

As the conflict grew, he wanted to send more warships to challenge the Indian Navy. However, the Navy Headquarters did not allow this. They were worried about losing the ships. Despite challenges, the Pakistan Navy supported the army well. Admiral Shariff became known as a good commander. He helped protect the coast of East Pakistan from the Indian Navy.

War and Surrender

The Indian Air Force attacked, destroying Pakistan's air power in the East. Admiral Shariff helped evacuate Pakistan Air Force pilots and personnel to neighboring Burma. He convinced Lieutenant-General Niazi to allow this. Many helicopters and personnel were saved from falling into enemy hands.

The Indian Military entered East Pakistan. On 16 December 1971, Rear-Admiral Mohammad Shariff surrendered his pistol to Vice-Admiral Nilakanta Krishnan of the Indian Navy. His pistol is now displayed in a museum in India. He was present when General Niazi signed the Instrument of Surrender. He was the only admiral there, along with many other officers and soldiers.

Prisoner of War and Return

Time as a Prisoner

After the surrender, Rear-Admiral Shariff became a prisoner of war (POW). He was held in Camp No. 77A with other senior officers. Later, he was moved to Fort William in Calcutta. The U.S. Navy Chief, Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, and the Indian Naval Chief, Admiral S.M. Nanda, visited him. He was later moved to Jabalpur, where he met Rear-Admiral Gautum Singh, an old colleague from World War II. He asked for a copy of the Quran and read it during his imprisonment.

Return to Pakistan

In March 1973, the Indian government handed Rear-Admiral Shariff back to the Pakistan government at the Wagha border. He was allowed to continue his military service. He spoke to the War Enquiry Commission. He said that the defeat in East Pakistan was partly due to military officers becoming too involved in politics. In 1974, he was promoted to Vice-Admiral. He became the Vice-Chief of Naval Staff.

Chief of Naval Staff

On 23 March 1975, Vice-Admiral Shariff was appointed Chief of Naval Staff by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. This happened after the previous Chief, Vice-Admiral Hasan Hafeez Ahmed, passed away. Shariff was the most senior admiral at the time. In 1976, President Fazal Ilahi Chaudhry promoted him to a four-star Admiral. He was the first four-star admiral in the history of the Pakistan Navy.

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff

On 22 January 1977, Admiral Shariff became the acting Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. In 1977, he supported the martial law put in place by General Zia-ul-Haq. This happened after protests following the general elections. He was made a deputy leader in the Military Council.

His appointment as Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee was officially confirmed in 1978. He was the second person to hold this position and the first admiral. His experience in East Pakistan helped President Zia-ul-Haq stabilize the country.

Soviet–Afghan War

On 25 December 1979, the Soviet Union entered Afghanistan. President Zia called a meeting with top military leaders, including Admiral Shariff. Admiral Shariff had seen Soviet support for India in the 1971 war. He advised an aggressive policy to support the Afghan mujahideen. He also strongly supported Pakistan having nuclear weapons to prevent foreign interference.

Later Life and Retirement

In 1980, Admiral Shariff retired from the military. He was succeeded by General Iqbal Khan. He was given a special ceremony and a monument was built in his honor.

After retiring, he became the Chairman of the Federal Public Service Commission. He also continued to advise President Zia until 1988. He then fully retired from public service.

Admiral Shariff received several awards, including the Hilal-i-Jurat after the 1971 war and the Nishan-e-Imtiaz. He lived a quiet life in Islamabad. He was also the president of the Elaf Club of Pakistan, a group that discusses politics and military matters.

On 23 September 2010, Admiral Shariff published his autobiography, Admiral's Diary. The book launch was attended by many military officers and important people. Admiral Shariff passed away on 27 April 2020.

Awards and Decorations

Foreign Decorations

Foreign Awards
UK	1939-1945 Star
	Atlantic Star
	Africa Star
	Burma Star
	War Medal 1939-1945
	India Service Medal 1939–1945
	Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
USA	The Legion of Merit (Degree of Commander)

Images for kids

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  Military map of East Pakistan, with Indian Army encircling the India-East Pakistan border.