Agha Ibrahim Akram

Early life

Agha Ali Ibrahim Akram was born in Ludhiana on 22 September 1923, his father was an Indian Police Officer. Akram graduated from Government College, Lahore in 1942 and joined the British Indian Army. His brother, Agha Masud Akram, was a Major General in the Pakistan Army.

Personal life

He was married to Loge, who died a few years before him. They have three children, daughter Yasmin, and sons Hassan and Masood.

In his memoirs, Inamul Haque Khan recalled that Akram was a well-read person who used to discuss philosophy and Allama Iqbal's poetry.

Military career

British Indian Army and World War II

Akram was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 13th Frontier Force Rifles of the British Indian Army on 26 November 1942, receiving a promotion on 26 August 1943 as a War substantive Lieutenant.

During World War II, Akram saw action in Burma and was promoted to Acting Captain on 31 December 1944. He received a promotion on 1 January 1945 as Temporary Captain and was appointed as the Quartermaster of the 14th Battalion of the 55th Coke's Rifles (Frontier Force).

Pakistan Army

After the Partition of British India in August 1947, Akram opted to join the Pakistan Army and commanded a company of the Tochi Scouts of the Frontier Corps in the First Kashmir War. He was later transferred to the Piffers regiment.

In September 1949, Pakistan was among several countries which received an invitation to attend the Harbnen Medal presentation by the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene of the United Kingdom. The Government of Pakistan accepted the invitation and sent Major A. I. Akram as a representative. By 1951, he was the Assistant Army Liaison officer of Pakistan at the High Commission of Pakistan, London.

Colonel Akram taught military history as Chief Instructor at Staff College, Quetta from 17 September 1960 to 11 September 1965, during which he felt that there was a lack of detailed, clear and objective literature on Muslim military history. It was at this time when he decided to fill the void himself and began working on the biography of Khalid bin Walid, The Sword of Allah.

Colonel Akram was appointed as Colonel Staff HQ 15 Division on 20 September during the 1965 war.

Brigadier Akram was the Parade commander of the Pakistan Day Parade of 1967 and held the position of Administrator for Sub-Sector No. 1, overseeing the civil districts of Bannu and D.I. Khan, as well as the tribal territories governed by these districts in 1969.

His first book, The Sword of Allah is about the life and campaigns of Khalid ibn al-Walid which was published during his army service in 1970 after a five year effort, including visiting battle-fields in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia for research. It has two English editions and has been translated into Urdu, Arabic, German, French and Bahasa.

On 6 July 1971, President Yahya Khan appointed Lt General Akram as the Deputy Administrator of Martial Law - Zone F, North-West Frontier Province, and served in the role until 6 July 1972.

During a parade in Multan, on 2 May 1974, both the 7 FF and 10 FF received their regimental colors together. Major General A.I. Akram, the Colonel Commandant of the FF Regiment, made the presentation.

While Akram was Pakistan's Permanent Military Deputy to CENTO, he published his second book The Muslim Conquest of Persia in 1975 after a four year research effort including visiting battlefields in Iran and discussing with Iranian scholars.

The Muslim Conquest of Egypt and North Africa was his third book, published in 1977, which also took four years of preparations and visits to Egypt and Tunisia.

Hamoodur Rehman Commission

Main article: Hamoodur Rahman Commission

Major General Akram was not involved in the Bangladesh genocide as he was posted at the Western Front to defend Pakistan's borders against the Indian Army. However, he later appeared as Witness Number 139 in the Hamoodur Rahman Commission report.

Consideration for the role of Chief of Army Staff

In March 1976, several generals were in consideration for the role of Chief of Army Staff to succeed Tikka Khan. In order of seniority, these officers were Muhammad Shariff, Muhammed Akbar Khan, Aftab Ahmad Khan, Azmat Baksh Awan, Agha Ibrahim Akram, Majeed Malik, and Ghulam Jilani Khan. Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had a personal rapport with all these generals but superseded them for the most junior officer, Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq, who later hanged Bhutto after overthrowing his government in the 1977 Pakistani military coup.

Akram retired from the Pakistan Army on 8 April 1978.

Military research papers

Diplomatic career

On 9 April 1978, Akram assumed charge as Officer on Special Duty Grade 20 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was appointed as the Ambassador of Pakistan to Madrid on 12 May 1978 by President Zia-ul-Haq.

Here, Akram learned Spanish and wrote his book The Muslim Conquest of Spain, his final book published during his lifetime, in 1980. To research for writing all these books he learned Arabic, Persian and Spanish and collected an impressive library of historical works. His tenure ended on 30 September 1980.

Later life

On 24 March 1981, Akram was elected as Chairman Rawalpindi Club. He founded the Institute of Regional Studies in November 1981 or March 1982 and remained its president till his death.

On 27 February 1984, Akram disclosed that President Zia-ul-Haq had offered India to send its military team to Pakistan to evaluate the latter's defence requirements and suggest how much of armed strength Pakistan should possess.

Death

He died on 4 March 1989 in Islamabad, Pakistan at the age of 65.

Posthumous book releases

His final books, The Falcon of The Quraish: Abdur Rahman The Immigrant of Spain and The Rise of Cordoba, were published after his death.

Books

Awards and decorations

Foreign Decorations

Notes

References

References

1. (1978). "The Gazette of Pakistan".
2. [[Attiqur Rahman]]. (1980). "The Wardens of the Marches A History of the Piffers, 1947-1971".
3. (1984). "Sûrya India".
4. (2018). "The Secret World A History of Intelligence". Yale University Press.
5. (1975). "Air University Library Index to Military Periodicals".
6. (1987). "Afghanistan Today".
7. (1984). "Near East/South Asia Report".
8. (1992). "Geopolitics, Political Geography, and Pakistan".
9. "Indo-Pak Conflicts Over Kashmir".
10. (1998). "The Pakistan Army: With a New Foreword and Epilogue".
11. (2008). "UFO's in the Quran".
12. (1998). "Journal of Peace Studies".
13. (October 1987). "Times of India Illustrated Weekly".
14. (1988). "India Today".
15. "Colonel Commandants - Frontier Force Regiment". Pak Army Museum.
16. (1973). "Main Currents of Contemporary Thought in Pakistan: 1970-1972".
17. (1990). "Dialogue with a Galaxy of Scientists, Culturists, Historians, Educationists...".
18. (2002). "Defence Journal".
19. (1978). "The Gazette of Pakistan".
20. (January 2025). "The Rise of Cordoba".
21. (1980). "The Muslim Conquest of Spain".
22. (1977). "The Muslim Conquest of Egypt and North Africa". Ferozsons.
23. (2 September 1987). "War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Carter's New World; Interview with A. I. Akram".
24. (1982). "ACDIS Bulletin".
25. Brig (Retd) Mian Muhammad Mahmud. (2021). "My Reflections In Passion".
26. (January 2025). "The Sword of Allah Khalid Bin Al-Waleed, His Life and Campaigns".
27. Haq, Inamul. (1999). "Memoirs of Insignificance".
28. (January 2025). "Indian Army List For October I Part 1".
29. (1953). "The Frontier Force Rifles".
30. (January 2025). "The Sword of Allah Khalid Bin Al-Waleed, His Life and Campaigns".
31. (1990). "Defence Journal".
32. (1990). "Defence Journal".
33. (1949). "The Asiatic Review".
34. (January 2025). "The Journal of the Royal Institute of Public Health and Hygiene".
35. (1951). "The Commonwealth Relations Office List".
36. (1987). "Mehdi Papers".
37. (January 2025). "Gallery Chief Instructors".
38. (1966). "South Asia A Strategic Survey · Volume 550, Issue 3".
39. (January 2025). "Chief Instructors Staff College Quetta".
40. Qayyum, Abdul. (June 2000). "The Army's Mosaic of Ideas-III".
41. (2002). ""A Matter of Honour"".
42. (2014). "Fighting to the End The Pakistan Army's Way of War". Oxford University Press.
43. (1969). "The Martial Law Regulations and Orders, 1969 and 1958".
44. Agha Ibrahim Akram. (2006). "The Sword of Allah: Khalid bin al-Waleed, His Life and Campaigns". Mr. Books.
45. (1971). "Pakistan News Digest".
46. (1972). "The All Pakistan Legal Decisions".
47. (1980). "The Wardens of the Marches: History of the Piffers, 1947-1971".
48. Akram, A. I.. (1975). "The Muslim Conquest of Persia".
49. (2000). "The Report of the Hamoodur Rehman Commission of Inquiry Into the 1971 War, as Declassified by the Government of Pakistan". Vanguard.
50. (1995). "Working with Zia: Pakistan's Power Politics, 1977-1988". Oxford University Press.
51. (2002). "An Army Its Role & Rule".
52. (2001). "Khaki Shadows: Pakistan 1947-1997". Oxford University Press.
53. (1978). "The Gazette of Pakistan".
54. [[KM Arif]]. (1995). "Working with Zia: Pakistan Power Politics, 1977–1988". Oxford University Press.
55. (1978). "The Gazette of Pakistan".
56. Akram, A. I.. (1980). "The Muslim Conquest of Spain". Army Education Press [[General Headquarters (Pakistan Army).
57. (1978). "The Gazette of Pakistan".
58. (1991). "Al-Mashriqi, the Disowned Genius: The Story of a World Revolutionary who was Bogged Down in His Own Country, at Once Inspiring and Painful".
59. (1980). "The Gazette of Pakistan".
60. (1980). "The Gazette of Pakistan".
61. (1986). "The Senate of Pakistan Debates: official report".
62. (2004). "Across the Wagah: An Indian's Sojourn in Pakistan". Bibliophile South Asia.
63. (1985). "Pakistan Year Book".
64. (1989). "OBITUARY". Pakistan Affairs.
65. (1991). "The Falcon of The Quraish: Abdur Rahman The Immigrant of Spain".