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 Ambassador Arshad Sami Khan | |
| Birth name | Arshad Sami Khan |
| Born | (1942-01-08)January 8, 1942 |
| Died | June 22, 2009(2009-06-22) (aged 67) |
| Allegiance |  Pakistan |
| Service |  Pakistan Air ForceMinistry of Foreign Affairs (Pakistan) Ministry of Culture (Pakistan) Commissioner General of Pakistan |
| Battles / wars | Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 |
| Awards | Sitara-e-Jurat Sitara-i-Imtiaz (posthumous; 2012) |
| Spouse(s) | Naureen Sami Khan |
| Children | Adnan Sami (son) Junaid Sami (son) |
| Other work | Diplomat, Government official, Author |
Arshad Sami Khan (Urduارشد سمیع خان; January 8, 1942 – June 22, 2009) was a Pakistan Air Force fighter pilot and later an ambassador and Commissioner General of Pakistan. He was also the father of singer and composer Adnan Sami.
Personal life
Arshad Sami Khan was born in January 1942. He was of Pashtun origin. Arshad was married to Naureen Sami Khan. Their son, Adnan, is a singer and composer based in Mumbai. His younger son's name is Junaid Sami Khan.
Career in the Pakistan Air Force
A national war veteran, Arshad Sami Khan was awarded the Sitara-i-Jurat, Pakistan's highest military medal of honour for bravery – for his actions in aerial combats during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. His name is honored in the following words at the Pakistan Air Force Museum in Karachi.
Flight Lieutenant Arshad Sami Khan flew the maximum combat missions during the war with India. His enthusiasm and aggressive spirit was of the highest order and was responsible to ignite the spirit of competition amongst other pilots in its most effective form. He led formations in the battle area with exemplary determination and brought back excellent results. He has been credited with one aircraft, 15 tanks and 22 vehicles destroyed and 8 tanks and 19 vehicles damaged and 2 heavy guns destroyed. He never looked tired or apprehensive in the face of heavy odds but kept on inflicting maximum damage to the enemy as his only objective. For his outstanding devotion to duty and bravery, Flight Lieutenant Arshad Sami Khan was awarded Sitara-i-Juraat.
Khan also had the distinction of serving three presidents of Pakistan as their Aide-de-camp (ADC); namely Presidents Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. He went onto write a book about his experience as an Aide-de-camp entitled "Three Presidents and an Aide" which was released in March 2008.
Ambassador
Arshad Sami Khan was appointed Pakistan’s first ambassador to Estonia in August 1993 along with serving as ambassador to three other Scandinavian countries simultaneously; Sweden, Denmark and Norway. He served as ambassador of Pakistan to ten other countries.
He was chief of protocol to Presidents Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Wasim Sajjad and Farooq A. Leghari and also served as chief of protocol to Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto, Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi and Nawaz Sharif. Khan went on to become the first Commissioner General of Pakistan (appointed by Benazir Bhutto) and then a federal secretary to the Government of Pakistan. On the occasion of Independence Day on the 14th of August 2012, the President of Pakistan posthumously conferred Khan the highest civilian award of Sitara-i-Imtiaz to honour his services to Pakistan.
Awards
- Sitara-e-Jurat
- Sitara-i-Imtiaz (posthumous; 2012)
- Best Fighter Pilot's Trophy
- Military Medal of Honour from King Hussain of Jordan
- Military Medal of Honour from the Shah of Iran
- Military Medal of Honour from Turkey
- Special Medal for Services to Humanity from the United Nations
References
- ^ Squadron Leader Arshad Sami Khan Retrieved 21 April 2011
- PM visits residence of Arshad Sami to condole his death Retrieved 21 April 2011
- Musician leaves for Pakistan
- Adnan Sami: Fastest fingers first
- PAF Museum
- Three Presidents & an Aide
- Estonia and Pakistan Bilateral Relations Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Retrieved 21 April 2011
- Arshad Sami Khan — an ambassador of love and humanity
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