Syed Mohammad Ahsan: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Pakistani navy officer}}

{{Use Pakistani English|date=November 2022}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}}

| term_end            = 1 March 1971

[[Vice-Admiral]] '''Syed Mohammad Ahsan''' {{small|[[Civil decorations of Pakistan|HQA]], [[Sitara-e-Pakistan|SPk]], [[Distinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)|DSC]], [[Medalha de Mérito Militar|DMM]], [[Legion of Merit|LOM]]}} ({{lang-ur|سید محمد احسن}} b. 1920&nbsp;– d. 1990)<ref name="wikimapia.org">{{cite web |title=PNS Ahsan - Ormara |url=http://wikimapia.org/7539586/PNS-Ahsan#/photo/958170 |website=wikimapia.org |access-date=15 April 2020 |language=en}}</ref>{{rp|47}}<ref name="SEATO News-bulletin">{{cite book |title=SEATO News-bulletin |date=1960 |publisher=SEATO Office of Public Information |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MqcSAAAAIAAJ&q=also+wears |access-date=15 April 2020 |language=en}}</ref> often known as '''S. M. Ahsan''', was a senior admiral of the [[Pakistan Navy]] who was the [[Commander in Chief (Pakistan Navy)|Commander in Chief of the Pakistan Navy]], serving under President [[Ayub Khan (general)|Ayub Khan]] from 1966 until 1969.

On 1 September 1969, Vice-Admiral Ahsan assumed as the Governor of East Pakistan until his resignation, in protest, on 7 March 1971. He was then posted back to West Pakistan.<ref name="Agamee Prakshani "/>

Syed Mohammad Ahsan was an ethnic [[Mahajir (Pakistan)|Muhajir]] born in [[Hyderabad Deccan]], [[British Raj|Indian Empire]], to an [[Urdu speaking|Urdu-speaking]] [[Hyderabadi Muslim|Hyderabadi]] [[Syed]] family in December 1920.<ref name="archive.org" /> After being schooled in [[Hyderabad india|Hyderabad]], he attended the [[Nizam College]] of the [[Osmania University]] and gained [[Bachelor of Arts|B.A. degree]] and decided to join the [[Royal Indian Navy]] (RIN) in 1938 as a [[Sub lieutenant|Sub-Lieutenant]] when his [[first cousin]] [[Captain Muhammad Jalaluddin Sayeed|M.J. Syed]] joined the [[Indian Merchant Navy|Royal Indian Merchant Navy]].<ref name="archive.org" /><ref name="BD Government"/><ref name="Dawn25Sep2005">{{cite news  | last = Cowasjee  | first = Ardeshir  | author-link =Ardeshir Cowasjee  | title =Sayeed of Singapore  | newspaper = DAWN  | date =25 September 2005  | url =http://archives.dawn.com/dawnftp/72.249.57.55/dawnftp/weekly/cowas/20050925.htm  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110305110515/http://archives.dawn.com/dawnftp/72.249.57.55/dawnftp/weekly/cowas/20050925.htm  | archive-date = 5 March 2011  | access-date =27 June 2022}}</ref>

At the time of his joining the [[Pakistan Navy]], the [[Indian Navy]] sent the military seniority list to Pakistan's [[Ministry of Defence (Pakistan)|Ministry of Defence]] (MoD) where Lt. Ahsan was the 4th ranking officer in the Executive Branch in terms of seniority with [[Service number|Service No.]] PN-007.<ref name="Dr. KGN Kazi's 1950s archives">{{cite web|last1=Kazi|first1=Dr. KGN|title=The first few executive officers transferred to the Pakistan Navy on Partition|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/pimu/5346639918/|website=Flickr|date=11 January 2011 |publisher=Dr. KGN Kazi's 1950s archives|access-date=10 November 2022}}</ref> He was assigned as military adviser and [[Aide-de-camp|ADC]] to [[Founder of Pakistan|founding father]] and the first [[Governor General of Pakistan|Governor-General]] M.A. Jinnah.<ref>{{cite web

   | access-date =27 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web

   | access-date =27 June 2022}}</ref> In 1947, Lt. Ahsan was the first person at the [[Jinnah Terminal]] to receive Lord Mountabattens when they first arrived to Karachi to meet Jinnah.<ref name="Kazi's 1947 archives">{{cite web|last1=Kazi|first1=Dr. KGN|title=Flickr:Receive Lord Mountabattens in Karachi |url=https://m.flickr.com/#/photos/pimu/2769399825/in/set-72157622942059955/|website=m.flickr.com|date=20 September 2014 |publisher=Kazi's 1947 archives|access-date=10 November 2022}}</ref> He did not participated in the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1947|first war]] with India on [[Kashmir problem|Kashmir crises]] in 1947.<ref name="PIC Book" />

On 30 September 1949, he witnessed the commissioning of the [[PNS Tippu Sultan (D49)|PNS ''Tippu Sultan'']] from the [[Royal Navy]] and was subsequently promoted as [[Lieutenant-Commander]].<ref name="Pakdef Usman">{{cite web|last1=Tariq|first1=Usman|title=The First Destroyer|url=http://pakdef.org/the-first-destroyer/|website=pakdef.org/|publisher=Pakdef Usman|access-date=10 November 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060749/http://pakdef.org/the-first-destroyer/|archive-date=4 March 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref> He was made First [[Executive officer (military)|Executive officer]] of [[PNS Tippu Sultan (D49)|''Tippu Sultan'']] and later [[Commanding officer|commanding]] the [[PNS Tariq (D129)|PNS ''Tariq'']] as [[Commander (naval)|Commander]] in 1950.<ref name="Pakdef Usman"/> He participated in Task Force 92 alongside Commander [[Afzal Rahman Khan|A.R. Khan]] who commanded the ''Tippu Sultan'' and made a first goodwill visit to [[Malta]], Middle East and Eastern Europe.<ref name="Pakdef Usman"/> In 1951, he commanded the {{ship|PNS|Tughril|1951|6}} which became a part of the 25th Destroyer.<ref name="Pakdef Usman"/> In 1955–56, he was posted in the [[Ministry of Defence (Pakistan)|MoD]]'s diplomatic assignment as the [[Naval attaché]] at the [[Embassy of Pakistan, Washington, D.C.|Pakistan Embassy]] situated in the Washington D.C.– the [[state capital]] of the United States.<ref name="archive.org" /> During this time, he went to attend the [[Naval War College]] in [[Newport, Rhode Island|Newport]] in [[Rhode Island]], graduated with a [[Staff (military)|staff course]] degree from the [[Naval War College#College of Naval Command and Staff|College of Naval Command and Staff]] of the [[Naval War College]].<ref name="wikimapia.org" />

His first assignment included his role as Deputy Director of [[Naval Intelligence of Pakistan|Naval Intelligence]] at the [[NHQ (PN)|Navy NHQ]] while establishing his intelligence department.<ref name="Submarine Operations: The ISI">{{cite web|last1=Submarine Operations: The ISI|title=Submarine Operations: The ISI|url=http://pakdef.org/submarine-operations/|website=pakdef.org|access-date=10 November 2016|archive-date=18 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818045212/http://pakdef.org/submarine-operations/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 1965, he was stationed back to Pakistan and assumed the command of Naval Intelligence as its [[Director-General]], and participated in [[Indo-Pakistani war of 1965|second war with India]] in 1965.<ref name="Indian Defence"/> Rear-Admiral Ahsan and his staff at the [[Naval Headquarters (Pakistan Navy)|Navy NHQ]] helped planned out the [[Operation Somnath|naval offense]] in [[Dwarka]] and partially leading the fleet as its Commander.<ref name="Indian Defence">{{cite web|title=1965 WAR: AYUB KHAN: Of False Pride and Mis-Belief|url=http://www.indiandefensenews.in/2015/08/1965-war-ayub-khan-of-false-pride-and.html|publisher=Indian Defence|access-date=10 November 2022}}</ref> The operation met with mixed results but it stopped the [[Indian Air Force]] raiding Karachi and Pakistan's coastal areas as Admiral Ahsan collated the intelligence reports on the Indian Navy's strategic western naval positions, and orchestrated naval operations against the Indian Navy.<ref name="Ananna ">{{cite book

   | access-date =27 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web

   | access-date =27 June 2022}}</ref>

   | access-date =27 June 2022}}</ref>

In Karachi, he went on to commission the [[Pakistan Naval Academy|Naval Academy]] to provide teaching of the naval staff and cadets instead of sending cadets to United Kingdom for training and education.<ref>{{cite web  | title =Training Establishments : PNS Rahbar  | website =Pakistan Navy  | url =http://www.paknavy.gov.pk/rahbar.html  | access-date =27 June 2022}}</ref> From 1966 to 1968, he served on the served on the [[Board of Governors]] of [[Cadet College Petaro]].<ref>{{cite web  | title =Board of Governors  | publisher =Petaro Cadet College  | url =http://www.petaro.org/  | access-date =28 June 2022}}</ref>

In August 1969, he joined the Yahya administration as [[Cabinet of Pakistan|cabinet minister]] of [[Ministry of Finance (Pakistan)|finance]], [[Ministry of Statistics (Pakistan)|statistics]], [[Ministry of Commerce (Pakistan)|commerce]], [[Ministry of Industry (Pakistan)|industry]], and [[Planning Commission (Pakistan)|planning commission]].<ref name="Dr. GN. Kazi">{{cite web|last=Dr. GN. Kazi|title=Pakistan's Smallest Cabinet|date=21 May 2008 |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/pimu/2510812824/?rb=1smal|publisher=Dr. GN. Kazi|access-date=17 April 2022}}</ref> However, this was short-lived and Admiral Ahsan was appointed as Governor of East Pakistan on 1 September 1969.<ref name="Penguin Books India, Sengupta">{{cite book|last1=Sengupta|first1=Nitish K.|title=Land of Two Rivers: A History of Bengal from the Mahabharata to Mujib|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=9780143416784|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kVSh_TyJ0YoC&q=admiral+ahsan+governor&pg=PA539|access-date=13 November 2016|language=en|year=2022}}</ref>{{rp|539}}<ref name="Inter Services Public Relations, former Director-General of ISPR Brigadier-General Siddique Salik, ">{{cite book

   | access-date =29 June 2022}}</ref> Under his rule, the law and order had been improved and it was projected that Awami League led by [[Sheikh Mujibur Rahman]] would claim the [[supermajority]] in the [[Bangladesh parliament|provincial assembly]] that would allow them to form the national government in [[Islamabad]].<ref name="dawn17Sep2000" /> The Awami League secured ~39.2% of the seats in the [[Parliament of Pakistan|Parliament]] as opposed to the [[Pakistan Peoples Party]] (PPP) led by [[Zulfikar Ali Bhutto]] who ended up with 18.6% of the seats&nbsp;– all from West Pakistan.<ref name="dawn17Sep2000" /> Zulfikar Bhutto refused to negotiate the [[Six point movement|six points]] when President Yahya met with Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and put more stress on the situation after telling his party workers not to visit Dhaka.<ref name="Yale University Press, Tripathi">{{cite book |last1=Tripathi |first1=Salil |year=2016 |title=The Colonel Who Would Not Repent: The Bangladesh War and Its Unquiet Legacy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bcffCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA64 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=978-0-300-21818-3}}</ref>{{rp|64–65}} About the postpone of the power ceremony, [[Kamal Hossain]] reportedly notified Admiral Ahsan of "danger" of delaying the power transition.<ref name="Yale University Press, Tripathi" />{{rp|65}}

He was appointed chairman of Port Qasim Authority in 1972 and later chairman of [[Pakistan National Shipping Corporation|National Shipping Corporation]] from 1975 to 1976.<ref name="Port Qasim Authority">{{cite web|last1=Port Qasim Authority|title=Port Qasim Authority|url=http://pqa.gov.pk/chairman_history.php|website=pqa.gov.pk|publisher=Port Qasim Authority|access-date=14 November 2022}}</ref> After leaving the public service in 1976, he spent his remaining years in quietness and put himself out of public eye during his last years. During his last years, Admiral Ahsan learned French and played bridge.<ref name="Sultan Reza">{{cite web|last1=Reza|first1=Sultan|title=I Remember, I Remember; How Can I Forget?|url=http://www.despardes.com/articles/deco5/121805-i-remember.asp|archive-url=https://archive.today/20061030122637/http://www.despardes.com/articles/deco5/121805-i-remember.asp|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 October 2006|website=archive.is|access-date=14 November 2016|date=30 October 2022}}</ref><ref name="Tridev Roy">{{cite web|last1=Roy|first1=Tridev|title=Had Yahya heeded sane advice|url=http://www.newagebd.com/2005/apr/01/oped.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20050404114647/http://www.newagebd.com/2005/apr/01/oped.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 April 2005|website=archive.is|publisher=Tridev Roy|access-date=14 November 2016|date=4 April 2022}}</ref>

In 1990, the Pakistan Navy established a [[naval base]] in [[Balochistan, Pakistan|Balochistan]] and commissioned in 1991 as [[PNS Ahsan]] to honor his services.<ref>{{cite web |title=Their Name Liveth for Ever More |url=http://pakdef.org/their-name-liveth-for-ever-more/ |website=PakDef |access-date=14 November 2016 |archive-date=11 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911081756/http://pakdef.org/their-name-liveth-for-ever-more/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The main channel of the [[Port Qasim]] bears his name, as it known as Ahsan Channel, which was inaugurated by Prime minister [[Benazir Bhutto]] who acknowledged Admiral Ahsan's as the founder of Port Qasim at a speech on the occasion of the opening of a new terminal at Port Qasim on 4 August 1989.<ref name="Govt of Pakistan">{{cite web|last1=GoP|title=Port Qasim Authority LNG Carriers|url=http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:sGTJ7d11GlcJ:pqa.gov.pk/downloads/publications/soplngvessels.pdf+&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us|website=webcache.googleusercontent.com|publisher=Govt of Pakistan|access-date=14 November 2022}}</ref>