Sahabzada Yaqub Khan

Lieutenant-General Yaqub Ali Khan (Urdu: ; born 23 December 1920) was a high-profile figure and high-ranking general who held the most senior and prestigious military and government assignments in the Pakistan Government, and was also the primary the international face of Pakistan for three decades, first served as the Foreign minister, military government of President General Zia-ul-Haq from 1982 to 1991 until the dying days of Cold War, and then also served as the caretaker Foreign minister from 1996 to 1997.

Educated and received commission in the army after attending the Rashtriya Indian Military College, Yaqub Khan served well in World War II on behalf of British Indian Army, his military career saw the actions in Operation Tobruk, and later opted for Pakistan, joining the staff of Pakistan Army. As Major-General, he commanded the combantant 1st Armoured Division during the 1965 September war against India and posted in East-Pakistan shortly after the war was ended. In 1967, he was elevated as the Chief of General Staff of the Eastern Military High Command under Vice-Admiral Syed Mohammad Ahsan and succeeded Admiral Ahsan as commander of eastern command in 1971. After failing to restore peace, Yaqub Khan was re-called to West-Pakistan where he commanded the combatant corps against India, and took voluntarily retirement from the army. In 1973, he entered in foreign service assuming the diplomatic post of Pakistan Ambassador to the United States. Soviet Union and France, which he held until 1979. Upon his return, he was re-called for his military service by then-Chief of Army Staff General Zia-ul-Haq in 1980, re-assuming the foreign military in 1982.

Yaqub Ali Khan became an international figure when he played a central role in the UN-sanctioned negotiations to end the Soviet involvement in Afghanistan Soviet Socialist Republic, and also took part to end the civil war in Nicaragua, as he was the point man of the United Nations. Since 1990, Khan associated with the United Nations, served at the special representative of U.N. for Western Sahara and was finally reappointed as Foreign Minister in 1996. As a result of 1997 parliamentary elections, Yaqub Ali Khan took subsequent retirement from the foreign service and settled in USA where he continues to spend his later life in peace.

Origin and youth
Yaqub Khan belongs to the Pashtun royal family of the erstwhile Indian princely state of Rampur. His father, Sahibzada Sir Abdus Samad Khan Bahadur, was a statesman and diplomat who at various points in his career served as chief minister of the state of Rampur, and as British India's representative to the League of Nations. Yaqub Ali Khan's connections can be traced to Nawab Mirza Ghalib who was appointed teacher of Nawab of Rampur in 1857, who travelled to Rampur twice, in 1860 and 1865.

Sahabzada Yaqub Khan studied at the famous Prince of Wales Royal Indian Military College, Dehradun. He was commissioned on 22 December 1940 and attached to 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry, part of 3rd Indian Motor Brigade. He served in North Africa during World War II with the British Indian Army, taking part in action at El Mechili with A squadron and the Siege of Tobruk. He was promoted lieutenant on 3 April 1942. Acting as the regimental Signal officer he was taken prisoner in on 27 May 1942 at Point 171, and spent the next three years in an Axis prisoner-of-war camp before being released at the end of the war. After independence, he opted for Pakistan, where he went on to enjoy a distinguished career in the Pakistani Army. Rising to the rank Lieutenant General, Yaqub Khan served as Chief of General Staff, Commander Eastern Command, and briefly after the resignation of Vice Admiral S.M. Ahsan, Governor of East Pakistan.

Diplomatic career
On retiring from the Army he embarked on a career as a diplomat, serving as Ambassador to France, the United States and Soviet Union from 1972 to 1982. While posted in USA, he also played a major role in the resolution of 1977 Hanafi Siege in Washington, D.C. Since 1982 he served as Foreign Minister under seven different governments. Then from 1992 until 1997 Yaqub Khan was the United Nations Secretary General's Special Representative for the Western Sahara.

Post career
Sahabzada Yaqub Khan is the founding chairman of the Aga Khan University Board of Trustees, which he chaired for almost two decades until his retirement in 2001. He was a commissioner in the now retired Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict.

Sahabzada Yaqub Khan is married to Begum Tuba Khaleeli, of the prominent Iranian Khaleeli family of Calcutta, and has two sons, Samad and Najib.He is settled in America (USA).