Muhammed Akbar Khan

Muhammed Akbar Khan (محمد اکبر خان), OBE served as a British Indian recruit in the First World War and an officer in Second World War. He was the first Muslim from South Asia to become a general in British Army. At the time of the independence of Pakistan, he was the most senior Muslim General. He also served as the first ADC of the Quaid-e-Azam, Muhammed Ali Jinnah.

Pakistan's first general
After Independence, Muhammed Akbar Khan was allotted the number one by the Pakistan Army and hence he is regarded as the senior-most officer of the Pakistan Army. Muhammed Akbar Khan wrote many books on military strategy and Art of War by pen name of Rangroot. Muhammed Akbar Khan also has the honour of being the first ADC to Muhammed Ali Jinnah.

As the senior-most General of the Pakistan Army, Muhammed Akbar Khan was destined to become the first Commander in Chief of the Pakistan Army. However, he declined the post.

In his book Pakistan's Drift into Extremism, Hassan Abbas writes: "In the entire history of Pakistan army, perhaps there has been only one incident in which a general repeated what George Washington had so willingly done for his nation some 215 years back. Toward the end of 1949, as General Gracey’s term of office neared its end, he tapped Major General Akbar Khan, the senior-most Pakistani officer, to take over. General Khan refused the office on the grounds that the job was beyond his competence - an admission never made by any Pakistani army officer again, though many were eminently qualified to make it."

His brother General Iftikhar Khan was tapped to become the C-in-C of the Pakistan Army, but he died in an aircrash, making way for Field Marshal Ayub Khan to become the C-in-C..

General Akbar Khan was the eldest of amongst his 14 siblings; His brothers were General Iftikhar Khan (PA-2), General Anwar Khan (PA-48), Brig Muhammad Zafar Khan, Brig Afzal, Brig Yousaf.