Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed

Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed (Urdu: تنویر محمود احمد; born 1952) is a retired four-star general and a career Air Officer in the Pakistan Air Force who commanded, as the chief of air staff of the Pakistan Air Force, from 2006 to 2009. He was replaced by Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman as Chief Staff on 18 March 2009.

Initial training and education
Tanvir Ahmed got his initial education in Lahore, and did his high school from PAF Public School Sargodha where he belonged to 15th entry (767 – Fury House). Thereafter, he joined PAF Academy, Risalpur in 1969 and was commissioned in Pakistan Air Force as a fighter pilot in 15 April 1972 in the 53rd GD(P) Course.

The air marshal is a graduate of Turkish Air War College and National Defence College, Islamabad from where he did his masters in Strategic Studies.

Air Force career
Air Marshal Tanvir is a Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) and a graduate of Combat Commanders School (CCS). He has commanded the CCS Mirage Squadron, No. 38 Wing, PAF Base Sargodha and his alma mater the PAF Academy, Risalpur. He has flown the American F-86 Sabre and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft and other aircraft of Chinese and French origin in the PAF inventory.

The Air Marshal has also served in United Arab Emirates Air Force as a fighter instructor pilot.

Staff commands
In staff jobs, the air marshal has served as deputy director in Operations Branch, personal staff officer to two air chiefs, chief project director of F-16 Project and senior air staff officer at Northern Air Command, Peshawar.

At senior staff assignments, the air marshal has the unique distinction of having served as deputy chief of air staff administration and then operations. Before taking over the PAF, he was the vice chief of air staff. He took over as VCAS on 13 October 2003.

Tanvir M. Ahmed was promoted to air vice marshal in January 2000 and to air marshal on 7 August 2002.

Chief of Air Staff
He took over as the 18th Chief of Air Staff (CAS) on March 20, 2006, when the previous chief completed his three-year term. Among his achievements are the successful induction and upgradation of ex-Libyan Mirage III's to make the 27th squadron of the PAF.

The air marshal has also introduced a new rank scheme for the Air Force officers, soon after taking over, which exactly mimics the Turkish Air Force rank insignia.

Criticism of US Drone Attacks inside Pakistan
Air Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmad has expressed PAF capability to be able to stop US drone attacks inside Pakistan as a violation of Pakistan sovereignty. However, such military actions need approval from the government, before PAF goes on to take such action. Saying at one point: "The decision as to whether or not we want to start a war [with the US] will have to be made by the nation and the government."

National Girl Child Day Photograph
Air Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmad appeared in a full-page newspaper advertisement (see External Links below) taken out by the government of India's Ministry of Women and Child Development to mark the National Girl Child Day. Krishna Tirath, Minister of Women and Child Development, apologized on behalf of her ministry for publishing a photograph of a former Pakistan Air Force chief in a government advertisement and said an inquiry will ascertain who was responsible for it. Ahmed, upon learning of the publication, "..wasn't aware about this [and felt it was] an innocent mistake."