Afzal Rahman Khan

Vice-Admiral Afzal Rahman Khan (Urdu: افضل رحمان خان; born: 1921— 2005; usually shortened as A.R. Khan), (HPk, HJ, HQA), was a high profile military official who served as the Interior and Defence Minister under the military government of Field Marshal Ayub Khan. Khan was one of the leading active duty naval officers who held this government offices and left these offices when General Yahya Khan, Army Commander-in-Chief, instituted another martial law on 25 March 1969. Before being appointed as Defense and Interior Minister, Khan was the Naval Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Navy and was also the longest serving Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Navy whose tenure ran from 1959 to 1966. He was awarded Hilal-i-Jurat for his role in leading the navy in the Indo-Pakistani September War of 1965. Vice Admiral Afzal Rahman Khan is known as "Father of Pakistan's Submarine Service Branch", during which, he played an influential role in Pakistan Navy to induced PNS Ghazi and PNS Hangor submarines.

Naval career
Khan gained commissioned in Royal Navy as Midshipman in 1938, and had participated in World War II, along with the Royal Navy. After the Partition and Independence of Pakistan from Great Britain, he was inherited in newly created Pakistan Navy. On September 30 September 1949, Pakistan Navy's first destroyer, PNS Tariq was given commissioned in Pakistan Navy. Khan as serving as Lieutenant-Commander A.R. Khan was made commander of the ship, he was late made commander of PNS Tippu Sultan in 1950. As he was the Commander of the vessel formation, the vessel commenced a goodwill visit to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. After the visit, the vessel formation made another good carried out e goodwill cruise of the Eastern Mediterranean, visiting Venice, Athens, Istanbul, Izmir and Crete. Throughout his career, Khan continued to elevated the ranks and also played an influential role in the expansion of Pakistan Navy's operations in West Pakistan and East Pakistan. Khan also helped established the Naval Intelligence in the Pakistan Navy as well helped commissioned the naval bases in Karachi.

In 1959, Rear Admiral A.R. Khan was promoted to three-star Vice Admiral, and assumed the command of Pakistan Navy. A.R. Khan is considered as Father of Submarine Service Branch of Pakistan Navy. Khan played an integral part in the induction of PNS Ghazi and PNS Hangor in Pakistan Navy, and sent large number of officers to the Naval academies of United States and United Kingdom.

Vice Admiral A.R. Khan was one of the mainstream leader during the 1965 Indo-Paki War. He had commenced the Operation Dwarka, and led the Navy in numerous battles. An integral of Navy, Vice-Admiral Khan led numerous successful naval operations in 1965, which led him to gained Hilal-i-Jurat after the war.

Civil Service
Khan completed his term from Pakistan Navy in 1966 and handed over the command of Pakistan Navy to Vice Admiral Syed Mohammad Ahsan. After his naval service, President Ayub Khan appointed the still-active duty Vice Admiral A.R. Khan served in the military government as his government minister. Khan's new military and government assignment reign for three years as the country's Interior and Defence Minister from 1966 to 1969. Khan resigned from the ministries as a protest when General Yahya Khan, instituted another martial law on 25 March 1969.

Post Retirement
After resigning from the government, Khan moved to Karachi where he lived a very quiet life and was put out of public life. He did not comment on Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, and died peacefully in 1983 in Karachi.

Memorial and Honors
PNS Akram: Named after the late Vice Admiral Afzal Rahman Khan who was the Commander-in-Chief from 1959 to 1966. It is the first Pakistan Navy's establishment to be commissioned on the Makran Coast. Located at Gwadar, the establishment was commissioned on 31 Jul 1987. It serves as a forward operating base for the Navy and acts as a depot for all naval personnel stationed west of Ormara.