Sahabzada Yaqub Khan

Sahabzada Yaqub Khan was a Pakistani jurist and diplomat who served as the Foreign Minister of Pakistan from 1982 to 1991 and as the President of the International Court of Justice from 1970 to 1973 and the UN General Assembly from 1962 to 1963. He was born in Rampur State in 1920 to a noble family of landowners. He graduated from the Rashtriya Indian Military College and the Indian Military Academy. He was commissioned to the British Indian Army in 1940 and fought in the Second World War in the Mediterranean and North African theatres. He was awarded the Sitara-e-Pakistan for his gallantry. After the partition of India in 1947, he opted for Pakistan and joined the Pakistan Army. He rose to the rank of lieutenant general and served as the commander-in-chief of the Eastern Command in East Pakistan in 1969 and 1971. He resigned from his post after refusing to carry out the military operation against the Bengali nationalists. He then joined the Foreign Service and was appointed as the Pakistan Ambassador to the United States from 1973 to 1979. He played a key role in strengthening the relations between Pakistan and the United States, especially during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. He also represented Pakistan in various international forums, such as the Commonwealth, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Non-Aligned Movement. He was appointed as the Foreign Minister of Pakistan by President Zia-ul-Haq in 1982 and served under three different prime ministers until 1991. He was involved in the negotiations for the Geneva Accords on Afghanistan, the Iran-Iraq War, the Kashmir dispute, and the nuclear proliferation issue. He was also the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara from 1992 to 1995. He was a prominent member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and a close associate of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the community. He wrote several books on Islam, such as Islam: Its Meaning for Modern Man, Muhammad: Seal of the Prophets, and Deliverance from the Cross. He also translated the Quran into English under the title The Quran: Arabic Text and English Translation. He died in 2016 in Islamabad at the age of 95. He is regarded as one of the most eminent and distinguished personalities of Pakistan and a champion of human rights and justice. [1]