Chief of Air Staff (Pakistan)

The Chief of Air Staff (Urdu: ‫( )سربراہ پاک فضائيہ‬reporting name: CAS) is a
military appointment and a statutory office held by an Air Chief Marshal in
the Pakistan Air Force,

Appointed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan and final confirmation by

the President of Pakistan.The CAS is the highest-ranking office.

he Pakistan Air Force was created from the partition of the Royal
Indian Air Force after the partition of India in 1947, and were
commanded by the appointments approved by the British Air
Council.
The position was then-known as the Commander in Chief who
would directly report to the Governor-General who was also under
British monarchs.
At first, the office was held by the two-star rank air officer, an Air
Vice Marshal, and later upgraded to a three-star rank, Air
Marshal.
The British Air Council continued making the appointment at the
command level until 1957, when Pakistan had promoted a local
air officer Asghar Khan to the commanding position.
Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Pakistan Air Force (1947-55)
The Royal Indian Air Force was divided between India and Pakistan following
the partition of India, hence the Royal Pakistan Air Force was formed in 1947. It
was then headed by a Commander-in-Chief.

Took Left Time in

No. Portrait Commander-in-Chief
office office office

Air Vice Marshal

15 17 1 year,
Allan Perry-
1 August Februar 186 day
Keene CB, OBE
1947 y 1949 s
(1898–1987)

Air Vice Marshal

Richard 18
6 May 2 years,
2 Atcherley CB, CBE, AF Februar
1951 77 days
C y 1949
(1904–1970)

Air Vice Marshal

Leslie William 7 May 19 June 4 years,
3
Cannon CB, CBE 1951 1955 43 days
(1904–1986)

Air Vice Marshal

23 277 day
Arthur 20 June
4 March s
McDonald CB, AFC 1955
1956
(1903–1996)
Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Air Force (1956-72)

Pakistan became an Islamic republic in 23 March 1956, hence royal was

dropped from the name of the air force.

Left Time in
No. Portrait Commander-in-Chief Took office
office office

Air Vice Marshal

Arthur 23 March 22 July 1 year,
4
McDonald CB, AFC 1956 1957 121 days
(1903–1996)

Air Marshal
Asghar 23 July 22 July 8 years,
5
Khan HPk, HQA 1957 1965 0 days
(1921–2018)

Air Marshal
31
Nur 23 July 4 years,
6 August
Khan SPk, HJ, HQA 1965 40 days
1969
(1923–2011)

Air Marshal
1 2 years,
Abdur Rahim 2 March
7 September 183 days
Khan SPk, HJ, SBt 1972
1969
(1925–1990)
Chiefs of Air Staff of Pakistan Air Force
(1972-present)

Rank insignia of the whole PAF was changed when ACM Tanvir
Mahmood Ahmed was in the office.

Time
N Took Left
Portrait Chief of Air Staff in
o. office office
office

2 years
Air Marshal
3 March 15 April ,
1 Zafar Chaudhry SQA
1972 1974 43 day
(1926–2019)
s

4 years
Air Chief Marshal
16 April 22 July ,
2 Zulfiqar Ali Khan NI(M)
1974 1978 97 day
(1930–2005)
s

6 years
Air Chief Marshal
23 July 5 March ,
3 Anwar Shamim NI(M), SJ
1978 1985 226 da
(1931–2013)
ys
 Time
N Took Left
Portrait Chief of Air Staff in
o. office office
office

Air Chief Marshal 3 years

5 March 8 March
4 Jamal Khan NI(M), SJ, SBt ,
1985 1988
(born 1934) 3 days

Air Chief Marshal

3 years
Hakeemullah Khan 9 March 9 March
5 ,
Durrani NI(M), SJ, SBt 1988 1991
0 days
(born 1935)

Air Chief Marshal 3 years

8
Farooq Feroze 9 March ,
6 Novemb
Khan NI(M), SBt 1991 244 da
er 1994
(1939–2021) ys

2 years
Air Chief Marshal 8 7
,
7 Abbas Khattak NI(M), SBt Novemb Novemb
364 da
(born 1943) er 1994 er 1997
ys

Air Chief Marshal 3 years

7 20
Pervaiz Mehdi ,
8 Novemb Novemb
Qureshi NI(M), SBt 13 day
er 1997 er 2000
(born 1943) s
 Time
N Took Left
Portrait Chief of Air Staff in
o. office office
office

20 2 years
Air Chief Marshal 20
Februar ,
9 Mushaf Ali Mir NI(M), SBt Novemb
y 92 day
(1947–2003) er 2000
2003 † s

Air Chief Marshal 18 18 3 years

10 Kaleem Saadat NI(M) March March ,
(born 1951) 2003 2006 0 days

Air Chief Marshal

18 18 3 years
Tanvir Mahmood
11 March March ,
Ahmed NI(M), SBt
2006 2009 0 days
(born 1952)

Air Chief Marshal

Rao Qamar 19 19 3 years
12 Suleman NI(M), HI(M), SI(M), March March ,
TI(M), SBt 2009 2012 0 days
(born 1954)

Air Chief Marshal 19 19 3 years

13 Tahir Rafique Butt NI(M), TBt March March ,
(born 1955) 2012 2015 0 days
 Time
N Took Left
Portrait Chief of Air Staff in
o. office office
office

Air Chief Marshal

Sohail 19 19 3 years
14 Aman NI(M), HI(M), SI(M), TI( March March ,
M) 2015 2018 0 days
(born 1959)

Air Chief Marshal

Mujahid Anwar 19 19 3 years
15 Khan NI(M), HI(M), SI(M), TI(M March March ,
) 2018 2021 0 days
(born 1962)

Air Chief Marshal

19
Zaheer Ahmad Babar Incumb 324 da
16 March
Sidhu NI(M), HI(M), SI(M), TI( ent ys
2021
M)