| HMS Choudri | |
|---|---|
Admiral HMS Choudri, PN. |
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| Birth name | Haji Mohammad Siddiq Choudri |
| Nickname | HMS Choudri |
| Born | 1912 Batala, Gurdaspur district, British India (now India)[1] |
| Died | 2004 (92 years old) Karachi, Sindh |
| Buried at | Military Graveyard, Karachi |
| Allegiance | Pakistan |
| Service/branch | Pakistan Navy |
| Years of service | 1931-1959 |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
| Service number | PN No. 001 |
| Unit | Executive Navy Branch |
| Commands held | Commander in Chief (CNS) Vice Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS) Commander Pakistan Fleet (COMPAK) DG Naval Intelligence (DGNI) |
| Battles/wars | Second World War Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 |
| Awards | Hilal-e-Pakistan Order of the British Empire (Military) Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military) |
Vice Admiral Haji Mohammad Siddiq Choudri, HPk, MBE, (usually shortened to HMS Choudri, Born: 1912- 27 February 2004), was the second Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Navy serving from 1953 to 1959. He was also the first Muslim and native naval chief taking the reins from Rear Admiral James Wilfred Jefford. He died on 27 February 2004 and was laid to rest in Army Graveyard, Karachi with full military honors.[2]
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Choudhri was born into an Arain Family, Batala, British Punjab in 1912, where he did his education from there. In 1922, he joined the Panjab University, Chandigarh where he did his B.Sc. in Chemistry in 1926. HMS Choudhri joined the Royal Indian Navy in 1931 and got commission in the Executive cadet on September 1, 1933. After partition, he was transferred to the Royal Pakistan Navy as Captain on August 15, 1945.
He was the senior most Pakistani officer in the Executive branch of the Royal Pakistan Navy (RPN) at that time and was an obvious choice as the successor to Admiral Jefford. Admiral Choudhri took over the command of the Royal Pakistan Navy on January 31, 1953.[3] During his service as Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Choudhri made enthusiastic efforts to build up the Pakistan Navy which produced tangible results, including a sea going fleet, training establishments and complementary infrastructure ashore. With his dedication and conviction, he steered the Pakistan Navy into becoming an efficient fighting force. That is why he can rightly be called Father of Pakistan Navy.
Admiral Choudhri took early retirement on March 1, 1959 due to his differences with the then government on issues relating to development of Pakistan Navy. He handed over the command to Vice-Admiral A.R. Khan.
After retirement, Admiral Choudhri spearheaded the Pakistan Institute of Maritime Affairs and made all-out efforts to enhance maritime development of Pakistan. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Senior Citizens Association (PSCA) expressed profound grief over the sad demise of Vice-Admiral HMS Choudhri, who was also the chief patron of the PSCA.
Admiral HMS Choudhri was a recipient of Hilal-e-Pakistan and was a member of the Order of the British Empire for meritorious services in the field of Command and Administration of maritime assets and a distinguished service in the Pakistan Navy spanning over three decades.
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In a statement issued on Saturday, Commodore (retd) SM Zaki, President PSCA, expressed grief over the sudden demise of Admiral Choudhri, who played a pivotal role in building the Pakistan Navy. Admiral Choudhri was a great Pakistani and devoted his time for humanitarian causes, including the betterment of the life of senior citizens in Pakistan, he said.
He believed in social causes and actively supported the Quaid-i-Azam in his noble tasks in establishing Pakistan, SM Zaki said, adding that he will be sorely missed.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by James Wilfred Jefford |
Commander-in-Chief, Pakistan Navy 1953 – 1959 |
Succeeded by Afzal Rahman Khan |