Nazir Latif

Nazir Latif
Birth name Nazir Latif
Nickname Bill Latif
Born July 10, 1927(1927-07-10)
Rawalpindi, British Punjab, British Indian Empire
Died June 30, 2011(2011-06-30)
Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT)
Buried at Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT)
Allegiance  Pakistan
Service/branch  Pakistan Air Force
Years of service 1950-1972
Rank Air Commodore (Brigadier-General)
Unit No. 5 Squadron Falcons
Commands held No. 7 Squadron Bandits
No. 6 Squadron Globe Trotters
No. 16 Squadron Panthers
No. 17 Squadron Tigers
Masroor Air Force Base
Faisal Air Force Base
Director of Operations and Plans at the Air Headquarters (DOPAHQ)
Battles/wars Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
Aerial warfare in 1965 India Pakistan War
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
East Pakistan Air Operations, 1971
Awards Sitara-e-Jurat (1965)
Sitara-e-Jurat (1971)

Air Commodore Nazir Latif, (Born:July 10, 1927– June 30, 2011),(SJ and Bar) was a one-star general officer in the Pakistan Air Force and a former director-general of the Operations and Plans at the Air Headquarters, Islamabad. Latif was one of the distinguished Chrisitian pilots who participated and fought, for Pakistan side, in 1965 Indo-Pak War and the 1971 Winter War.

Early life

Nazir Latif was born into a highly educated Christian family in 1927. Bill Latif grew up in Rawalpindi, where his father was a well-known professor of psychology and had done his doctorate at Princeton University. His father later taught at FC College in Lahore as a full professor. Bill Latif had always wanted to be a fighter pilot and joined the Pakistan Air Force soon after the Partition. He was accepted in Pakistan Air Force Academy in 1947. He did 8th GD pilot’s course but because of his high standard in flying, was upgraded to the 7th GD (P) course and graduated in 1950. Nazir was sent to Great Britain where he attended and graduated from Royal Air Force College Cranwell in 1954.

In 1958, he was promoted to Wing Commander as Air Marshal Asghar Khan assumed as Chief of Chief of Air Staff of the Pakistan Air Force.

Air Force Career

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