Akhtar Abdur Rahman

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General Akhtar Abdur Rahman NI(M) HI(M) TI(M) SBt
5th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
In office 29 March 1987 – 17 August 1988
Preceded by	Rahimuddin Khan
Succeeded by	Iftikhar Ahmed Sirohey
7th Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence
In office 21 June 1979 – 29 March 1987
Preceded by	Muhammad Riaz Khan
Succeeded by	Hamid Gul
Adjutant general GHQ
In office 1977–1979
General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 12th Infantry Division
In office 1974–1977
Personal details
Born	11 June 1924 Peshawar, British India[1](now in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan)
Died	17 August 1988(1988-08-17) (aged 64) Bahawalpur, Pakistan
Cause of death	Plane crash
Spouse	Rashida Akhtar Khan (m. 1951 - 1988)
Children	Akbar Akhtar Khan, Humayun Akhtar Khan, Haroon Akhtar Khan, Ghazi Akhtar Khan
Alma mater	Government College University Faisalabad
Occupation	General, Army Officer, Soldier
Civilian awards	Sitara-e-Basalat
Military service
Allegiance	Pakistan
Branch/service	Pakistan Army
Years of service	1947–1988[2]
Rank	General
Unit	45 Field Regiment Artillery (Fateh Qasar -i- Hind 1971)
Commands	45 Field Regiment Artillery (Fateh Qasar -i- Hind 1971), Artillery Headquarters of 4 Corps, GOC 12th Army Division, Murree DG Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)
Battles/wars	Indo-Pakistan War of 1948 Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 Soviet–Afghan War
Military awards	Nishan-e-Imtiaz (Military) Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military) Sitara-e-Basalat Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Military)

Akhtar Abdur Rahman^[a] (11 June 1924 – 17 August 1988), was a Pakistan Army general who served as the 5th Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee from 1987 until his death in 1988. He previously served as the 7th Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence from 1979 to 1987. During both Indo Pak wars of 1965 and 1971, he oversaw action with his own unit 45 Field Regiment Artillery (Fateh Qasar-i- Hind 1971) in Sundra and Hussainiwala sectors respectively.

As the DG ISI, General Akhtar collaborated with the Central Intelligence Agency and masterminded the resistance network of the Afghan Mujahideen against the Soviet Union, eventually managing to force the Soviets out of Afghanistan. Due to his close friendship with President of Pakistan General Zia-ul-Haq, General Akhtar was widely considered to be the second most powerful man in the country during General Zia's eleven-year military dictatorship. He died in a plane crash which also killed General Zia and the US Ambassador to Pakistan, Arnold Lewis Raphel. After his death, his sons, Humayun Akhtar Khan and Haroon Akhtar Khan, became politicians and were eventually elected as the Members of Parliament and headed the key ministerial portfolios several times.^[2][3]

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