Former CJCSC Gen (r) Rahimuddin Khan passes away

RAWALPINDI: Former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General (retd) Rahimuddin Khan has passed away in Lahore, ARY News reported on Monday.

According to details, the funeral prayers of the former CJCSC – who passed away at the age of 96 – will be offered today (Tuesday) at the Cavalry Ground, Lahore.

Rahimuddin Khan – who also served as governor of Balochistan and Sindh – was appointed Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) by General Zia-ul-Haq on 22 March 1984, a position he served until 29 March 1987.

Known for declaring an amnesty in Balochistan and restoring peace to the restive province, Rahimuddin rose from Pakistan’s first cadet to its highest military office.

With the Pakistan Military Academy in its initial stages, Rahimuddin enrolled as its first cadet and was commissioned as an infantry officer in the Baloch Regiment. As captain, he took part in the military action against Jamaat and Ahrar rioters in Lahore in 1953, arresting Majlis-e-Ahrar leader Abdus Sattar Niazi.

As Governor Balochistan (1978–84), Rahimuddin moved to mend a province ravaged by insurgency and scorched-earth tactics. He announced an amnesty and ceased all military operations, famously visiting the Parari rebels, compensating affectees, and succeeding in a complete cessation of hostilities by 1980.