Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan (4 February 1917 – 10 August 1980) was a prominent Pakistani military officer who served as the third President of Pakistan from 1969 to 1971. He also held the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army from 1966 to 1971. Khan’s tenure is marked by significant historical events, including the 1971 Bangladesh genocide and the subsequent secession of East Pakistan, leading to the formation of Bangladesh.
Early Life and Education:
- Born on February 4, 1917, in Chakwal, Punjab, British India, to a Qizilbash family with Pashtun origins.
- He attended the prestigious Colonel Brown Cambridge School in Dehradun and later graduated from the University of the Punjab in Lahore with a B.A. degree.
Military Career:
- Commissioned into the British Indian Army in 1939, Khan served in World War II in the Mediterranean theater.
- After the partition of India in 1947, he joined the Pakistan Army and rose through the ranks, eventually becoming a major and later a brigadier.
- Khan played significant roles in various military operations and administrative tasks, including serving as the commander of the 105 Independent Brigade in Jammu and Kashmir.
Presidency (1969–1971):
- Yahya Khan assumed the presidency on March 25, 1969, following the resignation of President Ayub Khan and the imposition of martial law.
- He inherited a nation grappling with inter-provincial ethnic tensions and a longstanding constitutional crisis.
- Khan dissolved the One Unit and promised free and fair elections, aiming to address the grievances of East Pakistan.
- However, his actions, including the abolition of parity and the delay in addressing East Pakistan’s demands, further fueled separatist sentiments.
Role in the Bangladesh Liberation War:
- Khan’s presidency witnessed the brutal Operation Searchlight in March 1971, aimed at suppressing Bengali nationalism, which led to the Bangladesh Liberation War.
- He has been criticized for his central role in the Bangladesh genocide, during which hundreds of thousands of Bengalis were killed, and numerous women were subjected to violence.
Aftermath and Legacy:
- Following Pakistan’s defeat in the 1971 war and the secession of East Pakistan, Khan resigned from the military command and transferred the presidency to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
- His regime is widely regarded as a significant factor in the breakup of Pakistan, and he is viewed negatively in both Bangladesh and Pakistan.
- Khan passed away on August 10, 1980, in Rawalpindi and was buried in Peshawar.
Agha Muhammad Yahya Khan’s presidency remains a contentious period in Pakistan’s history, marked by political turmoil, military intervention, and the tragic events leading to the creation of Bangladesh.