Saeedullah Khan
Saeedullah Khan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| سعید اللہ خان | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Portrait, c. 1964 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th Deputy Chief of Air Staff Pakistan Air Force | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 22 June 1972 – 29 June 1973 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chief of Air Staff | Zafar Chaudhry | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Khyber Khan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Chaudhary Rab Nawaz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Air Attaché to Embassy of Pakistan, Washington, D.C. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office January 1970 – May 1972 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Eric G. Hall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy Managing Director Pakistan International Airlines | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 29 August 1969 – January 1970 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 23 July 1926 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 26 January 2002 (aged 75) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Khalifa Mohammad Asadullah (father-in-law) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Government College, Lahore No. 1 (I) SFTS RAF Central Flying School RAF Staff College, Andover | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Military service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Branch/service | Royal Indian Air Force (1945-1947) Pakistan Air Force (1947-1973) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years of service | 1945–1973 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | Air Vice Marshal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Commands | PAF Academy Director Operations 1965 War PAF Station Sargodha No. 2 Squadron PAF No. 9 Squadron PAF | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Battles/wars | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Awards | Tamgha-e-Quaid-e-Azam (1963) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Saeedullah Khan (23 July 1926 – 26 January 2002) was a Pakistani former two-star rank air officer and among the pioneer officers of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF). He served as the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff from June 1972 to June 1973. In this role, he was one of the right-hand men of Chief of Air Staff Zafar Chaudhry, alongside Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Operations) Khaqan Abbasi and Director Air Intelligence Mufti.
In the book, Flight of the Falcon, Sajad Haider wrote that Saeedullah Khan and Khaqan were involved in a witch-hunt against PAF officers, including Haider himself, attempting to implicate them in the Attock conspiracy at the behest of Zafar Chaudhry. According to Haider, he and other PAF officers discovered with "great awe and excitement" that President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto sacked Khan, Khaqan Abbasi, and Zafar Chaudhry from their duties due to allegations of intrigue and witch-hunting. Saeedullah and Khaqan were not allowed to attend their offices and were unceremoniously and prematurely retired when the PAF command changed under Bhutto. Haider further notes that Khan retired "into oblivion", playing the stock market with Hamid Qureshi, a 1965 War drop-out. Khan later worked for a rogue financial company involved in illicit financial dealings. Haider wrote that despite being financially honest, Saeedullah Khan was likely a victim of circumstances.
In July 1998, Saeedullah Khan was among 63 retired Pakistani, Indian, and Bengali armed forces personnel who signed an agreement urging Pakistan and India to refrain from developing nuclear weapons. Instead, they advocated for limiting nuclear research and development strictly to peaceful and beneficial purposes. They also called for Pakistan and India to resolve their disputes through peaceful means and address their real problems of poverty and backwardness, rather than wasting their scarce resources on acquiring means of destruction.
Air Chief Marshal Anwar Shamim recalled serving under Khan and said, "I learnt a lot especially from Group Captain Saeedullah Khan. He was well read, knowledgeable, and had excellent grasp of what the PAF needed for the future. He was firm and demanded hard work from his subordinates. He was a thorough gentleman and dedicated family man. He was a well-dressed officer and also appreciated those who dressed up well. In fact, he was what one would truly call an officer and gentleman."