Nazir Latif

Air Commodore Nazir Latif SJ and Bar (10 July 1927 – 30 June 2011) was an 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 Christian pilots who participated and fought, for Pakistan side, in 1965 Indo-Pak War and the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

Nazir Latif
Birth nameNazir Latif
Nickname(s)Bill Latif
Born(1927-07-10)10 July 1927
Rawalpindi, Punjab Province,
British Indian Empire
Died(2011-06-30)30 June 2011
Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT)
Buried
Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT)
Allegiance Pakistan
Service/branch Pakistan Air Force
Years of service1950–1972
Rank Air Commodore
UnitNo. 5 Squadron Falcons
Commands heldNo. 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/warsIndo-Pakistani War of 1965
Aerial warfare in 1965 India Pakistan War
Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
East Pakistan Air Operations, 1971
AwardsSitara-e-Jurat (1965)
Sitara-e-Jurat (1971)

Early life

Nazir Latif was born into a highly educated Christian family in 1927. Bill Latif grew up in Lahore, where his father was a well-known professor of psychology and had done his doctorate at Princeton University. His father taught at FC College in Lahore as a full professor.

Air Force Career

Bill Latif had always wanted to be a fighter pilot and joined the Pakistan Air Force soon after the Creation of Pakistan in 1947. 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.

In 1971 he was base commander of the Mauripur Base.[1]

Latif worked in Khorramshahr, Iran, Amman, Jordan and Bahrain between the years from 1976 until he retired in his mid 70's.

References
  1. Inter-Services Public Relations website Accessed 4 October 2016
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