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Major General Muhammad Akbar Khan (1897-1993) was the senior most Muslim officer at the time of independence in 1947. He was the son of Risaldar Major Fazal Dad Khan (1847-1943) who a Minhas Rajput from Chakwal area. His family's fortune was linked with Sikh durbar. After the demise of Sikh rule and emergence of British Raj, the family recovered some of the lost fortunes under British patronage. Fazal Dad served with 12th Cavalry and after a long service was granted the title of Khan Bahadur and also a large amount of land by the British and had three estates in Montgomery (Sahiwal), Chakwal and Lyallpur (Faisalabad). He established a horse stud farm on one of his estates. Fazal Dad had cordial relations with senior British army and civilian officers. Commander-in-Chief Field Marshall Lord Birdwood, Archibald Wavell (later Viceroy) and Sir Bertrand Glancy (later Punjab governor) had close relationship with Fazal Dad. Fazal Dad married four times and six of his sons joined Indian army and all were polo players.
Five brothers of Major General Muhammad Akbar Khan also served in the army. Major General Muhammad Iftikhar Khan was commissioned in August 1929 and joined 7th Light Cavalry. He was transferred to 3rd Cavalry when later regiment was Indianized. During the Second World War he served with the newly raised 45th Cavalry. He was nominated as the first Pakistani C-in-C. He died in 1949 in a plane crash at Jang Shahi before assuming the office; his wife and son also perished in the crash. Brigadier Muhammad Zafar Khan was commissioned in 1934 and retired as Director Remount, Veterinary & Farm Corps (RV&FC). Brigadier Muhammad Yousef Khan was commissioned in 1935 and also retired as Director RV&FC. Brigadier Muhammad Afzal Khan was commissioned in 1935 and joined 16thLight Cavalry. Later he was transferred to Royal Indian Army Service Corps (RIASC). Major General Muhammad Anwar Khan was commissioned in 1936 in the Corps of Engineers and was the first Pakistani Engineer-in-Chief (E- in-C) of Pakistan Army.
Two brothers did not join the army and settled down in England. Muhammad Tahir Khan was a lawyer while Muhammad Masood Raza Khan was the most enigmatic of all. He had a BA in political science and MA in English literature...