Azim Daudpota

2022-11-27T04:34:06Z

23.125.130.77:

{{Short description|Pakistani Fighter Pilot}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Use Pakistani English|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox military person
| image =
| honorific_prefix = [[Air Marshal]]
| name = Mohammad Azim Daudpota
| honorific_suffix = [[File:Sitara - i -Jurat .png|20px]] 
[[Sitara-e-Jurat]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1933|9|14}}
| birth_place = Bombay, [[British India]] (now [[Mumbai]], [[India]])
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2017|4|3|1933|9|14}}
| death_place = Karachi, [[Sindh]], Pakistan
| allegiance = {{flag|Pakistan}} {{flag|Zimbabwe}}
| branch = {{Air force|Pakistan}} {{Air force|Zimbabwe}}
| serviceyears = 1952–1989
| rank = [[File:US-O9 insignia.svg|30px]] [[Air Marshal]]
| current position =
| commands = [[Sargodha Airbase]] [[Air Force of Zimbabwe]]
| unit =* [[No. 15 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)|No. 15 Squadron "Cobras"]]
* [[No. 17 Squadron (Pakistan Air Force)|No. 17 Squadron "Tigers"]]
| battles =* [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
** [[Indo-Pakistani Air War of 1965]]
| awards = [[File:Hilal-e-Imtiaz.png|50px]]{{small|[[Hilal-i-Imtiaz|Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military)]]}} [[File:Sitara-e-Jurat.png|50px]]{{small|[[Sitara-i-Jurat|Sitara-e-Jurat]]}} [[File:Sitara-e-Imtiaz.png|50px]]{{small|[[Sitara-i-Imtiaz|Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military)]]}} [[File:Order of Merit (Zimbabwe).png|50px]]{{small|[[Orders, decorations, and medals of Zimbabwe|Order of Merit (Zimbabwe)]]}} Zimbabwe Order Of Merit in the class of Commander
| laterwork = former Head of [[Pakistan International Airlines]] former [[Governor of Sindh]] (1999 - 2000)
}}

[[Air Marshal]] '''Mohammed Azim Daudpota''' ({{Lang-sd|محمد عظيم دائودپوٽو}}:14 September 1933 – 3 April 2017;), commonly known as '''Azim Daudpota''', was the first Sindhi pilot in [[Pakistan Air Force]] and the first Sindhi to receive the [[Sitara-e-Jurrat]] (Star of Bravery) Award.

He was a [[three-star officer]] in the [[Pakistan Air Force]] who went on to serve as the Chief of Air Staff of [[Air Force of Zimbabwe]], and then to briefly serve as [[Governor of Sindh]].<ref name=Dawn2/><ref name=Tribune/>

==Early life==
Azim Daudpota was born on 14 September 1933 in [[Bombay]] (now called [[Mumbai]]), [[British India]]. His father, [[Umar Bin Muhammad Daudpota]], was a Sindhi research scholar, linguist and a historian of the [[Indus valley]].<ref name=Dawn2/> After his basic education at [[St. Patrick's High School, Karachi]], he completed his college education at [[D. J. Sindh Government Science College]], Karachi in 1951.<ref name=Dawn2/><ref name=Dawn3>{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1324600/war-hero-air-marshal-azim-daudpota-passes-away |title=War hero Air Marshal Azim Daudpota passes away|author=Naveed Siddiqiqui|date=3 April 2017|newspaper=Dawn (newspaper)|access-date=28 May 2021}}</ref>

==Air force career==
Daudpota joined the [[Pakistan Air Force Academy]] in 1951. The following year, he commenced a course of training at [[Royal Australian Air Force Academy]] from where he graduated in 1955. After service as a pilot and then as Squadron Commander of numbers 15 and 17; he attended the [[PAF Staff College]] before serving on the staff of the Pakistani High Commission in [[New Delhi]]. After a further period of training at the [[Royal College of Defence Studies]] in London, Daudpota commanded PAF Bases Rafiqui and Sargodha.<ref name=Dawn2/>

===Chief of Zimbabwe Air Force===
In 1983 the Zimbabweans sought assistance from Pakistan as they wanted to replace the former Rhodesian officer who then headed the [[Air Force of Zimbabwe]]. Daudpota was selected and served as Commander of the Air Force of Zimbabwe from July 1983 to January 1986.<ref name=Dawn2>{{cite news|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1324714 |title=1965 war hero Daudpota passes away|newspaper=Dawn (newspaper)|author=Shazia Hasan|date=4 April 2017|access-date=28 May 2021}}</ref>

==Civilian work==
On his return to Pakistan, Daudpota became the Managing Director and Chairman Of [[Pakistan International Airlines]] from January 1986 to April 1990.

He became the Chairman of Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation. He joined Kashmir Corporation as an Executive Director in April 1990; from 25 October 1999 to 24 May 2000, Daudpota also became the [[Governor of Sindh]] (1999 - 2000).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.governorsindh.gov.pk/governors/ |title=Governors of Sindh|website=Government of Sindh website|access-date=28 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160704001823/http://www.governorsindh.gov.pk/governors/ |archive-date=4 July 2016 |url-status = dead}}</ref>

At the time of his death, he was the chairman of the board at MacPac Films Limited, a company that makes raw material for packaging.<ref name=Dawn2/><ref name=Dawn3/>

==Honours and recognition==
*[[Sitara-e-Jurat]] (Star of Courage) Award by the [[President of Pakistan]] in [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|1965 War against India]].<ref name=Dawn2/><ref name=Tribune>{{cite news|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/1372827/1965-war-hero-air-marshal-azim-daudpota-passes-away |title=Former Sindh governor Azim Daudpota is no more|newspaper=The Express Tribune (newspaper)|date=3 April 2017|author=Hafeez Tunio|access-date=29 May 2021}}</ref>
*[[Sitara-i-Imtiaz|Sitara-e-Imtiaz]] (Star of Excellence) Award by the [[President of Pakistan]].<ref name=Dawn2/><ref name=Tribune/>
*[[Hilal-i-Imtiaz|Hilal-e-Imtiaz]] (Crescent of Excellence) by the [[President of Pakistan]].<ref name=Dawn2/><ref name=Tribune/>
*[[Order of Merit]] by the [[President of Zimbabwe]] in 1986.<ref name=Dawn2/>

==Death==
Azim Daudpota died on 3 April 2017 in Karachi at age 83 after battling a number of illnesses and died of cardiac arrest. He was buried at [[Pakistan Air Force]]'s [[Faisal Airbase graveyard ]]in Karachi.<ref name=Dawn2/><ref name=Dawn3/><ref name=Tribune/>

== Awards and Decorations ==
{| style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Hilal-e-Imtiaz.png|width=130}}
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Sitara-e-Jurat.png|width=130}}
|{{ribbon devices|ribbon=Sitara-e-Imtiaz.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Diffa.png|width=130}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War Ribbon.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Tamgha-e-Sad Saala Jashan-e-Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam.png|width=130}}
|-
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Republic Medal 1956 (Pakistan).png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Hijri Tamgha.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Jamhuriat Tamgha 1988.png|width=130}}
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Order of Merit (Zimbabwe).png|width=130}}
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center;"
|-
|'''[[Hilal-i-Imtiaz|Hilal-e-Imtiaz]]'''

'''[[Hilal-i-Imtiaz|(Military)]]'''

''(Crescent of Excellence)''
|'''[[Sitara-e-Jurat]]'''
(''Star of Courage'')
|'''[[Sitara-i-Imtiaz|Sitara-e-Imtiaz]]'''
'''[[Sitara-i-Imtiaz|(Military)]]'''

(''Star of Excellence'')
|'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces|Tamgha-e-Diffa]]'''
''(General Service Medal'')
|-
|'''[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|Sitara-e-Harb 1965 War]]'''
(''War Star 1965'')
|'''[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965|Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War]]'''
(''War Medal 1965'')
|'''[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War]]'''
(''War Medal 1971'')
|'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces|Tamgha-e-Sad Saala Jashan-e-]]'''
'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces|Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam]]'''

(''100th Birth Anniversary of''

''[[Muhammad Ali Jinnah]])''
|-
|'''[[Awards and decorations of the Pakistan Armed Forces|Tamgha-e-Jamhuria]]'''
(''Republic Commemoration Medal'')

'''1956'''
|'''[[India Service Medal]]'''
[[India Service Medal|'''1939–1945''']]
|'''[[Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal|Queen Elizabeth II]]'''
'''[[Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal|Coronation Medal]]'''

'''(1953)'''
|'''Order of Merit'''
[[Zimbabwe|''(Zimbabwe)'']]
|}

=== Foreign Decorations ===
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="3" style="background:#006400; color:#FFFFFF; text-align:center" |'''Foreign Awards'''
|-
!'''{{flag|Zimbabwe}}'''
|'''Order of Merit'''
|{{Ribbon devices|number=0|type=award-star|ribbon=Order of Merit (Zimbabwe).png|width=130}}
|}
==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.dawn.com/weekly/cowas/20000528.htm Dawn.com - The educated of Sindh - Air Marshal Azim Daudpoto]

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Norman Walsh]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Commander of the [[Air Force of Zimbabwe]]|years=1983 – 1986}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Josiah Tungamirai]]}}
|-
{{s-bus}}
{{s-bef|before=Unknown}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chairman of [[Pakistan International Airlines]]|years=1986 – 1991}}
{{s-aft|after=Unknown}}
|-
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Mamnoon Hussain]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Governor of Sindh]]|years=1999 – 2000}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Muhammad Mian Soomro]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Governors of Sindh}}
{{Zimbabwe Air Force commanders}}
{{Recipients of Sitara-e-Jurat}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Daudpoto, Azim}}
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:2017 deaths]]
[[Category:D. J. Sindh Government Science College alumni]]
[[Category:St. Patrick's High School, Karachi alumni]]
[[Category:Pakistan Air Force air marshals]]
[[Category:Air Force of Zimbabwe]]
[[Category:Pakistan Hockey Federation presidents]]
[[Category:Pakistani expatriates in Zimbabwe]]
[[Category:Pakistan International Airlines people]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Pakistani expatriates in Australia]]
[[Category:Recipients of Sitara-e-Jurat]]
[[Category:Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz]]
[[Category:Recipients of Hilal-i-Imtiaz]]

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Azim Daudpota