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{{Use Pakistani English|date=October 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Habibullah Khan Khattak
| birth_date = 17 October 1913
| birth_place = [[Wana, Pakistan|Wana]], [[Waziristan]], [[British India]]
| death_date = 1994
| death_place =
| image = 
| caption = Lt Gen M. Habibullah Khan Khattak, SPk
| nickname = Bibojee
| allegiance = {{UK}}<br>{{PAK}}
| branch = {{Army|Pakistan}}<br>{{flagicon|British Raj}} [[British Indian Army]]
| serviceyears = 1935–1959
| rank = [[Lieutenant General]]
| current position =
| commands = 1 Bihar<br>Deputy C-in-C of the Pakistan Army
| unit = 12th Battalion The [[Baloch Regiment]]
| battles = [[World War II]]<br>[[Burma Campaign]]
| awards = [[Sitara-e-Pakistan]]
| laterwork = Industrialist and Politician
}}
[[Lieutenant General]] '''Habibullah Khan Khattak''' also known as Muhammad Habibullah Khan (17 October 1913 – 1994) was a Pakistani Army officer born in Wana, [[Khyber Pakhtunkhwa]], [[Pakistan]].

He was the son of Khan Bahadur Kuli Khan Khattak, and was the younger brother of former Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [[Aslam Khattak]], former Federal Minister [[Yusuf Khattak]] and [[Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan]].<ref>[https://tribune.com.pk/story/828180/transition-begum-kulsom-saifullah-passes-away/ Transition: Begum Kulsum Saifullah passes away (sister of Habibullah Khan Khattak)] The Express Tribune (newspaper), Published 27 January 2015, Retrieved 17 October 2019</ref>

His son [[Ali Kuli Khan Khattak]] also rose to the rank of lieutenant general and retired as the [[Chief of General Staff (Pakistan)|Chief of General Staff (CGS)]] in 1998. His son, like him, belonged to the famed [[Baloch Regiment]].

==Military career pre-WW2==
After completing intermediate education from [[Islamia College (Peshawar)|Islamia College]], [[Peshawar]], he was one of the 25 people selected from [[British India]] for the first course at the [[Indian Military Academy]], Dehradun. He was commissioned a second lieutenant 1 February 1935 and attached to the 2nd battalion South Staffordshire Regiment 24 February 1935.<ref>January 1936 Indian Army List</ref> He was posted to his permanent [[British Indian Army]] unit, 5th battalion, 10th Baluch Regiment on 24 February 1936.<ref name="October 1939 Indian Army List">October 1939 Indian Army List</ref> His seniority as a second lieutenant was antedated to 4 February 1934 and he was promoted to lieutenant 4 May 1936.<ref name="October 1939 Indian Army List"/>

==Action in World War==
He was promoted to captain on 4 February 1942.<ref name="April 1944 Indian Army List">April 1944 Indian Army List</ref> By April 1944, he was serving with the Bihar Regiment.<ref name="April 1944 Indian Army List"/> During [[World War II]], he campaigned in [[Burma]] and was amongst a handful of Indian officers to have commanded an infantry battalion at war. He was mentioned in dispatches for service in Burma in the London Gazette 10 January 1946 as temporary Major, Bihar regiment.

==Pakistan Army career==
His rapid rise in the [[Pakistan Army]] saw him as a two-star general at the age of 40, and at this rank he held the appointments of a divisional commander, of the Chief of Training Pakistan Army, of the [[Chief of General Staff (Pakistan)|Chief of General Staff]] and of the first Military Commander of the [[Baghdad Pact]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/869817 |author=Aslam Minhas|title=A retired General's wisdom|date=4 September 2008|website=Dawn (newspaper)|accessdate=17 October 2019}}</ref> In December 1958, he graduated from the [[Imperial Defence College]], [[London]] (now the RCDS) and was promoted to lieutenant general rank and appointed as Deputy C-in-C of the Pakistan Army. He was prematurely retired in October 1959 at the age of 46.

For his services, he was awarded the 3rd highest civilian award of [[Sitara-e-Pakistan]], which follows the Nishan-e Pakistan and the Hilal-e-Pakistan.

In 1991, he was invited by the regiment he had commanded, the Bihar Regiment of Indian Army to participate in its Golden Jubilee. He attended the ceremonies.

==Politics==
After his premature retirement from the Army, Khattak became closely involved in the private industry sector through his company [[Ghandhara Industries]], which he founded on 23 February 1963 and which is headquartered in [[Karachi]], Pakistan. This company produces pickup trucks, buses and heavy trucks.<ref>[https://www.forbes.com/companies/ghandhara-industries/#42ff6a771888 Profile of Ghandhara Industries on Forbes (magazine) website] Published 18 July 2018, Retrieved 17 October 2019</ref><ref>[https://jang.com.pk/thenews/dec2008-weekly/nos-14-12-2008/foo.htm Remembrance: True blue] The News International (newspaper), Retrieved 17 October 2019</ref><ref name=BR>[https://fp.brecorder.com/2005/07/20050730305758/ GNL (Ghandhara Nissan Limited) and market leader of heavy trucks] Business Recorder (newspaper), Published 30 July 2005, Retrieved 17 October 2019</ref>

He also served as a federal minister during [[Zia-ul Haq]]'s time and made an abortive attempt to contest elections from his home constituency of [[Karak, Pakistan|Karak]].

==Death==
General Habibullah Khan Khattak died in 1994.<ref name=BR/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.bibojee.com.pk/ BIBOJEE Group of Companies]
* [https://www.psx.com.pk/psx/files-attachment/?file=135913.pdf 2019 Annual Report of Ghandhara Nissan Limited]
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{{succession box |title=[[Chief of General Staff (Pakistan)|Chief of General Staff]]
|years=
|before=[[Sher Ali Khan Pataudi]]|
after=[[Yahya Khan]]}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Khattak, Habibullah Khan}}
[[Category:1913 births]]
[[Category:1994 deaths]]
[[Category:Pashtun people]]
[[Category:Pakistani generals]]
[[Category:People from Waziristan]]
[[Category:Islamia College University alumni]]
[[Category:British Indian Army officers]]
[[Category:Baloch Regiment officers]]
[[Category:Indian Military Academy alumni]]
[[Category:Pakistani industrialists]]
[[Category:Khattak family|Habibullah Khan]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Sitara-e-Pakistan]]
[[Category:Pakistani company founders]]

Habibullah Khan Khattak - Revision history

Bot at 00:39, 3 January 2022