RAWALPINDI: Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Ali Chishti, a distinguished former corps commander and federal minister, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 97.
He had been undergoing treatment for heart and lung complications at the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) in Rawalpindi after a prolonged illness.
Funeral prayers for the late military officer was offered in Rawalpindi. A large number of ex-servicemen and serving officers attended the funeral.
General Chishti’s demise marks the end of an era, leaving behind a legacy defined by his significant contributions to Pakistan’s military.
General Chishti served as the patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Ex-Servicemen Society at the time of his passing. Earlier, he had also held the position of president of the same organization.
Recently, the society’s current president, Lieutenant General (retd) Abdul Qayyum, visited him during his treatment.
A Distinguished Career Spanning Decades
Born in Indian Punjab in 1927, Faiz Ali Chishti started his military journey by joining the British Indian Army as an artillery officer in 1946.
Following Pakistan’s independence in 1947, he became part of the newly formed Pakistan Army, where he served with dedication and distinction.
General Chishti held various key positions during his career, including his role as Corps Commander of the X Corps, one of the most strategic units of the Pakistan Army.
He played a key role in the country’s history. He was a close associate of General Zia-ul-Haq and played a key figure in overthrowing Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s government. He remained a staunch defender of its necessity until his death.
He retired from military service in 1980 but continued to influence Pakistan’s socio-political discourse through his writings.
He was also a prominent author, penning the book “Betrayals of Another Kind: Islam, Democracy and the Army in Pakistan,” which offered valuable insights into the country’s political and military landscape.
Another notable work, “Bhutto, Zia, and I”, reflected on his interactions with the key political figures of the time.
General Chishti was trained at the Indian Military Academy in Dehra Dun, India. Although he was born in Indian Punjab, after the partition, he came to Karachi from Mumbai as a junior military officer aboard a naval ship and lived in Rawalpindi until his death.
