Lieutenant General Zahid Ali Akbar | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | Zahid Ali Akbar Khan 1933 (age 90–91) Jullundur, Punjab, British India |
| Relatives |
|
| Nickname | Zach |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  Pakistan |
| Service |  Pakistan Army |
| Years of service | 1950–1990 |
| Rank |  Lieutenant General |
| Service number | PA No. 4499: 37 [2] |
| Unit | Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers |
| Commands | |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | |
| Other work | Chairman of PCB |
Lieutenant General Zahid Ali Akbar (Urdu: زاہد على اكبر; b. 1933) HI(M), SBt, PE,[3] is a former engineering officer in the Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers, known for his role in Pakistan's acquisition of nuclear weapons, and directing the Engineering Research Laboratories (ERL), a top secret research facility developing the clandestine atom bomb project.
His career started in the Corps of Engineers as civil engineer before being posted to conduct the survey of Kahuta where he designed, established and later directed the enormous construction of the research site that was critical in the clandestine development of the atomic bomb program.[4] In addition to his secretive role in the atomic bomb feasibility in the 1970s, he took up charge on collecting military intelligence on the India's nuclear program but later in the 1980s, he was appointed as an Engineer-in-Chief at the Army GHQ. His war appointment also included the command of the X Corps but appointed as Chairman of Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) as a secondment in 1984–89.: 27 [5] In 1989–90, he then headed the Defence Science and Engineering Organization, and later Chairing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), overseeing the national team winning the Cricket World Cup in 1992.: 15–43 [6]
His role in the Pakistan Atomic Bomb Program remained well hidden until a memoir written by Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan was released in 2009.
- ^ "Suisse Secrets: Who is Lt.General Zahid Ali Akbar Khan?". 21 February 2022.
- ^ Pakistan (1979). The Gazette of Pakistan.
- ^ "COLONEL COMMANDANTS – CORPS OF ENGINEERS". www.pakarmymuseum.com. Pakistan Army Museum. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
- ^ Khan, DEng, Dr. Abdul Qadeer (29 July 2009). "Bhutto, GIK and Kahuta". thenews.com.pk. Islamabad: AQ Khan on News International. News International. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Economic & Industrial Publications.was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Khan, Chairman Wapda and PCB, Gen. (retd.) Zahid Ali Akbar (1992). Power Demand Projections now 8400 MW. Economic Review. pp. 15, 34, 43. Retrieved 2 October 2010.