HMS Choudri

Haji Mohammad Siddique Choudri
Choudhri pictured in the uniform of an officer in the Royal Indian Navy
Navy Commander in Chief
In office
31 January 1953 – 28 February 1959
PresidentIskander Mirza (1956–58)
Governors GeneralKhawaja Nazimuddin (1948–51)
Malik Ghulam Muhammad (1951-55)
Preceded byRAdm James Wilfred Jefford
Succeeded byVAdm Afzal Rahman Khan
Personal details
Born
Mohammad Siddiq Choudri

1912
Batala, Gurdaspur, British Indian Empire
(Present-day India)[1]
Died2004 (aged 91–92)
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Resting placeMilitary Graveyard
CitizenshipBritish Raj British India
 Pakistan
NationalityBritish Subject (1921–1947)
Pakistan (1947–2005)
Alma materRashtriya Indian Military College
Britannia Royal Naval College
Civilian awards Hilal-e-Pakistan
Nickname(s)HMS Choudhir
Admiral Choudhri
Military service
Branch/service Royal Indian Navy (1930–1947)
Pakistan Navy (1947–59)
Years of service1930–1959
Rank Vice Admiral (S/No. PN-001)
UnitNavy Executive Branch
CommandsCommander Pakistan Fleet
Deputy C-in-C (Operations)
Battles/wars
Military awards Hilal-e-Imtiaz (military)
Order of the British Empire

Vice Admiral Haji Mohammad Siddiq Choudri MBE (Urdu: حاجى محمد صديق چودھری; b. 1912—27 February 2004), popularly known as HMS Choudhri, was a Pakistan Navy admiral who was the first native Commander in Chief of Pakistan Navy.[2][3]

In 1953, he was appointed as second Commander-in-Chief after taking over the command from Royal Navy's Rear Admiral J.W. Jefford, and served under two Governor-Generals from 1953 to 1956, and then under President Iskander Mirza from 1956 until 1959.[4] He resigned from his command due to differences regarding the navy's plans of modernization and to end the interservice rivalry with Army GHQ, Pakistan MoD, and the Presidency on 26 January 1959.[4] He was one of the only few military officials who resigned from their commission over the disagreement with the civilian government and was eventually succeeded by Vice-Admiral A. R. Khan on 28 February 1959.[5]

He died on 27 February 2004 and was buried in military graveyard in Karachi with full military honors.[6]

  1. ^ Aqil A. Jafri, Pakistan Chronicle, Virsa Publications, Karachi p.925.
  2. ^ Hussain, Captain Shahid (23 March 2012). "A tryst with destiny". The Nation. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  3. ^ "Navy News" (PDF). Pakistan Navy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 November 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Pakistan Navy Chronology". Pakistan Navy. Archived from the original on 29 October 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  5. ^ Tiwana, Malik Ayaz Hussain. "Pakistan: Security Concerns and the Navy". Defence Journal. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  6. ^ "Karachi: HMS Choudri laid to rest". Dawn. 1 March 2004. Retrieved 7 November 2016.