Nickname(s) Zak Years of service 1975 – Unit Naval Operation Branch | Allegiance Pakistan Rank Admiral Other name Zak | |
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Born 10 January 1958 (age 59) ( 1958-01-10 ) Commands held Vice Chief of the Naval StaffCommander Pakistan FleetCTF-15025th Destroyer Squadron Battles and wars 2001–02 India–Pakistan standoff, War in North-West Pakistan, 2013 India–Pakistan border skirmishes | ||
Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah (Urdu: محمد ذكاءالله; HI(M), SI(M), TI(M)) (born 10 January 1958), is an active four-star rank admiral and the current Chief of Naval Staff of the Pakistan Navy having been promoted to the four-star assignment on 2 October 2014. He has served on several prestigious operational and staff positions in the Pakistan Navy. His last appointment before becoming Chief of the Naval Staff was that of Vice Chief of the Naval Staff.
Contents
- Chief of naval staff admiral muhammad zakaullah talk 24 november 2016 naval zakaullah ideas2016
- Academia
- Career in navy
- Sportsmanship
- References
Zakaullah is also an avid sportsman, having been decorated by President of Pakistan with Pride of Performance for outstanding performance in yachting.
Under his Admiralcy the role of the Pakistan Navy changed substantially, the Pakistani Navy deepened relations with China's Navy in the Arabian Sea, after the inauguration of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The Pakistani Navy also strengthened historic relations with the Turkish Navy, through joint drills and inagurated PNS Hameed a Naval base which can detect and communicate VLF (very low frequency) transmissions, providing a secure network to Pakistan's submarines.
Chief of naval staff admiral muhammad zakaullah talk 24 november 2016 naval zakaullah ideas2016
Academia
Zakaullah attended Cadet College Hasan Abdal (17th entry, Iqbal Wing, cadet captain) and later joined the Pakistan Naval Academy in 1975 and graduated with BA in 1978, winning coveted Sword of Honour earning commission in the operation branch. He earned master's degree from Royal Naval Staff College in the United Kingdom and attended the London University where he obtained MA in Defence studies and MSc in War studies from Quaid-e-Azam University. Upon returning to Pakistan, he joined the faculty of and National Defence University to teach war studies.
Career in navy
He started his active duty as a qualified Principle Warfare officer (PWO) in Babur warship and was later promoted as executive officer of the Tippu-Sultan warship which he would later command as well. As Commodore, he briefly served in the National Accountability Bureau during the regime of Pervez Musharraf. His key military assignments and staff appointments include the command of 25th Destroyer Squadron and Combined Task Force-150 in Arabian sea. His last assignment included command of the Pakistan Naval Fleet as its senior commander.
On the height of border escalation with India, he reportedly responded to the incident to media that, Pakistan has ability to answer the disturbance of border. In an emergency address to the media representatives at the ISPR directorate, he quoted to the media that "Pakistan forces are prepared for any critical situation." Answering the question of Indian Army's further capabilities, Admiral Zakaullah said that Pakistan was not concerned due to New Delhi's ground capability as it had the ability to defend itself against any aggression.
Sportsmanship
He is a keen yachtsman and has represented Pakistan at numerous international events, including 1984 Olympics and Asian Games of 1986 and 1990. He has won Gold medal at the Asian Games twice. He is also a recipient of President's Award for Pride of Performance for outstanding performance in yachting.