As Chairman Joint Chiefs, Rahimuddin was asked to approve the military plan for an offensive in Kargil, Kashmir, in 1986.[3] The plan was authored by Commander I Corps. Both Rahimuddin and Air Chief Marshal Jamal A. Khan rejected it as untenable, citing the harsh conditions, strategy, and concurrent conflict with the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.[3] The plan was later approved by General Pervez Musharraf, leading to the Kargil war in 1998.[16]
Extension refusal
Rahimuddin declined an extension of service at superannuation, and retired in 1987. After his retirement on time, Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Junejo rejected Zia's proposal of extension for Vice Chief of Staff General KM Arif, embarrassing Zia.[17] Arif was replaced by Mirza Aslam Beg as Vice Chief.
Governor of Balochistan
End of operation and withdrawal
A military operation against separatists was commenced in Balochistan by Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto led by army chief Tikka Khan in 1973, claiming thousands of lives.[18] Rahimuddin was appointed Governor of Balochistan on 16 September 1978. He declared an end to the operation, and announced a general amnesty for fighters willing to give up arms. Army withdrawal was completed by 1979. The Baloch separatist movement came to a standstill.[19][20] Under Rahimuddin, the Foreign Policy Centre held that "the province's tribal sardars were taken out of the pale of politics for the first time."[21] He was known for a clean reputation during corrupt regimes.[22]
Development
Rahimuddin opened the Sui gas field to provide gas directly to Quetta and other Baloch towns for the first time. Electricity expansion from Quetta to Loralai converted vast areas with sub-soil water into fertile ones.[23] He also
consolidated the then-contentious integration of Gwadar into Balochistan, notified as a district in 1977. Despite opposition from finance minister Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Rahimuddin heavily promoted large-scale manufacturing and investment in infrastructure, leading to provincial GDP growth rising to the highest in Balochistan's history.[24] Addressing the province's literacy rate, the lowest in the country, he administered the freeing up of resources towards education, created girls' incentive programs, and had several girls' schools built in Dera Bugti District.[25] He also oversaw the construction of nuclear test sites in Chaghai where tests were conducted in 1998.[8]
Zia dismissed his own government in May 1988. Khan became civilian Governor of Sindh, and governor's rule was imposed after citing emergency.[31] Claiming corruption, Khan began dismissing large numbers of police and civil servants.[32][33] Khan also launched a brutal police crackdown on land mafia, one of the widest ever in Karachi, criticized by both PPP and the Zia regime for its heavy-handed tactics. It was stopped by the government immediately after he resigned. He moved to create separate police forces for the city and the rural areas, but this was also resisted after his resignation for fears of complicating the Sindhi-Muhajir relationship.[34] Special riot control officers were trained to cope with ethnic riots, and river and forest police were also set up to battle dacoity.[35]Ghulam Ishaq Khan became acting President after Zia's death in an aircrash on 17 August, and reintroduced the Chief Minister of Sindh office. Khan resigned in response to the attempt to limit his gubernatorial powers.[36]
^Faruqi, Ziaul Hasan (1999). Zakir Husain: Quest for Truth. Arrow Publishing. p. 76.
^Khurshid, Salman (2014). At Home In India: The Muslim Saga. Hay House India.
^Bavadam, Lyla Bavadam (2008). "Brothers in Arms". Archived from the original on 25 February 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2009. The cadets who left for Pakistan formed the First Course of the PMA. Gentleman Cadet No. 391 at the IMA, who became Cadet No. 1 at the PMA, and also honer of P.A(Pakistan Army) No 1, Rahim Uddin Khan, rose to the rank of General and became Joint Chief of Staff in Pakistan and, later, Governor of one of the provinces.
^Arif, Khalid Mahmud (1995). Working with Zia. Oxford University Press. p. 224. ISBN0-19-577570-8. Lieutenant-General Rahimuddin Khan kept the governor's post in addition to commanding 2 Corps virtually in absentia. Its headquarters was located in the distant city of Multan.
^Marri, Balach Marri (2002). "A History of Oppression". Archived from the original on 24 March 2003. Retrieved 14 August 2002. Mr Bhutto didn't wait long and ordered the army to move into the interior of Balochistan and then dismissed the Governments both in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan ... thousands of people were killed in those army operations, which continued for 5 years. Thousands were rendered homeless...
^"Balochistan home to lowest-literacy rate population in Pakistan". Daily Times. 12 June 2007. Archived from the original on 3 February 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2009. Balochistan is home to the largest number of school buildings that are falling apart. It also has the fewest educational institutions, the lowest literacy rate among both males and females.
^"The Far East and Central Asia" (2003) Regional Surveys of the World p. 1166
^Cowasjee, Ardeshir (13 February 2005). "Karachi's woes". DAWN.COM. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
^Ardeshir Cowasjee (2005). "Who can say? What?". Archived from the original on 15 December 2007. Retrieved 28 December 2007. The Bishop persisted. In July 1988, he asked Governor Rahimuddin for the plot, categorically stating that he did not intend to construct a building thereon but would use it as an open playground. The authorities held their ground.
^Najam, Adil Najam (2006). "Ghulam Ishaq Khan Dead". Archived from the original on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 27 October 2006. Khan's presidency also saw the resignation of General Rahimuddin Khan from the post of Governor of Sindh, due to differences between the two after Khan started restricting Rahimuddin's vast amount of legislative power.
^Shuja Nawaz (2007). Crossed Swords: Pakistan, Its Army and the Wars Within.
