Muhammad Riaz Khan

Muhammad Riaz Khan (Urdu:محمد ریاض خان) was a Pakistan Army general who was the 6th Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), serving from October 1977 to April 1979.^[1][2][3] Prior to that, he served at the General Headquarters as Adjutant-General of the Pakistan Army.^[4]

Adjutant-General Muhammad Riaz Khan
6th Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence
In office October 1977 – April 1979
Preceded by	Ghulam Jilani Khan
Succeeded by	Akhtar Abdur Rahman
Personal details
Born	Muhammad Riaz Khan
Relations	Shahid Khaqan Abbasi (son-in-law)
Military service
Allegiance	Pakistan
Branch/service	Pakistan Army
Rank	General
Commands	Adjutant-General of the Pakistan Army Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence

Riaz was well-regarded amongst the military establishment, and described as "religious minded, scrupulously honest, thoroughly professional and a committed soldier... a man of unimpeachable honesty and integrity."^[4] Although he presided over the ISI for a short term, his tenure, which occurred during Zia's era, coincided with a tumultuous period in Pakistan–U.S. relations: Bhutto's execution, the Carter administration's sanctions against Pakistan's nuclear program, the U.S. embassy burning in Islamabad, the Soviet buildup in Afghanistan, and the CIA's expanding cooperation with ISI.^[4]

Riaz died in 1979 from cardiac arrest. His post was seceded by Akhtar Abdur Rahman.^[4]

His son-in-law, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, became a prominent politician and was appointed as the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 2017.^[1][5]

References

1. Abbasi, Abid Fazil (30 July 2017). "Murree residents welcome Abbasi's nomination as PM". Dawn. Retrieved 30 July 2017.
2. West, Nigel (2015). Historical Dictionary of International Intelligence. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 168. ISBN 978-1-4422-4957-8.
3. Riedel, Bruce O. (2012). Deadly Embrace: Pakistan, America, and the Future of the Global Jihad. Brookings Institution Press. p. 146. ISBN 978-0-8157-2274-8.
4. Kiessling, Hein (2016). Faith, Unity, Discipline: The Inter-Service-Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan. Oxford University Press. pp. 49–50. ISBN 978-1-84904-863-7.
5. Qureshi, Zubair (31 July 2017). "It's party time for Murree residents as PM nominated from their constituency". Pakistan Observer. Retrieved 31 July 2017.

Military offices
Preceded by Ghulam Jilani Khan	Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence 1977–1979	Succeeded by Akhtar Abdur Rahman