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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 | |
| Branch/service | |
| Rank | |
| Commands | Adjutant-General of the Pakistan Army Director-General of Inter-Services Intelligence |
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]
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]