User:Smsarmad/Mian Ata Rabbani

Mian Ata Rabbani born in 1919 at Jalandhar, was an officer of Pakistan Air Force, who served as the Aide-de-camp (ADC) to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the first Governor General and the founder of Pakistan. Ata is the father of Raza Rabbani, a senator of Pakistan Peoples Party. During the 1965 Indo Pak war, Rabbani was the commander of the Kohat Airbase, a non-operational airfield.

Early Life
Mian Ata Rabbani was born at Jalandhar, British India on 30 September 1919 into a Muslim Arain Family. He gained early education from Islamia High School, Jalandhar and Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College, Amritsar. He graduated from Aligarh Muslim University in 1940. He was married to Kishwar. His son Raza Rabbani is a Senator and a member of Pakistan Peoples Party.

Career
Rabbani was inducted in the 10th General Duty Pilot batch of Royal Indian Air Force and got initial training from Northern India Flying Club and Initial Training Wing at Lahore, followed by further flying training at Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS), Secunderabad. He got commission in 1941 and was posted to RAF Coastal Flight at Karachi. After serving in No. 20 RAF Squadron at Burma in 1943, Rabbani was selected for "Qualified Flying Instructor" course at Flying Training School, Ambala. Subsequently he was posted to Elementary Flying Training Schools at Secunderabad, Jodhpur and Ambala as an instructor. While at EFTS, Jodhpur he was recategorized as an A-2 Qualified Flying Instructor. After a stint of three and a half years as an instructor he underwent a conversion training at Operational Training Unit, Peshawar, where he was trained to fly Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire. In 1945 during the Second World War, he joined the the No. 10 RIAF Squadron that was stationed in the South-East Asian Theatre at Hmawbi, Burma. The squadron was equipped with Spitfire tasked to support the operations of the Fourteenth Army. After the war the squadron moved to Baigachi about thirty miles away from Calcutta. In 1946 was promoted to the rank of Flight Lieutenant and transferred to command the Indian Air Training Corps at Calcutta.

While going into provincial election in 1946 Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the leader of All-India Muslim League asked for donations. Rabbani who supported the party collected about 27,500 Rupess and handed over to Jinnah when he was at Calcutta to address an election rally at Calcutta's Miadan. Jinnah while giving him the receipt advised "Don't do it again. You know you could be court martialled for it and even dismissed from the air force; and I want you to stay on in the air force." The same year Rabbani was posted to the Indian Air Training Corps, Aligarh.

Once the creation of Pakistan was announced, Rabbani opted to join Pakistan Air Force in 1947. He was selected as ADC to the first Governor General and founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He joined his assignment on 7 August 1947 when he accompanied Jinnah on his journey from New Delhi to Karachi. Rabbani continued as a personal staff of Jinnah after the independence of Pakistan on 14 August 1947, till he was relieved by Jinnah on the request of the then Commander in Chief of Pakistan Air Force Allan Perry-Keene and proceeded to the Flying Training School at Risalpur as a Flying Instructor in 1948. In 1950 he was transferred to Lahore as President PAF Selection Board and when the board was merged with Inter Services Selection Board, he acted as Deputy President. He was given the command of PAF Base Lahore in 1953. He was appointed Deputy Martial Law Administrator of Lahore in the 1958 military coup.

Death
He died at the age of 90 in June 2012 at Karachi and is buried at Army graveyard in Karachi.