Zahid Akbar was born in Baba Khel Jalandhar (Burki Tribe), then in British Raj, the eldest child of a prominent Muslim lawyer. At the start of the Second World War his father volunteered for service with the British Indian Army and was killed in action during the Battle of Singapore. He received his elementary and intermediate education from Jalandhar. After the partition of India, Khan's family moved to West-Pakistan and settled in Lahore.
He later received his master's degree in Strategic and War studies from National Defence University. After his education he became a chief engineer at the Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers with a rank of major. His engineering career was at peak when he was involved in the beginning years of Pakistan's atomic deterrent program. He has served in the army in both the 1965 and 1971 wars.
Between the wars
After graduating from engineering university, Akbar report to Lahore Army Divisional Headquarter of IV Corps in 1962, where he was promoted to 1st-Lieutenant. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, he served in the Lahore Engineer Sector. His first military engineer assignment was to led the rapid construction of seven bridges at BRB Canal and Hudiara drain. The bridges were destroyed and demolished by the Indian Army due to their heavy artillery and gun battle. However, he was moved to Sialkot Engineer District where ongoing gun battle was taking place. The assignment was considered quiet difficult and dangerous as the gun battle was taking place continuously. He led the installation of anti-tank and anti-personnel mines during the battle where his unit came under intense gun fire. Having well performed this task, Akbar was promoted to the rank of Major after the war. He was made a company commander with the 7th Military Engineer Company at the Rawalpindi.
In 1966, the Engineer-in-Chief summoned Major Akbar to meeting with the head of the Military Engineering Service. Akbar was part of the 75th Military Engineer Brigade that had designed the enormous office complex to house to 40,000 staff/combatant commanders in one building, which would eventually became, "The Generals Headquarter" (The GHQ). He had worked six days a week and determined to lead the project. Akbar recalled that he was "hoping to get to a war theater so I could find a little peace". In 1967, he was made Lieutenant-Colonel, and a Colonel in 1970. He was dispatched in Lahore, and commanded 16th Punjab Engineer Regiment. After the break of India-Pakistani war of 1971, he commanded a 20th Punjab Combat Regiment instead of engineer regiment. He led several counter-attacks during the conflict aside laying anti-personnel mines. After the 1971 war, he was promoted to 1 star rank Brigadier; and was made Chief of Staff of VI Corps of Pakistan Army.
In January 1972, the nuclear development was formally initiated by Prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) had supervised the construction of the facilities of its own. However, in 1976, after the arrival of dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, the work on Engineering Research Laboratories (ERL) was established as dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan took over the project (the uranium enrichment programme). Wanting a capable administrator, Zahid Ali Akbar, who was a 1-star Brigadier at the time, was selected by the Engineer-in-Chief per the request of Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to administer and co-direct the Project-706, reporting directly to Prime Minister Secretariat, the official residence of Prime Minister of Pakistan.[3][4] Brigadier Akbar established several military units and engineer districts to provide logistic support to programme. Bhutto wanted an aggressive leadership, and an officer with prestige to co-direct the project alongside with him. The Chief of Army Staff General Ticca Khan recommended Brigadier Akbar, and Prime minister Bhutto instructed Akbar to meet with dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan.[5] When he met with dr. A.Q. Khan, Akbar could not hide his disappointing: Dr. [Abdul Qadeer] Khan, I'm a soldier who should in the war fronts, not this, he replied.
As Akbar met with Dr. Khan to discuss the details and the nature of the project.[5] Akbar, along with dr. Qadeer Khan, surveyed the area Akbar's Army jeep, then finished the report as they had aerially surveyed the area in an army helicopter.[5] The next week, Brigaider Akbar designed the draft of the entire city of Kahuta, and submitted the feasibility report to Defence Secretary.[6] His rapid nature of performing assignments had impressed Prime minister Bhutto, and Bhutto ordered Chief of Army Staff to promoted to Akbar to 2-star rank of Major-General as he felt that the title "general" would hold more sway with the academic scientists working on the confidential projects.[5] An office was sat up for Akbar in Prime minister Secretariat directly reporting to Bhutto.[5] A military engineer, Akbar collaborated closely with Abdul Qadeer Khan to set up and build the Engineering Research Laboratories.[5] Meanwhile, Major-General Zahid Ali Akbar coordinated a meeting with officials of PAEC, and special military unit of military scientists and engineers of the Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers, Special Development Works (SDW) was given commissioned[7][8]
As more military engineer units were established, Bhutto formed a formal policy committee to supervised these units. Known as Military Engineering Committee, it was headed by Major-General Akbar and had officers from both Army and Air Force. According to Khan's column, General Akbar designed and constructed the Kahuta Research Laboratories and its related facilities.[9] In 1977, he led the rapid construction of Metallurgical Laboratory in Wah Cantt, and an enrichment plant in Kahuta.[5] In 1978, he met with Munir Ahmad Khan, an International Atomic Energy Agencynuclear engineer, and inspected sites in Kirana Hills, where they had discussed the creation of a laboratory where the bomb could be designed and tested.[5] In 1978, after the removal of Bhutto, Akbar was made the in charge of Project-706, and the projects led by PAEC under Munir Ahmad Khan.[5] His office was shifted back to The GHQ, this time reporting directly to Chief of Army Staff General Zia-ul-Haq. In 1977, General Akbar was made the Director of the Engineering Research Laboratories (ERL) and began to supervise the classified academic research in the facility. The same, the civilian committee that was supervising the nuclear development was immediately disbanded as Bhutto's Science Advisor, dr. Mubaschir Hasann was placed in Adiala Jail with Bhutto. A new committee was formed, with military officers are part of the committee, headed by General Akbar. This administrative committee, known as Military Engineering Committee (MEC) undr Akbar, was fully charged with the developing and formulating policies concerning the development of nuclear weapons. In 1980, General Zahid Ali Akbar was promoted as Science Advisor to the Prime minister Secretariat which he would held this post until 1983.
Senior Staff appointments
In 1980, he wasshifted as the Adjutant-General (AG) at the Pakistan Army General Headquarters (GHQ) as well as serving Science Advisor to the President. By the 1983, Akbar was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General as the Military wanted a military administrative leader who understood the scientific needs of the project comprehensibly. The same year, he was appointed as Engineer-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers to deal with senior people whose cooperation was required. After the end of Prime Minister Bhutto's regime, Akbar was given autonomous control of the Kahuta Project. Under Akbar's direction, PAEC and KRL spurred their work on atomic devices quickly.[6]
Soon after the transfer the control of nuclear technology to PAEC, Lieutenant-General Zahid Akbar was made Core-commander of X Corps as he was appointed by, on a personal request, of President and Chief of Army Staff General Zia-ul-Haq. In 1984, he would lead the corps in the Siachen conflict, a conflict in northern Pakistan, when the Indian Army launched Operation Meghdoot in 1984. Lieutenant-General Jahan Dad Khan handed over the command of X Corps to Lieutenant-General Zahid Ali Akbar on 31 March 1984.
Lieutenant General J.D. Khan gave him a detailed briefing about this operational plan and particularly stressed the importance of intelligence keeping a watch on Indian moves beyond Leh. He commanded the series of Siachen Operations along side with then-Brigadier-GeneralPervaiz Musharraf[10]
Post-retirement
Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board
Zahid Akbar retired as a honourable discharge military officer from the Pakistan Army in 1990, and became Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (then known as the Board of Control for Cricket in Pakistan or BCCP) in 1988. It was during his tenure that Pakistan won the 1992 Cricket World Cup[11]
Heading WAPDA
Due to his strong engineering background, the Government of Pakistan appointed him as a chairman of WAPDA, the water and power generation megacorporation.[12][13] In 1990, he then became the chairman of Water and Power Development Authority or WAPDA in 1990. Having closely work in Pakistan's atomic program, he suggested to the Government Pakistan's nuclear and atomic power plants be placed under the direction of his utility, in order to end international concerns that the plants are involved in weapons production. The Government's response to this suggestion was positive. However, then-Prime Minister of PakistanNawaz Sharif turned down his offer down.[14]
^Khan, Chairman Wapda and PCB, Gen. (retd.) Zahid Ali Akbar. Power Demand Projections now 8400 MW. Economic Review. pp. 15, 34, 43. Retrieved 2010. ((cite conference)): Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameters: |booktitle= and |coauthors= (help)
^ abcdefghiKhan, Doctor of Engineering (Metallurgical Engineering), Abdul Qadeer (Monday, July 04, 2011). "Defenders of Pakistan". Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan, Doctor of Engineering in Metallurgical Engineering and former director-general of the Kahuta Research Laboratories, senior scientist at Project-706. Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan and the News International. Retrieved 2011. ((cite web)): Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
^John, Wilson (13 August 2004). "Analysis". Observer India. Observer Research Foundation. Retrieved 2010. ((cite web)): Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
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