Lt Gen Wajid Ali Khan Burki

Lt. Gen. Wajid Ali Burki, belonged to a well known Pathan family of Basti Baba Khel, a suburb of Jullunder, East Punjab. Born on 28th Oct. 1900, he studied at Government High School and Foreman Christian School, Jallunder. He passed his college days at Government College, Lahore from 1916-1919. He completed his M. B. Ch. B in 1924 and M.D. from St. Andrews University (Scotland) in 1926.

He completed his D.O.M.S from Moorfield Eye Hospital, London.

He joined Indian Army Medical Service in 1927 and served at Jullunder, Quetta, Karachi and various other stations. He was appointed Eye Specialist, Eastern Command, from 1933-39. He also attended senior officers’ course at Milbank (U.K.) in 1932.

He, during the World War II, served in East Africa (1940-41), Middle East (1941-42) and Burma (1942-44).

He opted for Pakistan in 1947.

In Pakistan Army, he became Deputy Director General Medical Services, and was promoted to the rank of Lt. General in 1955. He was appointed Director General, Armed Forces, Medical Services.

In Oct. 1958, when Ayub Khan took over as the President of Pakistan, he was appointed as Minister of Health, Labour, Social Welfare and Village Aid in the Federal Government. He became a Senior Minister in 1959 and at times officiated for the President of Pakistan.

He was Pakistan’s Ambassador to Sweden and other Scandinavian Countries from 1963-66.

He was foresighted and visionary to play a leading role in the establishment of College of Physicians and Surgeons.

He was elected President of the College in 1963 and continued to be regularly elected till the last day of his life, in which position; he guided and inspired the College and his Colleagues, to get over the most difficult period of initial establishment of the College.

As President of the College, he made close contacts with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, U.K. and other foreign post-graduate Medical Institutions and international Health Agencies. He was awarded Fellowships of the Royal Colleges of London, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

He was awarded Doctor of Laws (Honoris causa) from Punjab in 1957, from St. Andrew in 1963 and Maryland U.S.A. in 1963.

He was interested in shooting, tennis and gardening. He was laid to eternal rest in 1989.

He was a medical doctor by training, and played a significant role in the development of the Army's medical facilities, especially AFIP Rawalpindi and the Combined Military Hospital Network. He was knighted MBE (Order of the British Empire) 15 November 1945 by King George VI for Medical Service during WWII.

Gen Burki was President Ayub Khan's right-hand man along with Nawab Amir Mohammad Khan in the late 1950s. Both were instrumental in Ayub Khan's rise to power. Until today the three families (Ayub, Burki and Nawab Kalabagh) retain adjoining houses in Islamabad as part of their service in the creation of Islamabad. He is from the Burki Tribe (historically also known as Barak, Baraki, Birki (of Baburnama), Barki, or Urmar).

Gen Burki had three sons. Javed Burki (Urdu: جاوید برکی) is a former Pakistani cricketer who played in 25 tests from 1960 to 1969. Dr. Nausherwan K. Burki founding member of Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre and Jamshed Burki—a career civil servant (Interior Secretary - Gov of Pakistan) — who was a very popular, and well respected, Political Agent in FATA (Tribal Area) and also was a NWFP Home Secretary in the Tribal Affairs Dept.

Gen Burki's sister-in-law, Shaukat Khanum (Burki), was the mother of Imran Khan, the current founder/leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf political party.

An interesting coincidence; Pakistan's third dictator Gen Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq's father Muhammad Akbar (a Punjabi) Arain after leaving the army was given a job as caretaker of the Baba Khel Mosque built and used by Gen Burki's family and the local Burki Pathans.

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wajid_Ali_Khan_Burki