Cdr Firoz Shah

Firoz Shah
Commander Firoz Shah, PN.
Birth name	Firoz Shah
Nickname(s)	Commander Shah
Born	(1914-01-07)7 January 1914 Pind Dadan Khan, Punjab
Died	6 July 2007(2007-07-06) (aged 93) Karachi, Sindh
Buried	Military Graveyard, Karachi
Allegiance	Pakistan
Service/branch	Pakistan Navy
Years of service	1938–1972
Rank	Commander
Service number	PN No. 101
Unit	Executive Naval Branch
Commands held	Cadet College Petaro Director Naval Education (DNED)
Battles/wars	World War II Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Operation Dwarka
Awards	Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Military)
Other work	Educator

Commander Firoz Shah (Urdu: ﻓﻴﺮﻭﺯﺷﺎﻩ‎) (7 January 1914 – 6 August 2007), SI (M) Cdr. (ret.) was a Royal Navy officer in India under the British Raj, serving from 1938 to 1972. He was born at Pind Dadan Khan near Chakwal, Jhelum district, Punjab. He joined the Royal Navy in India and served under the British command until 1947. He became a de facto member of the Pakistan Navy after independence and moved to Karachi. After 18 years of service to the Naval forces, he retired in 1965 as a Commander. He later served as the principal of Cadet College Petaro from 1965 to 1972. Shah was awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz award posthumously by the government of Pakistan in 2007 for his service to Cadet College Petaro.The award was accepted by his sons one week after his death.

Upon his retirement from the Navy, the Board of Governors of the Cadet College Petaro, chose Shah to replace Col.J.H.H. Coombes as the Principal of the college on 10 June 1965. Petaro was one of the earliest colleges in Pakistan, constructed in 1957. He served at Petaro for seven years until his retirement on 14 March 1972. Along with his predecessor Col.Coombes, Shah was recognized as a pioneer in the development of the institute.

During his tenure as Principal, the college gained a nationwide reputation, reaching new heights of academic and sporting achievements and improved infrastructure. Notable among such infrastructural improvements, the provision of Sui gas to Petard was a critical event, significantly improving the lives of students and staff.The construction of the boundary wall, main gate, the tennis and squash courts and the expansions of the riding club, shooting range, and hockey field were some major changes brought under his watch.The dining hall extension, planting of trees along roads, and the addition of orchards, a farm and a guest house for visiting parents and VIPs were all undertaken during Shah's tenure.With the provision of better facilities, the number of students increased from 350 to 600 and a seventh class was introduced on an experimental basis for Sindhis. Two new houses (Iqbal and Qasim) were built. The Board of Governors permitted the introduction of pre-medical classes at the intermediate level in addition to the pre-engineering section.