Zahirul Islam Abbasi
| Zahirul Islam Abbasi | |
|---|---|
| Native name | Urdu: ﻇﻬﻴﺮ ﺍﻹﺳﻼﻡ ﻋﺑﺎﺳﻰ |
| Nickname(s) | Zaheer bhai |
| Born | 1943 Hazara, Pakistan, |
| Died | 30 July 2009 (age 66) Rawalpindi, Pakistan |
| Allegiance |
 Pakistan |
| Service/branch | Pakistan Army |
| Years of service | 1963–1995 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Unit | Infantry (Baluch Regiment) |
| Commands held |
14th Infantry Brigade, Siachen Director General, Infantry Corps (DGIC) Defence Attaché, India |
| Battles/wars |
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 Indo-Pakistani War of 1984 Soviet war in Afghanistan |
| Awards |
Sitara-i-Jurat Sitara-i-Basalat Tamgha-i-Khidmat Class I (4)Hilal-e-Imtiaz Military (5)Imtiazi Sanad (2) |
Major General Zahirul Islam Abbasi (12 January 1943 – 30 July 2009) was a former commander and officer of the Pakistan Army. Serving in the Siachen region of the disputed territory of Kashmir, Abbasi planned and executed assaults on Indian Army posts. Abbasi was accused and convicted for a period of 7 years for being party to an attempted coup d'état against the civilian government of Benazir Bhutto in 1995 while he was still a serving Major General in Pakistan Army. No political party was linked to this coup attempt as determined by the courts.
Abbasi was commissioned into the Baloch Regiment of the Pakistan Army around 1963. As a Captain in the Army, he was appointed the adjutant of Cadet College Petaro in 1966. He served in that position until 1969. In 1972, he married Shahida Zaheer, daughter of A.A. Shaikh, who was one of the senior teachers at Cadet College Petaro. Abbasi had four children – two sons and two daughters.
Abbasi participated in the 1971 war against India on the western front. His overall performance was rated very high and he rose up through the ranks to become a Brigadier general by the mid-1980s. Abbasi remained a part of the military establishment as long as he was in service with no links to any political or religious groups as per the tradition of the army.
Abbasi worked as an intelligence and military officer in liaison with Afghan Mujahideen resisting the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan (1980–1986). In 1987–1988, Brigadier Abbasi also served as the Military Attaché at the Pakistani embassy in New Delhi, India. On December 1, 1988 New Delhi police arrested Abbasi in a meeting with an alleged Indian contact. As no information or documents could be obtained from him, the Indian government was forced to release him within hours; he was declared persona non grata and expelled from India.
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