Air Marshal Farhat Hussain Khan (Retd)

Air Marshal Farhat Hussain Khan (Retd) took over as President Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS) on 13 September 2021. After graduating from Government College Faisalabad, he joined PAF and was commissioned in GD (P) Branch of the PAF, in March 1977. After commissioning, he served as a fighter pilot in various frontline fighter squadrons and flew over 3400 hrs on combat and trainer aircraft of PAF. 2

During his service, he remained on various important command and staff appointments. His command assignments included command of a fighter squadron, a fighter wing and an operational PAF airbase. His appointments at Air Headquarters included Additional Director General (ADG) Air Force Strategic Command, Chief Project Director of JF-17 program and Vice Chief of the Air Staff, an appointment he held till his retirement in July 2013. He has also served as Chairman Pakistan Aeronautical Complex Board (PACB) at Kamra. He has been President Ski Federation of Pakistan, on CAA Board and Chairman Monitoring Committee of Islamabad and Multan Airports. The Air Marshal has also served as Pakistan’s Air Attaché at New Delhi, India.

Air Marshal Farhat has qualified various professional courses including Combat Commanders’ Course, Air War Course and National Defence Course. He holds two Master’s degrees, one from the University of Karachi and one in Defence and Strategic Studies from the National Defence University, Islamabad.

He is the co-author of two books “The Aviation City” and “Milestones” about the growth of military aviation industry in Pakistan and its way forward. After retirement from service, given his immense engineering management expertise, he started work on building Pakistan’s Aircraft Manufacturing Industries with a civilian partner in the private sector. He is the sitting Chairman of Scaled Aviation Pvt Ltd, the first and only aircraft manufacturing industry in Pakistan, presently engaged in manufacturing two-seat trainers, and has ventured into designing a purely indigenous six-seat aircraft.

He is a recipient of Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Military), Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military) and Sitara-i-Basalat.

Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani (Retd)

Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani has 38 years of bilateral and multilateral experience as a career diplomat, having served as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Belgium, Luxemburg and the E.U, and Australia. Ambassador Jilani also served as the Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, the top civil service official in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A specialist in South Asian affairs, Ambassador Jilani has worked as Director General for South Asia and SAARC, Deputy/Acting High Commissioner to India and Director (India) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2018, the Government of Pakistan nominated Ambassador Jilani as member of the Experts and Eminent Persons Group (EEP) of the ASEAN Regional Forum and later in 2019, as member of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs. Most recently, Ambassador Jilani has served as a Senior Fellow at both the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and the United States Institute of Peace (USIP).

 

Air Marshal M. Ashfaque Arain (Retd)

Air Marshal (Retd) M Ashfaque Arain is Advisor Chief of Air Staff, PAF on CASS Affairs at the Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies, Islamabad, Pakistan.  He is a graduate of Combat Commanders’ School, PAF Air War College and National Defence Univeristy. He holds a Master's Degree in Defense & Strategic Studies from Air War College (AWC) and a Master's Degree in War Studies from National Defense University (NDU), Islamabad. In his 41 years of illustrious career as a fighter pilot with Pakistan Air force, the Air Marshal flew various top of the line fighter aircraft with a singular honour of being first PAF pilot to achieve 2000 hours on the F-16 aircraft. During his career, he has served in senior command and staff assignments including command of a fighter squadron, an operational base, Air Adviser Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi, Chief Project director Horizon, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Operations), Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (Plans), Director General Air force Strategic Command (AFSC), Director General Projects, and Deputy Chief of the Air Staff (Administration).His specialist areas of research include Emerging Technologies, Global Conferences.  The Air Marshal has been decorated with the distinguished awards of, Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Military), Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Military), Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military) and Sitara-i-Basalat.

Air Marshal Farooq Habib (Retd)

Air Marshal Farooq Habib (Retd) joined the Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies, Islamabad as Senior Director in February 2022. A graduate of National Defence University and Air War College, he has 36 years’ experience of military aviation as fighter pilot in the Pakistan Air Force. During his service with the PAF, he has held various Command and Staff appointments including Commandant of Air War College, Deputy Chief of Air Staff Training, Deputy Chief of Air Staff Personnel and Vice Chief of Air Staff. He has also commanded the first contingent of Pakistan Aeronautical Complex to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. An alumni of the Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies (USA), his areas of expertise include National Security with emphasis on traditional security threats and response options; Doctrine And Policy; Governance and Public Policy. He lectures regularly at National Defence University and Air War College on related subjects.

Dr. Usman W Chohan

Dr. Usman W. Chohan is an international economist and academic who serves as Director of Economic Affairs and National Development at CASS. He is among the Top 10 Business Authors (out of 12,000 authors) on the Social Science Research Network, which is the largest open repository of knowledge in the world. He has published four books in the past four years: Public Value & Budgeting: International Perspectives, Reimagining Public Managers: Delivering Public Value, Public Value and the Digital Economy, Pandemics and Public Value Management. In the academic realm, his research has been cited widely, as for example in the World Trade Organization, the European Parliament, the National Bureau of Economic Research, IEEE, and the OECD, among many others, and Dr. Chohan has testified before various authorities based on his technical expertise. Dr. Chohan’s forthcoming fifth book is titled Activist Retail Investors and the Future of Financial Markets.

Air Vice Marshal Faheem Ullah Malik (Retd)

Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Faheem Ullah Malik is a Director at Centre of Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS) dealing with Warfare & Aerospace, He joined the team of CASS scholars in Feb, 2020; after serving more than 32 years as an active duty Force fighter pilot, retiring as an Air Vice Marshal. A graduate of PAAK, Risalpur in 1987, He holds a Masters in War Studies from the PAF War College and a degree in National Security and War Course from National Defence University. During his career, besides active flying duty in different fighter Sqns on various types of fighter aircraft, plus staff duties at Regional Command / Headquarters; he served for about three years in KSA as Commander of PAF Contingent to Royal Saudi Air Force and almost a year in China. Additionally, he represented PAF at multiple training and professional forums in more than 20 countries in different capacities. He was awarded Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Mily) for his services to the PAF. He has commanded a fighter Squadron, fighter Wing and fighter Base; and his last appointment was Deputy President of prestigious National Defence University, Islamabad. Most recently, he was performing as Advisor to President NDU, before joining CASS. 

Dr Zia Ul Haque Shamsi

Dr Zia Ul Haque Shamsi did his PhD in Strategic Studies from National Defence University (NDU), Islamabad. He has a diverse professional, academic and management experience. Retired from Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Shamsi has lived and experienced the cultures of Australia, South Africa, Qatar, and Pakistan. He has a vast experience of independently conducting research related to contemporary national security, nuclear politics, arms control and disarmament affairs, peace and conflict studies, and strategic management issues. Thinks analytically and generates new ideas to introduce changes in the organization that bring positive and qualitative changes in the working environment as well as the well-being of the personnel. He is skilled in designing courses on National Security, Strategic Studies, Crisis and Conflict Management, Leadership & Management, Hybrid War, and Defense Acquisition Management.

Dr Shamsi has authored a book ‘Nuclear Deterrence and Conflict Management Between India and Pakistan’ published by Peter Lang, New York, USA. He has also authored the translation of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War in Urdu. He regularly writes opinion articles for the Pakistani newspapers, both in English and Urdu, and regularly appears on National TV networks in Current Affairs Programmes.