Iftikhar Ali Khan (general)

Iftikhar Ali Khan (born October 1, 1921, died December 16, 1971) was a Lieutenant General in the Pakistan Army and a veteran of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. He is notable for his role during the 1971 war, specifically his command of the Pakistani forces in the eastern sector.

Khan was commissioned into the British Indian Army before the Partition of India. Following Partition, he opted to join the Pakistan Army. He steadily rose through the ranks, gaining experience in various command and staff appointments.

At the time of the 1971 war, Lieutenant General Iftikhar Ali Khan was commander of the Eastern Command's II Corps. He was considered by many within the Pakistani military establishment to be a potential successor to Lieutenant General A.A.K. Niazi as commander of all Pakistani forces in East Pakistan (later Bangladesh). He died in a helicopter crash en route to Dhaka shortly before the outbreak of the war. The circumstances surrounding his death have been the subject of speculation, but the official explanation attributes it to an accident. His death significantly impacted the leadership structure of the Pakistani forces during the war.