ISLAMABAD, March 8: Former chief of the air staff Air Chief Marshal Zulfiqar Ali Khan died of cardiac arrest here on Tuesday, an announcement made by the PAF Public Relations Directorate here said.

He was 75 and leaves behind a widow and a daughter. The late air chief marshal suffered a heart attack at his residence and was taken to the PAF hospital, but the doctors pronounced him dead at about 8:30pm.

Air Chief Marshal Zulfiqar Ali Khan remained chief of the air staff from April 15, 1974 to July 22, 1978. He served as Pakistan's ambassador in Washington in early 1990s. He was also posted as air adviser at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.

Born on December 10, 1930 in Lahore, the late air chief marshal got commission in the PAF as GD pilot on December 21, 1950. He was the first graduate of PAF Academy, Risalpur, to have reached the highest post in the PAF.

During his long service, he commanded a fighters' squadron, a fighters' wing and a bombers' wing at the PAF headquarters at Dhakka in the former East Pakistan, PAF Base Sargodha and PAF Academy, Risalpur.

At the Air Headquarters, he held the post of director of operations as well as plans. A graduate of PAF Staff College, he later served as director staff in the same institution.

Air Chief Marshal Khan's funeral parade will be held at the Air Headquarters, E-9, on Wednesday at 3pm. He will be laid to rest at the Islamabad Graveyard, H-8, at 4pm with full military honours.