Cdr Firoz Shah

Infobox Person
name = Cdr. Firoz Shah


caption = Cdr. Firoz Shah as Principal Cadet College Petaro
birth_date = 07 January, 1914
birth_place = Pind Dadan Khan, Punjab
death_date = 06 August, 2007
death_place = Karachi
other_names =
citizenship = flagicon|Pakistan Pakistani
known_for = Second Principal of Cadet College Petaro
occupation = Educationist, Navy
relatives =
spouse = Sughra (Late)
website = www.petaro.org
footnotes = Awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz

Cdr. Firoz Shah (Urdu: ﻓﻴﺮﻭﺯﺷﺎﻩ ) (07 January, 1914 — 06 August, 2007) was the second principal of Cadet College Petaro, one of the earliest of public schools built in Pakistan back in 1957. He joined the Royal Navy in undivided India in 1938 and fought during the Second World War as a part of the British war machine. He was awarded the coveted Sitara-e-Imtiaz award by the Government of Pakistan in 2007 for his meritorious services to Cadet College Petaro

Education and Early Life

Firoz Shah was born on 7 January 1914 at Pind Dadan Khan near Chakwal, Jhelum District, Punjab. He graduated from the Punjab University, Kitchener’s College, Nowgong (in undivided India). Subsequently, he also graduated from the Royal Navy College in London.

He married Sughra on 24 November 1940. They have three children – two sons (Shafqat Shah and Sajjad Shah) and one daughter. His wife Sughra expired in 1996.

Career in the Navy

Firoz Shah joined the Royal Navy in 1938 in undivided India and served under the British command until 1947. He also fought the Second World War under the British flag.

When Pakistan was created in August 1947, Firoz Shah became a de facto member of the Pakistan Navy and moved to Karachi. After eighteen years of meritorious service under the Pakistani flag, he retired from the Pakistan Navy in 1965 as a Commander. Of these eighteen years, he served as the Director of Education in Pakistan Navy for 12 years. He was recognized as a key educationist. All of the educational institutions of the Pakistan Navy were under his supervision.

Cadet College Petaro

Upon his retirement from the Navy, the Board of Governors of Cadet College Petaro chose Firoz Shah to relieve Col. J.H.H. Coombes as the Principal of the college on 10 June 1965. He then ruled over Petaro for 7 years until his retirement on 14 March 1972.

Along with his predecessor Col. J.H.H. Coombes, Firoz Shah is recognized as a pioneer in the development of Cadet College Petaro and its institutions. It was during his period when the college gained a nationwide reputation and most of its infrastructure was completed. The college also rose up to its heights in academics and nationwide sports achievements.

In terms of infrastructure developments, the Provision of Sui gas to Petaro was a very important event as it made life so much easier. Other infrastructure improvements included construction of the boundary wall, main gate, tennis courts, 2 squash courts, expansion of riding club, shooting range, grassy hockey field, extension of dining hall, trees along all roads, orchards, agriculture farm, Guest House for visiting parents & VIPs, etc.

With better infrastructure, the number of students increased from 350 to 600 cadets and seventh class was introduced on an experimental basis for Sindhis. Two new houses (Iqbal and Qasim) were built. The Board of Governors permitted introduction of pre-medical classes at the Intermediate level in addition to the pre-engineering section.

Among the greatest achievements was on the sports side. The college won most of the trophies against rival institutions during Firoz Shah’s tenure. The "President’s Shield" donated by late President Ayub Khan used to be given to the college winning the ICCST (Inter Cadet Colleges Sports Tournament). Petaro won the shield and the championship for 4 consecutive years (1968-71), gaining the right to keep the shield permanently.

In terms of career development, the college saw a surge in interest by cadets who wanted to join the armed forces. Selection into Services Academies increased dramatically as a result of special training introduced. A Flying Club was also started with the patronage of PAF who provided a glider and necessary staff.

Firoz Shah’s tenure also saw development of Staff and Employees Welfare projects. It led to an increase in staff members, additional House Masters, allowances sanction, courses for higher qualifications in UK, staff club improvements, additional housing, and permission to sons of staff members to join college. Subsidies were given to employee for Sui gas connections, food, transport for colony children attending school in Hyderabad, and a Welfare Fund.

Firoz Shah left Cadet College Petaro while the country was going through a difficult time. The country had just gone through a war with India and Pakistan was dismembered. With the invasion of East Pakistan by India and the formation of Bangladesh, the country was going through a great shock. It was within a few months of this disastrous event that Firoz Shah retired from the college on 14 March 1972.

Firoz Shah’s services to the college have been recorded and remembered at every major function held at Cadet College Petaro. Along with Col. J.H.H. Coombes, he is considered to be a legend and a great hero for the sake of education in Pakistan.

Later life

Cdr. Firoz Shah moved to his ancestral village of Baghanwala which is a part of Pind Dadan Khan after his retirement, and spent two and a half decades of his life in development projects and uplift of that rural area. He was engaged in farming and social activities, including magisterial duties, local bodies, establishing a girls primary school at the farm, provision of electricity and a roads infrastructure to the village and the adjacent localities.

He then moved to Islamabad to live with his younger son in the mid-1990s. In 2002, Firoz Shah moved to Karachi and spent his last few years there until his death on 6 August 2007. His body was transported to his ancestral village of Baghanwala in the vicinity of the town of Pind Dadan Khan. He is buried near the grave of his wife Sughra.

The government of Pakistan honoured Cdr. Firoz Shah for his meritorious services and awarded him the coveted Sitara-e-Imtiaz national award. The award was given to his sons a few weeks after Cdr. Firoz Shah's death in 2007.

Footnotes

Publications

* "Cdr.(R) Firoz Shah - The Second Principal of Cadet College Petaro: 1965-1972", published in "Petaro and Petarians Over Fifty Years" by Kazi Zulkader Siddiqui, Islamabad, 2007.

Other Wikipedia references

*Cadet College Petaro
*Petarians

External links

* [http://www.petaro.org Cadet College Petaro website]
* [http://www.petarianfoundation.org Petarian Foundation website]