Ahmad Tasnim

In December 2021, ARY Digital release a telefilm Hangor S-131, based on real incidents from 1971 Indo-Pak war in which role of Tasnim was played by Zahid Ahmed.

In 2016, Admiral Tasnim backed the ISPR's claim of detecting the Indian Navy's submarine patrol the Karachi coast, claiming that: the Indian submarine was detected 40 nautical miles off Pakistani coast." Talking to Dawn, Tasnim was of the opinion that "the submarine had come for intelligence gathering purposes. Intelligence gathering is a common practice, but the skill is not to get caught – like we did in our times."

For almost a week, Cdr. Tasnim had the Hangor submerged due to being aware of massive search and destroy mission to locate Hangor, making his way to report back to its base with depleted hydrogen batteries. According to his personal admission in 2001, Tasnim maintained: "An extensive air search combined with surface ships made our life miserable but with intelligent evasive action we managed to survive these attacks and arrived in Karachi safely after the ceasefire."

In 2001, Admiral Tasnim refuted the Indian Navy's claim of sinking the Ghazi, maintaining on the ground that "the sub was lost due to operational accident and Indians have never claimed it as such."

In 1991, Vice-Admiral Tasnim's name was announced to be appointed as Chairman of the National Shipping Corporation which he stayed until 1992. In 1992, Vice-Admiral Tasnim was moved as chairman of Karachi Port Trust (KPT), which he remained until his retirement from the Navy in 1994. In 1992, Vice-Admiral Tasnim was moved as chairman of Karachi Port Trust (KPT), which he remained until his retirement from the Navy in 1994.

In 1987–88, Rear-Admiral Tasnim was appointed as DCNS (Personnel) and later became a senior fleet commander in 1989–91, with as three-star rank, Vice-Admiral.

Upon returning, Cdre. Tasnim was tactical officer commanding of the 25th Destroyer Squadron, later commandant of the Naval War College in Karachi and posted as the ACNS (Training) until promoted to two-star rank. In 1984, Rear-Admiral Tasnim was directed to join the faculty of National Defence University (NDU) in Islamabad, teaching courses on military studies of which then-Brig. Pervez Musharraf was also this student. He remained Chief Instructor (CI) at the NDU until 1987.

This was the first submarine kill since World War II, and the only one until a Royal Navy's Conqueror sank an Argentine cruiser General Belgrano during the Falklands War fought in 1980s. In 1990s, he was appointed chairman of the Karachi Port Trust and the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation while serving in the Navy until retiring from his service in 1994.

In 1976, he was promoted to one-star assignment, and Capt. Tasnim was appointed as Director-General Naval Operations (DGNO) and then Naval Secretary at Navy NHQ in Islamabad. In 1978, Cdre. was selected by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for a diplomatic assignment, and briefly tenured as military attaché at the Embassy of Pakistan in Paris until 1981.

Upon returning to Pakistan, Cdr. Tasnim was decorated with Sitara-e-Jurat for his actions of valour in 1972. In 1973, he was posted in Navy NHQ in Islamabad, becoming director submarine operations and assuming the command of submarine command (COMSUBS) in 1974. In 1975–76, Cdr. Tasnim went to United States to attend the Naval War College in Rhode Island, returning with MSc. in war studies, and appointed "Directing Staff" at the Naval War College in Karachi.

Vice-Admiral Ahmad Tasnim HI(M) SJ & Bar SI(M) SBt (Urdu: احمد تسنيم; born 1935) is a retired three-star rank admiral in the Pakistan Navy who is notable for his command of the Hangor, a submarine, that sank the INS Khukri on 8 December 1971 during the third war with India, off the Diu, Gujarat in India.

Cdr. Tasnim arrived with Hangor submarines in 1970, and reported to its base in Karachi on 1 December 1970. In August 1971, Cdr. Tasnim volunteered to go behind the enemy lines to pick up intelligence on Indian Navy's movement, which was duly approved. In November 1971, Hangor again sailed under his command with full wartime load of torpedoes, moving towards Bombay harbour, identifying the Indian armada but did not attack due to not being authorized. In an attempt to warn, Cdr. Tasnim broke the radio silence and dispatched a message that was immediately identified, leading the Indian Navy dispatching two ASW warships, INS Khukri and INS Kirpan from 14th Squadron of the Western Naval Command of the Indian Navy. The Indian squadron under Captain M.N. Mullah identified Hangor on 2–3 December, and came forward to attack the submarine that was operating on the shallow waters. Cdr. Tasnim ordered the increase of depth of the submarine by 200 m and set their targets on approaching Indian Navy's ship that were now coming to attack the submarine.

After the refit trials, Lt. Cdr. Tasnim returned to Karachi and traveled to Paris to acquire the Hangor-class submarine. There, he learned French language and took over of the command of the PNS Hangor in 1969 as Commander.

In 1967, Lieutenant-Commander Tasnim assumed the command of Ghazi and became concerned for her refit as time passed. After refitting of its computers, Ghazi under the command of Lt. Cdr. Tasnim embarked on the notable circumnavigation of Africa and Southern Europe in order for its mid-life update that were to be carried out in Gölcük Naval Shipyard in Turkey due to the closure of the Suez Canal because of the Six-Day War.

Ghazi, under command of Cdr KR Niazi, escorted the combined task group under Cdre S.M. Anwar, the OTC, to successfully raid a radar facility in Dwarka, India. Ghazi later patrolled the Arabian sea and reported back safely to its base once the ceasefire was broken by the Soviet Union between India and Pakistan. Lt. Cdr. Tasnim was honoured with Sitara-e-Jurat, along with the Ghazi in 1966.

In 1965, Lieutenant-Commander Tasnim was the executive officer and Second-in-Command of the PNS Ghazi, and participated in second war with India in 1965.

In 1963, Lt. Tasnim personally excused himself from his assignment in order to join the newly established crew that was to be trained in the United States in order to operate the submarine acquired from the United States Navy. Alongside with then-Lt.Cdr K.R. Niazi, Lt. Tasnim arrived in the New London in Connecticut where he was trained on the USS Angler for the submarine operations. In 1964, the crew of Ghazi returned to Pakistan and reported back to its base, Karachi Naval Dockyard.

Briefly serving as an exchange officer, S/Lt. Tasnim was again set to England where he attended the Royal Naval College in Greenwich, where he graduated in War studies with strong emphasis on nuclear war. Upon returning to Pakistan, he was promoted as lieutenant, and was posted as executive officer to Jahangir which he served until 1961. During this time, he was posted in East Pakistan but return shortly after Lt. Tasnim was appointed as ADC to President Ayub Khan.

After matriculating from a Government Islamia High School Jhang, he was admitted at the Government College University in Lahore in 1950 but left his university studies after being selected for the military service exam in 1952. In 1954, he joined the Pakistan Navy, commissioned as Midshipman and was sent to the United Kingdom to attend the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, England. He shared his dormitory with army cadet Imranullah Khan who would also ascended into being a three-star army general. He graduated from the Britannia Royal Naval College in 1955, and was later sent to Australia for further sea training where he joined the Royal Australian Navy as an exchange officer, gaining commission as Sub-Lieutenant on 1 January 1957, and served aboard HMAS Sydney, an aircraft carrier.

His father, Mohammad Yakob, was a civil servant with Indian Civil Service of British government. In 1940, he moved with his father who was posted to Jhang in West Punjab and permanently moved to Burewala after the independence of Pakistan on 14 August as result of the partition of India.

In an interview conducted by A.H. Amin, Ahmad Tasnim stated that he was born to a Punjabi Arain family in Mianwal village, Jalandhar district, East Punjab in British India, in 1935. In the same interview, he stated that his ancestors "most likely came from Iran" and "took up agriculture as their livelihood" after settling in the "area".