Early life and naval career

Abdul Aziz Mirza was born in a small town, Dhamali Kallar Syedan, in Rawalpindi, Punjab, British India, in 1943.^[6][7] He was born into an influential military family, and his father briefly enlisted in the British Indian Army, retiring as chief warrant officer (CWO) in the Frontier Force Regiment of the Pakistan Army.^[6]

After he graduated from local high school, he went to attend the Military College Jhelum and secured his graduation before joining the Pakistan Navy in 1961.^{[8]: 220 [9]}

After graduation, Mirza applied for the Pakistan Military Academy and was selected with Pervez Musharraf and PQ Mehdi for the interview by the commandants in 1961.^{: 39 [10]} After passing the physical, he was studied at the Pakistan Military Academy with Pervez Musharraf who remained his life-long friend and Ali Kuli Khan.^{: xxi [10]: 40 [9]}

He was later sent to attend the Naval Academy in Turkey where he was trained for his basic training and gained military commission as Sub-Lieutenant in the Naval Operations Branch in the Navy in 1964.^[11][12]

He was trained as a surface warfare officer and participated in second war with India in 1965 against the Indian Navy as a gunnery specialist.^{: 223–224 [13]} In the war of 1965 he served in PNS Dhaka.^{: 223–224 [13]} In 1969–71, Lt. Mirza served in the Submarine Command before reporting at the Naval Base Iqbal where he underwent in training as a military diver and war specialist in the Navy SEALs Teams of the Special Services Group of the Navy, later serving in the Eastern Pakistan where he participating in counter-insurgency operations before being assigned at the Submarine Command.^[11]

After the war, he began engage with his studies and went to join the French War College where he graduated with a Master's degree in War studies.^[11] In 1980s, he served on the faculty at the Naval War College in Karachi and taught English at the Naval Academy, also in Karachi.^[6]

Staff and Command appointments

Throughout his career in Navy, Mirza commanded two submarines– the Daphné and Agosta 70.^[12] Mirza also commanded the guided missile destroyer and a fleet of tankers as an officer in the Navy.^[12] In 1990, he was posted at the Navy NHQ as a Naval Secretary, and held officer commanding assignments, first serving as the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) of the 25th Destroyer Squadron as Commodore in 1993.^[12] In 1994, he was promoted as Rear-Admiral and made Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, working on various defence and procurement programmes.^{: 1974 [9]} In 1994, he led series of complicated and lengthy negotiations, together with Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, with France over the technology transfer of Agosta 90B class long-range submarines.^{: 1975 [9]}

It was during this time, he became closer to many politicians and bureaucrats while working on the procurement deals in 1994–97.^{: 1975 [9]} In 1997, he was appointed as DCNS (Operations) and elevated as Vice Chief of Naval Staff with a rank of Vice-Admiral.^{: 1977 [9]}

Kargil war and Naval chief

In 1999, India and Pakistan engaged in military confrontation in Kargil sector, due a misadventure led by then-Chief of army staff General Pervez Musharraf.^{: 1952 [9]} He did not endorsed the secret infiltration to support General Pervez Musharraf but rather remaining quiet in favor of army chief.^{: 1952 [9]} Allegations have been levelled against him of misguiding the naval chief Admiral Fasih Bokhari on the matters of Kargil war in favor of army chief, and his revolt against the decision of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over the appointment of Chairman joint chiefs.^{: 1976 [9]}

In 1999, he held a press conference together with Mushahid Hussain Syed, then-Information Minister, and ultimately warned India of escalating the tensions in the region.^[14]

On 6 October 1999, he was promoted as four-star rank admiral and appointed Chief of Naval Staff after Admiral Bokharhi prematurely resigned from his commission in protest as the latter was denied the Chairmanship of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.^[15] Admiral Mirza remained supportive of martial law in 1999, and was said to be closer to Chairman joint chiefs and chief of army staff General Pervez Musharraf.^[16] Two weeks later, he was inducted as a senior member in the National Security Council along with Chief of air staff Air Chief Marshal PQ Mehdi.^[17] On 4 November 1999, Admiral Mirza released a report of his assets, with General Musharraf also releasing his tax returns papers.^[18] In 2000, Admiral Mirza notably announced of seeling the Agosta-90B Subamrines to Royal Saudi Navy and Royal Malaysian Navy but the agreement to sell the submarines were never materialized as Pakistan imposed an export restrictions.^[19]

In 2001, he questioned President Musharraf's decision policy towards the terrorism and military rotation in Western Pakistan, but he was reportedly warned by President Musharraf on his difference of opinion.^[20] He reportedly warned of expansion of Indian Navy and noted that the Indian Navy’s budget had increased 6,900% since 1971.^[21]

He led the Pakistan Navy during the military standoff between India and Pakistan in 2001–02 and boldly stated that Pakistan Navy will hold its own against the Indian Navy.^[22] As the naval chief, he is credit of overseeing the development and nationwide construction of the Agosta-90B Khalid-class submarines in various capacities as Pakistan built its first indigenous submarine in 2002.^[23]

Foreign Decorations

Foreign Awards
USA	The Legion of Merit (Degree of Commander)
South Korea	Tong il (Order of National Security Merit)
France	The Legion of Honour (Grand Officer Class)