Imtiaz Bhatti

Imtiaz Bhatti won several national cycling titles during the early years of Pakistan statehood after World War II. This led to his selection to represent his country at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, where he was 25th in the 1000 metres time trial and failed to finish the road race. The following year, he finished his studies at Punjab Agriculture College and joined the Pakistan Air Force, where he would remain until his retirement in 1988.

During his career, Bhatti received numerous distinctions, particularly for his service during the Indo-Pakistani wars of 1965 and 1971. Most notably, he was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat (Star of Courage), the nation’s third-highest military award. After retiring as an air commodore, he served as an ambassador from 1990 through 1992 in several African countries.