Hearing of the death of Lt. General Mahmud Ali Durrani, Pakistan has lost a very great man. US General of the Army George C. Marshall’s greatest compliment was to call someone a “soldier, scholar and statesman.” MAD, as I called him, more than met those standards. He exceeded each while adding grace, dignity and integrity to how he could be described.

MAD was among the most honourable gentlemen I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He was always, as the late Senator John McCain appreciated, a straight talker. As ambassador and later National Security Advisor, he could always be trusted and was a man of his word. Born in Abbottabad in July 1941, from early days, MAD had distinguished himself. Graduating from the Pakistani Military Academy in 1961, he won the Sword of Honour as top cadet in his class. He went on to serve in the cavalry. We first met when he was Pakistan’s ambassador to the US in 2006 and immediately formed a deep and lasting friendship. MAD had served here before as Defence Attache from 1977-82, then returning to Islamabad to become Military Secretary to........

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