[3] Born in an affluent family in Hyderabad, he joined the Indian Air Force Volunteer Reserve (IAFVR) during World War II.

After joining the Coastal Flight at Karachi, he spent a year in the United Kingdom with the Royal Air Force.

He commanded a squadron at the Joint Services Wing, the precursor to the National Defence Academy.

As a Wing Commander, he advised the Indonesian Air Force and helped them induct jet fighters in 1955.

[7] His father, Hasan Latif, was a civil engineer who had studied at King's College London and in Heidelberg.

[9] He spent his early years in Warangal, where his father was posted, and later moved to Khairtabad in Hyderabad.

Subsequently, he attended the Advanced Flying School at Ambala where he flew the Hawker Hart and Audax.

He flew operational missions in the North-West Frontier Province, periodically flying to the advance base at Miramshah.

3 Squadron, flying the Hawker Hurricane during the Burma campaign on the Arakan Front during World War II where he distinguished himself.

[16] 23 aircraft were part of the flypast in formation of the letters I, A and F. In 1951, he was posted to the Joint Services Wing (JSW) (later National Defence Academy, Pune) at Dehradun.

[19] In July 1952, Latif was promoted to the acting rank of Wing Commander and appointed Deputy Director Weapons at Air headquarters.

He was part of the team which helped induct the de Havilland Vampire jet fighters.

[19] In September 1957, Latif was selected to attend the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington.

He was the senior-most IAF officer in the batch which also included future CAS Lakshman Madhav Katre.

The Transport Training Wing (TTW) equipped with English Electric Canberras and the Navigation and Signals School (N&SS) equipped with Dakotas were based at Begumpet while the Fighter training Wing was based at Hakimpet.

[12] During this tenure, he was the senior-most air force officer in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.

[19] After a year-long tenure as SASO, he was selected to attend the National Defence College (NDC) in early 1967.

[19] He had a varied inventory of fighters, bombers, four-engined transport aircraft and Consolidated B-24 Liberator of World War II vintage at the airbase.

[13] He served in this appointment during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war and was in the eastern sector when the Pakistani Instrument of Surrender was signed by Lieutenant General A.

[26] The Central Air Command, under Latif, flew as many as 20 helicopter sorties per day carrying out humanitarian tasks.

[30] With the retirement of General Om Prakash Malhotra in May 1981, Latif took over as the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.

[16] Latif relinquished command of the IAF on 31 August 1981, handing over to Air Chief Marshal Dilbagh Singh.

[32] After retirement from active military service, Latif was appointed Governor of Maharashtra, on 6 March 1982.

[38][39][40] He was married to Bilkees Latif, a noted social worker, and daughter of Ali Yavar Jung.