[7] Rao Farman Ali Khan was born into a Rajput family in Rohtak, East Punjab, then under the British Colonial rule in 1923.

[citation needed] He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Regiment of Artillery of the British Indian Army during the World War II in 1943.

From 4 July 1971 to 3 September 1971 he functioned under the designation of Major General (Political Affairs) and from the latter date to 14 December 1971 he worked as adviser to the Governor of East Pakistan.

[11] Altaf Gohar, an East Pakistani civil servant, recounted that a friend told him a hit list had been drawn up for elimination of certain Bangalis.

[2] Pages of this very diary with lists of intellectuals were recovered from the debris of Rao Farman's office, the then Governor's House, which was bombed by the Indian Air Force on 14 December.

A note book was found in Rao Farman Ali's office in Dhaka, One page contained a list of university teachers with addresses, with tick marks besides some of the names like "M. Haider Chy.

Niazi wrote in his book, "The Betrayal of East Pakistan that Farman had quoted: "Mukti Bahini would kill him of his alleged massacre of the Bangalees and intellectuals on the night of 15–16 December.

Farman Ali was forcefully retired from the military in 1972 but appointed as managing director of Fauji Foundation in 1974 which he remained in that position until 1984.

[6] After the sudden death of President Zia-ul-Haq, Farman Ali reportedly went into hiding and lived a very quiet life in Rawalpindi on a pension.

[6] On 20 January 2004, Farman Ali died and was laid to rest with military honors in Westridge cemetery in Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan.