[1] Khan was born in a small village of Mardan, North-West Frontier Province, British India, to an ethnic Pashtun family of the Yusufzai tribe.

[4] In 1939, he graduated from local high school and went on to attend Forman Christian College and gained a BA in English Literature in 1942.

[4] Respecting his father's wishes, Khan attended the Aligarh Muslim University and gained an MA in English history in 1946.

His career was at peak when he served with Chief Martial Law Administrator of Pakistan, General Zia-ul-Haq, responsible for the country's internal security while intelligence efforts were built up to sabotage Soviet military intervention in Afghanistan.

Khan went on to become the Secretary General of Pakistan, the highest rank in Pakistani bureaucracy, which could only be achieved after retirement by those who had served at BPS-22 grade, a position no longer in place.