He was a gifted writer and became very close to President Ayub Khan, so much so that he was known as the de facto vice president of Pakistan. He was the main ghost writer for the latter's autobiography entitled Friends Not Masters, published 1967. After the death of his old mentor, he wrote the biography, Ayub Khan : Pakistan's First Military Ruler, which gave a different story altogether, prompting people to question 'who is the real Ayub?'Who is the real Ayub Khan?, A G Noorani, Frontline, Volume 24 – Issue 11 :: 02–15 Jun. 2007 The last official act of President Ayub Khan before handing over power was to invite Altaf Gauhar to lunch with his family and bestow on him the high civil award of Hilal-i-Quaid-i-Azam. Through some palace intrigues, President Yahya Khan assumed power on 25 March 1969. A day or two before that he had had a serious altercation with Altaf Gauhar who wanted Ayub Khan to continue. In 1969, Gauhar was initially marginalized as Director Finance Services Academy Lahore, a position much lower in rank than a Central Secretary. Subsequently, he was dismissed from service and all his four civil awards were forfeited.
