Our Heroes need their identity back

[SQ8]

I know him from the times when we had to look after so much, with so much less... For me personally, he symbolizes something..... Courage and professionalism apart.... Firm conviction to achieve the mission....

I think that is still there, less open - sometimes an embarrassing “wokeness” to not mention it for fear of ridicule.
AM Anwar’s passing reminded me of how the PAF was looking to experiment in tech heretofore unthought of for a third world country.
Even Gen K. while derided by many outside during his CAS tenure to me was still a thorough professional. To the extent I recall that during his tenure around the time at Kargil, there was an exact spot where his command ended and a particular flag had to be taken off/exchanged on the staff car and he made sure it was done just to ensure the discipline example.
Also the man who had that first gen digital cam Sony Mavica bought in to get pictures from the FLOT which I had a chance to peep through has a kid seeing arty strikes on Indian posts(not to mention a particular massacre of their trucks with men and material going on that main road that fed most of their ops in Kashmir)
The idea that a top nuclear scientist and a 2 star who normally rode the latest cars could quietly hop on a rickshaw in Karachi to get someplace would be lost to many in this noise.

I wish someone would actually do a series on what I call actual Pakistanis. These weren’t all saints or supermen but they had a certain honesty and as you said, conviction. They kept(and many others like them do today) Pakistan going without an actual thanks and some were later victimized by the usual yes men and sycophants. We also forget that all of these men be in uniform or Safari suits or plain shirts have their own families and compulsions they balanced through this process.Just thinking of it brings a lump in the throat as it does on every award ceremony on 23rd march.

If the ones complaining every other day only knew Allah’s help via such hidden and odd sources in keeping them safe not just from physical but severe financial and psychological harm - and they would have the decency to just thank Allah and work hard where they are…they would see their lives get much better.

After all, it was clean shaven or ordinary looking men(at times Shandy drinking) but believing men who gave their lives against the enemy in air, land & sea in 65 and 71 while other men with prayer marks on foreheads and big beards who resembled those protested the creation of Pakistan in 47 either ran then, or kill(ed) fellow Pakistanis in the name of religion consistently.

As for ACdre Rizwan, his wife needs no introduction in Pakistan nor the world really.. his father in law doesn’t either and those families are intertwined with others. I guess that is the story of Pakistan and its connection with its those that defend it that our neighbor doesn’t understand and it seems the new urban generation doesn’t either. Khair.. baat kahan se kahan nikal gayi.. time to let the thread be.

 

[ghazi52]

 

[ghazi52]

 

[ghazi52]

Sqn Ldr Sarfaraz Ahmad Rafiqui
(Hilal-i-Jurat and Sitara-i-Jurat)​

On 6 September, 1965, Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Ahmad Rafiqui led a formation of 3 F-86 aircraft on a strike against Halwara airfield. The formation was intercepted by about 10 Hunter aircraft out of which Squadron Leader Rafiqui accounted for one in the first few seconds. But then his guns jammed due to a defect and stopped firing. However, Rafiqui refused to leave the battle area which he would have been perfectly justified to do; instead he ordered his No. 2 to take over as leader and continue the engagement while he tried to give the formation as much protection as was possible with an unarmed aircraft. This called on the part of Squadron Leader Rafiqui. The end for him was never in doubt but he chose to disregard it and, in the process, his aircraft was shot down and he was killed but not before enabling his formation to shoot down 3 more Hunter aircraft. Rafiqui’s conduct was clearly beyond the call of duty and conformed to the highest traditions of leadership and bravery in battle against overwhelming odds. For this and his earlier exploits, he is awarded Hilal-i-Jurat and Sitara-i-Jurat.

 

[ghazi52]

Sqn Ldr Rafiqui (4th from right), Sqn Ldr Muniruddin (2nd from Left) along with the pilots of No 5 Sqn at Sargodha

Plt Off Rafiqui being given last minute briefing by his instructor Flt Lt Jan Mahmood prior to going on his first solo in Tempest during Conversion Course at Mauripur

Sqn Cdr Rafiqui (centre) along with members of No 5 Sqn at Sargodha

 

[ghazi52]

Pilots of No. 2 Squadron.

 

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[ghazi52]

The World Elite Fighter Pilots - Four Legends of Pakistan Air Force
R to L : Air Marshal Malik Nur Khan, Air Commodore F.S. Hussain, Air Commodore Zafar Masud (affectionately known as Mitty Masud)
and Wg. Cdr Mervyn L. Middlecoat, just before the 1965 War in Sargodha.

 

[ghazi52]

Mirage F-1E , Qatar 1990 circa
Air Commodore (R) Sir Kaiser Tufail

 

[Raider 21]

I know him from the times when we had to look after so much, with so much less... For me personally, he symbolizes something..... Courage and professionalism apart.... Firm conviction to achieve the mission....

Him and my dad are fellow coursemates from the Academy to F-6 to F-16 conversions. The group of pilots who graduated in the early 1980s had a great exposure to CAPs and combat related activities against the Soviets at the time.

His words to me “You are wasted in Pakistan, get educated abroad” .. how true those words were from the best the PAF had in those days.

Was told the same. And that was also reflected by the same age group as mine a few years ago.

 

[ghazi52]

 

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[ghazi52]

PAF Pilots After An Acceptance Flight In Mirage-5DPA2 At Daussault's Bordeaux Plant, Circa 1980. In The Front Seat Is Shafiq Haider Who Later Retired As An Air Marshal.

 

[ghazi52]

Air Marshal (Retd) Saeed Anwer was the first Chief Project Director of Project Super-7 which later evolved into JF-17 Programme; rendering him as one of the founding fathers of the JF-17 Project.

21 June, 2021:- Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force has expressed his earnest commiseration and grief over the sad demise of Air Marshal (Retd) Saeed Anwer.

In his condolence message, the Air Chief said, “May Allah bestow the departed soul higher ranks in Heaven and grant patience to the bereaved family”. At this sad occasion, our hearts reach out to the bereaved family in grief."

The Air Chief further added that the valuable contributions of the late Air Marshal towards Pakistan's self-reliance in aviation industry and defence production, would always be remembered.