KARACHI, Aug 7: A pictorial catalogue of the 60-year history of the Pakistan Air Force titled ‘PAF over the years’ by Group Captain Syed Masood Akhtar Hussaini was launched at a ceremony held here at the PAF Museum on Monday night.

Speaking as chief guest on the occasion, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Tanvir M. Ahmed, said that a book would take a lot of time to read but it might not say as much as a powerful visual glimpse in the past could.

“A single painting of the book tells volumes about the PAF in a short moment”, he said.

“The PAF preserves a rich saga of bravery and courage and the same is depicted in the paintings of Hussaini,” he remarked. He gave a chronological account of the history of the country's air power which started off with 16 aircraft with the name of Royal Pakistan Air Force.

In later years, the word Royal was dropped and since then the country's air force is known as Pakistan Air Force.

The book's launching is held in the month of August 2007 when the country and the Pakistan Air Force are celebrating their 60th anniversary.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief executive officer of the Dawn Group of Newspapers, Hameed Haroon, described the architect of the book as an 'artist of remarkable merit'.

A member of Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, Mehar Afroz, said that the artist had done complete justice to the technical details of the paintings at every level. “The book meets all the international standards,” she remarked.

Air Officer Commanding Southern Air Command, Air Marshal Mirza Zafar Hussain, art lover and writer Faqir Syed Aijazuddin and art critic Nilofer Farrukh also eulogized the contribution of Group Captain Syed Masood Akhtar Hussaini towards highlighting the history of the PAF.