ISLAMABAD: Within a span of three weeks, three air force officers have gone to the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking premature early retirement from Pakistan Air Force (PAF), citing different reasons.

Squadron Leader Akhtar Abbas was the first to file his petition on May 14, and a bench of the LHC has issued notices to the Defence Secretary and the Air Chief.

His lawyer said the officer wanted to join his foreign wife who has returned to her native country.

According to the lawyer, PAF rules allow an officer of the rank of his client early retirement after he had served for 13 years and six months, and his client has served for 16 years.

On May 26, the father of Squadron Leader Shahzeb Mehmood filed a petition with the LHC for the early retirement of his allegedly detained son.

Officer Mehmood, it is learnt, was a GD pilot but was taken off the flying duties and posted on ground positions.

On June 2, Squadron Leader Malik Masood Anwar went to the LHC with the same court, alleging that PAF authorities had been moving him to new posts too often to penalise him since he refused to participate in military operations at homeland in 2007.

His petition said he was posted at PAF base Mushaf, Sargodha, when he was sent “to another outfit which was employed on military operations at homeland/home soil, during 2007.

The petitioner due to his belief and understanding did not participate in these operations and kept himself away from such duty”.

It went on to state: “Due to aforesaid incidence, the petitioner was penalised at every step and was kept under frequent postings from one station to another without completing the usual tenure.”

It also stated that air force officers are kept at one station for more than six years whereas the petitioner was kept moving from one station to another frequently.

“This discriminatory attitude became cause of his immense mental stress and de-motivated him, because of disturbed family life.”

But the PAF authorities denied his requests for early retirement and resignation, said the petitioner requesting the court to direct the Pakistan Air Force to consider his resignation in accordance with the law.

Squadron Leader Anwar also cited precedents in which the PAF authorities had prematurely released 16 officers, including the son of a former Air Chief.

PAF spokesman commodore Tariq Mehmood declined comments to Dawn on the matter.

Military sources, however, said that Pakistan Air Force spends huge money on the training of its officers who, after completing professional courses, are assigned the vital role of defending the country.

These sources stressed that officers who do “certain professional courses” are required to serve the Pakistan Air Force for a specific period and cannot be released upon request.

After completing the specified period in uniform though, an officer can apply for retirement in accordance with the procedure laid down by the PAF rules, the sources further said.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2014