ONE of the greatest sons of this soil, Air Marshal (r) Asghar Khan, the father of Pakistan Air Force, a fighter pilot par excellence, passed away on Jan 5.

He was an incomparable commander-in-chief who achieved the stature of leadership in the hearts and minds of all those he led. His indomitable qualities of vision, courage, integrity, inexorable truthfulness, pristine honesty and resolute dedication to his mission in life as a strict disciplinarian, were strident in the pursuit and legacy of Quaid-i-Azam.

An outstanding fighter pilot in World War II, he was the first to fly a fighter jet (Meteor with RAF). He captained the first mission into Kashmir in a lumbering Dakota against IAF.

He flew agile Tempest fighters and propelled the PAF from a rudimentary air force to the best air force in the world. He did this within 18 months as the youngest commander-in-chief in the world when he was 36 years.

Under his stewardship, the PAF created a world military aviation record by formation aerobatics with 16 aircraft performing loop in front of King Zahir Shah of Afghanistan.

Soon after Eidul Fitr, an Indian spy bomber violated Pakistani air space. The early air defence system’s effectiveness as his priority policy responded with incredible alacrity and a young flying officer brought the bomber down at 40,000 feet, way above PAF fighter’s operational capability. Both Indian pilot and navigator were taken in custody.

That was the indomitable spirit with which the PAF fought the 1965 war – trained, readied and motivated by Asghar Khan.

PAF will continue to build a stronger edifice of operational formidability on the foundations laid by Asghar Khan.

A subordinate, an admirer and a protégé:

Air Cdre (r) Sajad Haider

Islamabad

(2)

LATE one summer day in 1962, I was a 20-year-old student pilot flying an Auster of the Peshawar Flying Club. It was my second solo flight. On my down wind leg at 1,000 ft I glanced to my left and at that moment I knew I was dead.

Four Canberra bombers were within a second of crashing into me. Fortunately, they dipped under me. My plane shook. I continued, and minutes later turned right to approach the runway for a landing. Flying due west by that time, I found the sun in my eyes, and visibility ahead zero.

Out my right window a red flare soared up from the tower. I immediately accelerated and began turning from my approach. At that moment I saw the Canberra again about to collide with me. Once again I knew my young life was over. Somehow, I was still alive, and quite shaken. I flew away from the airport to calm my nerves, and then proceeded to return and land.

As I taxied to the flying club’s tiedown, a flag-flying jeep was racing in my direction. In it was a very angry air marshal. Fortunately for me, my flight instructor, one Hyder Hassan Rizvi, was a retired IAF squadron leader, who had been the air marshal’s instructor in pre-partition India.

Hassan convinced the air marshal that the fault was with the tower, and not me, thus saving the future of my flying career (if not my hide).

Some months later, I met the air marshal and his wife at a dinner party, and had a good laugh about it. What a delightful gentleman! I followed his career over the years. I once read an article in a Middle East journal in which he suggested that Pakistan would be much safer without nukes, but he conceded that Pakistan would, of course, never give them up.

Peter A. Thatcher

Bozeman, Montana, USA

(3)

WHEN I joined the PAF Academy, Risalpur, now named befittingly as Asghar Khan Air Force Academy, it was RPAF and Air Marshal Asghar Khan was then air commodore when he took over the command.

He was steadfast, resolute and a man of principle. He was a gentleman first and an officer later. In his own words, he was a complete officer.

Let me offer my heartfelt condolences to the family.

Hazaron sal nargis apni benuri pe roti hai / Bari mushkil se hota hai chaman main deedaver paida

Aijazuddin

Karachi

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2018