MModern wars are fought in the media, social websites and diplomatic fronts, along side the military field. In military nomenclature psychological warfare propagates that the hostile side is devoid of ideology, their commanders are incompetent, their elders were wrong in perceptions and have an obsolete weaponry. The world knows Bharat does not have an ideology. She does not even have an identity. They have maintained the anachronistic name of India which according to the independence plan of India ceased to exist on 15 Aug, 1947. The Quaid-e-Azam also decided to celebrate the independence on Aug 14, instead of 15 th proving, we are different in all the aspects of life.
The PAF has been in the forefront of defending the motherland against the aggression of Bharat ever since its Independence. On 04 Nov, 1948 two Bharati Tempest aircraft attacked a PAF transport Dakota over Chilas valley. Flight Lieutenant Mukhtar Dogar and his co-pilot Flying Officer Jagjiwun did not accept the orders of surrender and maneuvered to escape the brutal attack by the fighter aircraft of Bharat. In the melee, Flying officer Jagjiwun received bullets in the arm and was seriously wounded. Flight Lieutenant Mukhtar Dogar received the first Sitara –e-Jurat for PAF on this feat of bravery. This act of valor was the outcome of having the best environment, best pilots, best aircraft, best technicians, best logistics support and best airmen-ship and professionalism.
During the episode of 1965 encounter, the PAF flew a total of 2,489 sorties. The PAF earned 54 gallantry awards. They included three Hilal e Jurat, 46 Sitara e Jurat and five Tamgha e Jurat. It also provided support to the Pak Army and the Navy in line with their assigned missions. About the war of 1965, it is generally said the PAF saved Pakistan.
Later, 1971 war saw the PAF flying 2,955 sorties and bagging 43 gallantry awards. The included one Nishan-e-Haider (Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas), two Hilal-e-Jurat, 24 Sitara –e-Jurat and 16 Tamgha –e-Jurat. The Squadron Leader MM Alam and Wing Commander Mervin L Middle coat are the two heroes who earned Sitara e Jurat with Bar (they were decorated twice with this honor).
During the wars of 1965 and 1971, the PAF performed much more than it’s potential against a much larger air force. The Bharat air force was neutralized right at the start of the 1965 war and after losing the air superiority they did not enter the Pakistani air space after 07 Sep, 1965.
During 1971 the full scale war was fought in the western front, whereas Bharat had planned a different game in the eastern command based on their defeat in 1965. The Hindutva followers poisoned the Bengali personnel in the PAF to turn their loyalties. They were taught “Mea Culpa (Hindu blood runs in our veins). Subsequently in the East Pakistan, 52% of the 1,222 PAF personnel had to be lain off leaving only 577 loyalists for the PAF. Only one squadron (No 14) with 16 F-86s was pitched against 8 Bharati air bases with different type of aircraft i.e. Gnats, Hunters, Mig-21 and SU-7s.
The PAF was also assigned the task of supporting the Pak Army against the intruders as well as the Pak Navy. The miscreants sabotaged the radar by attacking different Mobile Observer Units (MOUs) and killing the PAF radar operators, close to borders. Consequently without this vital support, there was no reaction time to scramble from Tejgaon airfield (Dacca). To encounter this threat, the local commanders decided to focus on defence. Devoid of supplies, ammunition, fuel, bullets and ration each and every item had to be consumed carefully.
On 4 Dec, 1971 a formation of 2 F-86s (Flying Officer Shams-ul-Haq and Flying Officer Shamshad) had to face three consecutive attacks. At 0845 they stopped two SU-7s. Flight Lieutenant Shams ul Haq destroyed one SU-7 and forced the other to escape. But there was another formation of four Hunters emerging for the dogfight. Shams shot down two of these Hunters and did not allow them to reach their airfield. He also faced another formation of 2 Mig-21s for another dual.
Seeing the stiff resistance from the Eastern wing of the PAF, Bharat planned a different strategy and on 6 Dec, 1971 the runway of Tajgaon airfield was completely destroyed. That was the fateful day when the war of East Pakistan was over. Now the Bharati intruder aircraft will come and drop bombs without any threat. They were also briefed about the deployed anti- aircraft guns positions, and would easily avoid them and play havoc with the civilian population of the East Pakistan. However the battle for Pakistan continued till 17 Dec, 1971 from the Western front.
Zameer Jafri describes the story of East Pakistan as
Azaiyem to bedar seenon maen thhay
Magar saanp bhi aasteenon maen thhay
Not just at home, the PAF pilots produced excellent results outside the country as well. Squadron Leader Saif ul Azam, a PAF veteran, not only earned Sitara –e-Jurat during 1965 war but was also decorated during the 1967 Arab-Israel war, with Wisam ul-Istaqlal by Jordan for destroying two Israeli Mysteres while flying for the Jordan Air Force. He was also honored by Iraq with a medal of bravery Nawat –ul-Shuja for shooting down one Mirage and one Vautour aircraft of the Israel Air Force, while representing the Iraq Air Force. Squadron Leader Saif ul Azam enjoys the honor of being the 13th best aviator of the world (from World War 1 till 2015) by the gathering of Eagles-2000 in USA. He is the only sub-continent pilot to join this unique Hall of Fame.
Flight Lieutenant Sattar Alvi and Squadron Leader Arif Manzoor are the two recipients of Wisam-e-Faris and Wisam-e-Shuja’at from the Jordan Air Force for shooting down an Israeli Mirage. Both these pilots were also decorated by Government of Pakistan with a Sitara-e-Jurat. Wing Commander Hameed Anwar was an exceptional pilot who flew with the RAF “Black Arrow” team with a Pakistani flag on its tail. He trained the Jordanian pilots for war. In Dec, 1964 his students shot one and damaged another Israeli aircraft. It was the first time ever that an Arab had shot any Israeli aircraft.
In the present world of media, our enemies are employing psychological warfare by maligning our heroes. They portray our forces as aggressors for initiating wars of 1965 and 1971. To set the record straight, it must be mentioned Bharat under the pride of Hindutva occupied Kashmir in 1948. She trained Mukti Bahini for the guerilla warfare in 1971.
Bharat staged the hijacking of “Ganga” Fokker to stop the flights and logistics support from West to East Pakistan in Feb, 1971. Indira Gandhi on diplomatic front portrayed Pakistan as an aggressor by showing them the refugee camps. Bharat destroyed Pak Navy Atlantique in 1998. Bharat occupied the Siachen and Kargil heights. Had there not been an air force and a strong army Bharat would have made us a subservient Pakistan.