Sarfaraz Rafiqui, the lionheart

Chivalric, dynamic, iconic Rafiqui

Dare devil, steadfast, symbolic Rafiqui

Allegory implicated by panthers of Pure

Mercurial, oceanic, ‘n quite at the shore;

Undaunted commander with aims gorgeous

Visionary, brave-hearted, upright, ferocious

Arrogant Goliath, challenging David’s lines

Explosions, fire- fury welcoming the lions

Death, no way could scathe or meet e’m

Martyrdom was joyous to embrace and greet e’m

Victorious by the divine will of Allah

Legacy n’ annals, of thirsty Kerbala

Veterans’ envy their maestro and legend

His stature, a human cannot comprehend;

Disciple, the Younus a leopard of zeal

Bravery, no match to the men of steel

“Turn to kill only” was order of the day

With comrade and airmen-ship, kill all the prey

Crusadic commandments of supreme mentor

Followed PAF’s traditions, norms n’ culture;

Cecil Chaudhry, the stalwart of triad not the duo

Shot out of thirteen, the enemy’s two

Impounding upon the ugly oppressors

Thwarted the whoosh and dungeon curators

Willing to be slained, a staunch Hijazi

Emerged out as a respected Ghazi

Those who fell as per will of Allah

Are alive forever, Alhumd-o-lillah, Alhumd-o-lillah

On 6 September 1965, Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Ahmad Rafiqui led a formation of three F-86 aircraft to attack the Indian airfield of Halwara. As they proceeded to attack, guns of his aircraft jammed due to a defect and stopped firing. Acting beyond the call of duty, Rafiqui refused to leave the battlefield and tried to give the formation as much protection as possible with an unarmed aircraft. In the process, his aircraft was shot down and he fell as a martyr. Rafiqui was awarded Hilal-i-Juraat.

Poem by the late Professor Taha Khan

Translation by Air Commodore (retd) Adnan Khan (Ibn-e-Taha)