New air chief to take command on March 19

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Day Parade will see new Chief of Air Staff (CAS) leading the fly past on March 23 as the incumbent will retire on March 18 on completion of three years tenure.

Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan will hand over command of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) to his successor at change of command ceremony to be held at the Air Headquarters here on March 19. Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan spent an eventful tenure which also saw Operation Swift Retort on February 27, 2019 when PAF fighter jets conducted air strikes at six multiple location in Indian Occupied Kashmir while remaining within the Pakistan’s air space.

The PAF jet fighters also shot down two Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft when they entered Pakistan air space chasing JF-17 Thunders. The Operation Swift Retort was conducted in retaliation of IAF aircraft’s misadventure while violating Pakistan’s air space, a day earlier. The federal government with approval of the prime minister is likely to make announcement of appointment of the new air chief.

The new PAF chief would be chosen from amongst Air Marshal Syed Noman Ali, Chairman Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC); Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar, Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Administration; Air Marshal Javad Saeed, Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Air Defence) and Air Marshal Muhammad Haseeb Paracha, Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Support). Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan has starting paying farewell calls starting from Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi last week.