LIEUTENANT GENERAL AHSAN SALEEM HYAT AND LIEUTENANT GENERAL EHSAN UL HAQ GET PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF GENERAL

Saturday, October 02, 2004 Rawalpindi: Lieutenant General Ehsan-ul-Haq (589-F), Director General Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and Lieutenant General Ahsan Saleem Hyat (447-S), Corps Commander Karachi have been promoted to the rank of General.  General Ehsan ul Haq has been appointed as Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee while General Ahsan Saleem Hyat has been appointed as Vice Chief of the Army Staff.

General Ehsan-ul-Haq was commissioned in 1969 in self propelled regiment of Army Air Defence. He has vast experience of command, staff and instructional appointments. Besides commanding a Corps, General Ehsan-ul-Haq has commanded Infantry and Air Defence Division and Brigades. He is a graduate of Command and Staff College , Quetta and National Defence College , Islamabad . For his meritorious services he has been awarded Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military).

General Ahsan Saleem Hyat was commissioned in an Armoured Corps Regiment in 1967. He has vast experience of command and instructional appointments. He has commanded an Armoured Division, Brigade and a Regiment. He has been Quarter Master General at the General Headquarters before he was posted to command a Corps. He is a graduate of Command and Staff College , Quetta and National Defence College , Islamabad . He has been awarded Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military) for his meritorious services.

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Sargodhian Spirit Trust is establishing  a Public School at Tando Allah Yar. The first batch of 160 students is scheduled to enter in September 2005. The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Kaleem Saadat was presented with a progress report on the establishment of the Sargodhian Spirit Trust Public School , Rashidabad (Tando Allah Yar) by a delegation of Sargodhians Old Boys Association which is setting up this school on a purely non-profit basis. The school which is being built over an area of 50 acres near the town of Tando Allah Yar will be set up on the same pattern as the very successful Public Schools of Pakistan i.e. Aitcheson, Chand Bagh, PAF Public School Sargodha etc. The total cost of the project is estimated to be around Rs. 255 million. One of the salient features of the school is that 25% of students will be on full scholarship and will be selected exclusively from the rural areas of Sindh. The rest of the entry will be on merit from all over Pakistan with a special quota for Bangladesh .  

 

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A  SARGODHIAN   EMBRACES  “SHAHADAT”

   

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The painful memory of 08 April continued to haunt me till I took refuge in writing these lines. I heard it from Sqn Ldr Shabbir: “Imran Tariq of 25th Entry has died in an air crash”. My ears did not believe the news. My wife and I rushed frantically to his residence in Sargodha. I was praying that what I had heard might turn out to be a rumour. When I turned towards Imran’s residence I saw the PAF Provost standing all along the road. What befell later is beyond words to describe. Heart-rending wails of Imran’s mother shook us deep inside. My wife who was sobbing and praying till then, burst into tears. She had always admired Imran’s mother for the way she had brought up her kids.

          Flying was not just a profession to Imran. It was his life and soul. His father also died in an air crash during an exhibition flight at PAF Base Sargodha (now Mushaf). Imran was only 6 months old then. Like father like son; Imran died with his boots on. My wet eyes were a tribute to Imran’s glorious death. The motto of his House was: “To What Heights Can I Not Rise”. Today dear Imran had topped the heights, which even a Falcon never flew.

          I had known Imran since I received him in Falcon House back in 1992. Being a bachelor I had lot of time to spend with the boys. I remember Imran was slender and skinny when he joined the House. I saw him grow smarter and taller both in stature and personality. He was down to earth, humble and caring. He has left a circle of friends, each one claims that he was closer to him. That’s how he made everyone feel.

          My memory might be playing tricks on me but I can’t remember anything but good about him. So, let me say in my biased praise; Imran was the nicest son a mother could have. I saw him on visitors’ days. His regular visitors were his grandma, mother and sister. He would feel happiest in their presence and would always show them tremendous love. Once he told me that they were so fond of each other that none of them could bear to live apart.  When he was selected for PAF College Sargodha, he found it really hard to bid them farewell. But the aim of becoming a fighter pilot like his father gave him strength and courage.

Like many other Sargodhians, he relished weekends, which offered him sound sleep and freedom from early morning hassle and tension. Imran would vividly describe the time spent at home. After he had lost his father, his mother started teaching at a school at the Base. Once he told me that he and his sister would help her at home, even in the kitchen. The home was shattered again. I wanted to console Imran’s grief stricken mother but was at a loss for words. I wished Imran had lived many more years especially for his mother and the family. But who can understand the ways of Allah. Only His will reigns supreme. He had chosen him to be a Shaheed at a young age of 25.

          The residence was full of uniformed personnel and civilians who had come to condole with the distressed family. Imran’s wife was trying to calm down their 3 months old daughter. That small little creature probably got scared of screams all around. It was only last year the place was echoing with laughter and music. Imran was getting married. He was looking gorgeous in a traditional wedding gown and turban. He had invited rather insisted that I attend all the functions. None of us ever imagined that the times spent and moments shared would so suddenly and abruptly end. Now, he was in front of me; sleeping in the flag wrapped coffin. How uncertain life is!

          Flying Officer Ahsan Hamzai (1663-T) of Imran’s Squadron was telling me: “In the morning, Sir Imran was telling us about the low level strike mission he was going on. Then he began to advise us to pay Mess bills on time. He handed some money to a colleague and asked him to pay his bill. He said he would collect the change after the mission. He didn’t know what fate had in store for him.”

            Imran’s father in law, Brigadier Ghaffar had arrived. He was bravely holding back his emotions. Men in uniform picked up the coffin. They were going to carry it to F 6 lawn at the Base. People from all walks of life had gathered to pay tribute to the son of soil. The Shaheed’s coffin was brought to the spot with full military decorum. Funeral prayer was offered. The coffin was on the shoulders again. Now they were carrying it to PAF graveyard. Shortly, they came to the destination. The crowd was shuffling around a freshly dig grave. The coffin was placed beside it. Guns were fired in honour of the Shaheed. Flt Lt Aftab (1534-Fn), Imran’s colleague from Falcon House picked up Imran’s cap and medals from the coffin. Flt Lt Irfan (1455-F) and Flt Lt Ovais (1490-A) two of Imran’s entry mates folded the national flag. At last, the coffin was glided down the ropes, into the grave, and covered with slabs. I tossed on my first shovel of earth and asked the departing son: “Are you happy on your trip to heaven?” The answer was clearly heard inside me: “Yes Sir!”

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The Gallant Sargodhians

By Sqn Ldr M Shahid Hafeez

 A considerable number of Sargodhians participated as pilots in the 1965 war against India. Following is a brief account of those who won the coveted Sitara-i-Jurat for their gallantry in air combat.                         

Flt Lt Mohammad Tariq Habib Khan (118-T) was one of the pilots who struck the enemy airfield at Kalaikunda in the first strike mission against India from East Pakistan . In one of the operations he engaged 4 Indian Air Force Hunters thus diverting their attention from the PAF aircraft who were attacking the enemy airfield. Later, he himself managed to evade the Indian aircraft and return home safely in a crippled aircraft. During different operations, he destroyed three Canberras and one C-119 on the ground and one Hunter in the air-to-air dogfight. He was awarded Sitara-i-Jurat by the PAF Commander in Chief, Air Marshal Noor Khan.

Flt Lt Arshad Sami Khan (136-F) flew the highest number of combat missions during the 1965 war with India. His enthusiasm and aggressiveness was a source of inspiration for the other pilots. He never looked tired or apprehensive against heavy odds. Inflicting maximum damage to the enemy was his only objective. He was credited with one aircraft, 2 heavy guns, 15 tanks and 22 vehicles destroyed and another 8 tanks and 19 vehicles damaged. For his exemplary courage and determination and outstanding devotion to duty he was awarded Sitara-i-Jurat by the President of Pakistan, Field Marshal M Ayub Khan.

Flt Lt Saif-ul-Azam (147-A) flew 12 ground attack missions against the enemy in Sialkot , Wagah and Kasur sectors. His will to destroy the enemy in face of heavy fire and in total disregard of his personal safety earned him deep appreciation of Pakistan Army. On 19th of September,1965  in spite of having been separated from his formation and bad radio communication, he shot down an Indian Gnat and returned to the base safely. For his exceptional flying skills, courage and outstanding devotion to duty he was awarded Sitar-i-Jurat by the President of Pakistan, Field Marshal M Ayub Khan.

                             It is worth mentioning that none of Sargodhians lost his life during the September , 1965 war.

 

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Guard of Honour Over the Years

                                        Sqn Ldr M Shahid Hafeez