WATCH: Pakistan Air Force pays tribute to martyrs of 1971 war

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Force (PAF), on Wednesday, paid tribute to the martyrs of the 1971 war for their unprecedented courage, sacrifice and their war heroics.

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The PAF’s Directorate General Public Relations released a short video based on 1971 Pak-India war heroes Flight Lieutenant Ghulam Murtaza Malik Shaheed, Tamgha-i-Jurrat and Flight Lieutenant Javed Iqbal Shaheed, Tamgha-i-Jurrat, said a news release.

The documentary highlighted the heroic and fearless deeds of the Pakistanis soldiers who achieved the great status of martyrdom.

The film narrated that Flight Lieutenant Malik was born in November 1941 in Rawalpindi and got a commission as a navigator in PAF in January 1966.

His first appointment was in the historic No. 6 Squadron of PAF at Chaklala Airbase, where he became part of the newly inducted C-130 aircraft’s first aircrew member. Later, after successful accomplishments, he joined B-57 Bomber aircraft as an operational navigator.

During the 1971 Indo-Pak War, he was deputed at PAF Base Masroor as part of the No.7 Squadron. This Squadron was deployed at PAF Base Mianwali and was tasked to attack and neutralize enemy airbases; among those was the Amritsar Base.

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It had a huge significance for the Indian Air Force (IAF) due to its geographical and operational importance, and PAF was well aware that this base would be used to attack Pakistan, and it was necessary to destroy this base.

Flight Lieutenant Iqbal as a pilot and Flight Lieutenant Malik as its navigator were selected to accomplish this task.

On December 5, 1971, the two Pakistani soldiers took flight towards their target. After evading enemy fighter jets and radars, when they reached Amritsar, the entire airfield was drowned in darkness.

Before the enemy took stock of the situation or held its positions the B-57 aircraft started bombing the runway.
The anti-aircraft guns of the enemy turned their fire at the PAF falcons.

Without bothering the heavy fires, the two returned for the second attack to destroy the tarmac and succeeded in destroying it.

Unfortunately, this time, they got hit by the ack-ack (anti-aircraft gunfire) of the enemy guns. The pilot was unable to control the plane where both of them decided to eject. Unluckily, the parachute of Flight Lieutenant Iqbal did not open, and he perished on the spot.

However, Flight Lieutenant Malik got serious head injuries and was taken into custody by the enemy as injured.

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He was later shifted to Military Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on December 12, 1971, and embraced martyrdom. He was laid to rest near Delhi besides Nizamuddin Auliya’ Shrine.

In recognition of his supreme sacrifice and unforgettable courage, he was awarded Tamgh-i-Jurrat.

“The nation pays salute to these brave martyrs of the beloved motherland,” it concluded.