Adil Najam
This news item from today’s Daily Times (23 September, 2006) needs no explanation. Saira Amin needs our words of congratulations, and maybe a crisp salute.
The coveted Sword of Honour for best all-round performance was claimed by Aviation Cadet Saira Amin, who made history by being the first woman pilot to have won the Sword of Honour in any defence academy of Pakistan. The passing out parade of the 117th GD (P) course, which includes the second batch of three women pilots, was held at the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Academy, Risalpur Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed, PAF chief of air staff, was the chief guest. The trophy for best performance in general service training and the Chief of Air Staff Trophy for best performance in flying were lifted by Aviation Cadet Squadron Under Officer Nadir Ali. The Asghar Hussain Trophy for best performance in academics was achieved by Aviation Cadet Saira Amin. Squadron No 3 received the Quaid-e-Azam Banner for being the champion squadron.
I had always thought that Inayat Hussain Bhatti’s 1965 song, jang khed nai zananian di (‘war is not the sport of women’) was a ratehr silly song. I guess Ms. Amin is also not a fan of that song. I wish her the very best, although I do also wish that neither she nor anyone else – man or woman – has to actually go to war to demonstrate the silliness of Mr. Bhatti’s histrionics.
The courage of Mukhtaran Mai, the skill of Urooj Mumtaz Khan, the determination of Saira Amin, and the sheer resiliance of all the other 80 million women in Pakistan. You make us proud.
a great honour for the paf as well as pakistan to be the women also standing side by side with men
Aziz Akhmad is in such an extreme hurry to make a point about Mrs Gandhi & Yahya Khan in his comment dated 22 September that he does not bother to check the facts upon which his wisecrack is based. The song was in question was sung during the 1965 war!
We are proud of you Saira well done!
hi,
i m so happy for you saira baji.it was my childhood dream to be a first pakistani first army cadet but it was yours luck so can you help me also so i can i also know that what we should till where our qualification should be i have already dsone my higher secondary ok bye and take care God bless u in your every step of life live long life bye
allah hafiz
my contact no is 00971 50 4168854
i m in Abu Dhabi
asad and chapu ,you people are among the millions of idiotic guys ,jealous of the success of women.
I have first hand account of these “ladies who got the sword, in the last two graduation ceremonies at Risalpur.
They did not deserve the sword but got it just so that the government could use it to boast about the status of women. A boy deserved the sword but he was put in second place.
I know for a fact that there is great resentment in Risalpur academy about the unfair treatment given to the boy who actually deserved it.
Furthermore, I also know that the pilot graduates are just flying training aircrafts and C-130’s, not the fighters. So much for female pilots…
Lack of merit based decisions has seeped into the armed forces too.