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.
asalam u alaikom
how are you.i hope that you are fine and i would like to say that you are the great woman for pakistani people we need like you woman for iprovement of pakistan thanks.
yours obediently
ghulam abbas hazara
to be a pilot is main thing but to prove a pilot yourself is a major thing i appreciate all the pilots of PAF because there is no one who can dare like these piolts
DEAR,
THE STRONG NATION ,UNDFINEABLE WOMEN,PRESTIOUGEOUS CHARACTER,UNMARKABLEABLE JOURNEY COULD ONLY BE FOUND IF THE PRINCESES LIKE U ACHIVE THE SOWRD OF HONOR IN EVERY FELD OF LIFE. I REALLY REALLY REALLY FEEL PROUD OF U& PRINCESESS LIKE U WHO ARE THE LIGHT OF THE NATION,FRAGRANCE TO THEIR PARENTS,STARS OF SYES….
YOURS
PAKISTANI
ALI IMRAN
WHO COULD NOT PASS THE ENTRY TEST OF PAF.BUT I KNOW MY PLACE IS IN CIVIL SECTOR BECAUSE PAKISTAN NEED STRONG DERMINED PERSONALITY LIKE YOU PRINCESS OF PAKISTAN.
U know u are living one of my most pursued teenaged dream…i have no idea if u will ever read this or not…i worte sooooo many crazyyyyy letters when i was 16 at PAF’s Dr. Duad Pota Road’s address and send them my paintings as well. I believed in PAF as the most respectable instituition. I was totally totally crazy about my passion to become a fighter pilot, totally obssesed to do something really good for my country and I thought it was the best way to vent out my aggression. But, something bad happened one morning..that plundered everything I felt about PAF. I was going to college, when read the newspaper while having my breakfast. A PAF plane crashed somewhere in the slums of Karachi killing a whole family …it was an accident, understandable…but the pilot got ejected making others suffer for his or the techinal mistake misery…i know it was not PAF’s fault…probably not the pilots’ too…but i felt bad n shocked…dream had a crash landing too.
However, I am verrrry happy n proud girls have made it there, and hoep n pray u will win laurels in every step like u did while passing out from the Academy!!!
Exellent work
I wish to b like u pilots