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.
Shirazi (sorry for dropping off the i at the end of your name last time),
Yes, graduations are important occasions but mostly for the participants. They are rarely visible internationally. Do you recall who was the keynote speaker (or “chief guest”?) at the graduation ceremonies at Harvard, MIT, West Point or Oxford last June and what any of them said? Speeches on these occasions are mostly motivational and, depending on a particular speech, only the participants would remember it or be influenced by it.
The host at Risalpur on this occasion, Air Chief Marshal Tanvir Ahmad Khan, did speak of Saira’s achievement in his speech. And I am sure she will always remember his words. But the chief guest relied on tired cliches. And no one in the audience would remember what he said.
Maybe, I am expecting too much from “chief guests”. They rarely say anything original or worth remembering.
Aziz Akhmad: Please look at it this way: These are very imprtant and internationally visible occasions and certianly much beyound individual achievements and their mentions. Only strategic policies are spelled out on passing outs; army , airforce or navy.
Speaking of any cadets achievement would have been “taxing â€
Shiraz sb,
I don’t want to diminish the importance of the occasion, but the speech of the “chief guest” sounds heavily cliched. It does neither make a mention of the singular achievement of Saira nor of the PAF academy for admitting and training women. The APP release is also stilted as always.
It seems that while the women in Pakistan are trying to reach the skies and breaking the barriers, the “chief guests” and the APP are still taxiing — on a narrow strip.
I think part of the surprise everyone has here is becasue she has excelled in something that is supposed to be of the MAN’S world. Afterall, women do well – and often better than men – every day in Medical colleges, now in corporate offices, and so many other places. But to excel in the man’s world is what seems to really count !
No nation can rise to the height of glory unless your women are side by side with you. We are victims of evil customs. It is a crime against humanity that our women are shut up within the four walls of their houses as prisoners. There is no sanction anywhere for the deplorable conditions in which our women have to live. You should take your women along with you as comrades in every sphere of life.”
(Mr. Mahomed Ali Jinnah, 1944- The founding father of Pakistan)
Pakistan Zindabad!