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.
Dear Samdani
You are right. My intensions are none of those. Flight manoeuvring places extreme pressure on human body and I am just wondering if lifestyle background has an effect on success…or failure to become a pilot. This in turn may mean that candidates of certain types of areas are more likely to succeed? I don’t know just wondering. May be its not worth spending any time on.
Dear Yahya, I hope the implication is NOT that her performance is one of ‘physical capability’; the sword of honour, in particular, is a matter of intelelctual caliber and skill. More importantly, I hope the assumption is not that the reason more women are not in this and other professions is because they are somehow ‘physically incapable’. The hurdles to women’s advancement are NOT physical, they are mental-in the minds of men; becasue that is where the logic of discrimination resides.
I realize – and hope – this may not have been the intention of your comment. I do not mean it personally. But I thought the point needed to be made generally.
Where are these cadet girls from in Pakistan? Do certain areas produce more physically cable women? I suspect semi-urban/rural background helps when it comes to physical fitness.
The Cadet uniform is not without interest. While men are donned in western style shirts tucked inside smart pants and with high boots, the women are still wearing the good old “Shalwar-Kamiz” flying and flapping in the wind with each high step. And the straps across the front and the back giving them the perfect look of a girl scout. Changes are hard to come by in Pakistan.
Captain’s Log….”Any how I was never doubtful about women’s talent. They could always beat men in aggregates(there are so many stupid courses which guys don’t care about much) Women are hard working but tell me honestly how many of you would prefer women over men doing dog fighting in F-16s. I for many reasons would not.”
This is a pretty MCP comment! But then again, why am I surprised? Most of our Paki men do think like you. What a pity! I would think as long as Pakistan is winning, if we are in any kind of war, the only thing that would truly matter would be that Pakistan IS winning…not who is flying an F-16!!
And the second thing is women are better than men in a LOT of things….who cares about some stupid courses?? Beats me.