Rashid Minhas: PAF's first Nishan-i-Haider touches the height of glory

Rashid Minhas, the young Pakistani Air Force pilot, touches the height of gory. On Aug 29, President General A. M. Yahya Khan announced the posthumous award of Nishan-i-Hader, the highest gallantry award, to Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas, who prevented a Pakistan Air Force Plane from being hijacked to India and made the supreme sacrifice in the service of the nation.

Pilot Officer Minhas is the first member of the Pakistan Air Force to receive this award. The first three were Major Tufail Mohammad Captain Ghulam Sarwar and Major Aziz Bhatti of the Pakistan Army. All three previous awards were also posthumous. The following is the citation of the award: "On the morning of Friday, 20th August, 1971, Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas, a pilot still under training, was in the front seat of a jet trainer, taxiing out for take off. "An instructor pilot from the same unit forced his way into the rear cockpit, seized control of the aircraft and, having taken off, headed the aircraft towards India. one "With just some forty miles of Pakistani territory remaining, Rashid Minhas had only one course open to him: to prevent his aircraft from entering India.

Without hesitation, and living up to the highest traditions of the Pakistan Air Force, Rashid Minhas tried to regain control of his aircraft, but finding this to be impossible in the face of the superior skill and experience of his instructor, forced the aircraft to crash, at a point 32 miles from the Indian border. "In doing so, Pilot Officer Minhas deliberately made the supreme sacrifice for the honour of Pakistan and the service to which he belonged. "For this act of heroism, above and beyond the call of duty, the President of Pakistan is pleased to award the Nishan-i-Halder to Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas.".

Mr Abdul Majid Minhas, father of Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas, has said: "Although the grief of my son's death is unending, I am proud that he laid down his life for a noble cause and for the integrity and honour of the country and nation. In an interview telecast of Karachi Television, he said that Rashid was from the very beginning interested in a career in which he could serve the country and nation according to the best of his capacities. He said Rashid Minhas was fond of reading books on war during his student life and noted important quotations in his diary.

A quotation in his diary said. "The greatest honour for a man is to sacrifice his life for the country and live up to the expectation of the nation." Mr. Minhas said he heard the news of the award Nishan-i-Haider to his son over Radio Pakistan in the evening 5 p.m. bulletin. Asked about Rashid's education, Mr. Majia Minhas said he studied in St. Mary's Cambridge School at Rawalpindi and did his Senior Cambridge from Karachi. He joined the Pakistan Air Force in 1968 and got commission in April this year.

Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas passed his Bachelor of Science Aeronautics Examination at the PAF Academy with high honours. receiving a first division. His father said his eldest son had a technical turn of mind, having learned to drive on the quiet at the age of twelve. His personal library included books on Electronics and Astronomy, besides other subjects. His hobbies included reading, photography, hockey and billiards. Mr. Minhas said his late son was an idealist who had made up his mind at an early age how best to serve his country. He refused to even consider appearing for the Central Superior Services Examination, he added.

Inspiration According to Mr. Minhas, his late son had been deeply impressed by his brother-in-law, Maj. Nasir Ahmed Khan, a recipient of the Sitara-i-Jurat. Some other relatives are also serving in the Armed Forces. He said his son was of a quiet disposition and was a modest boy, not given to boasting, and not interested in making money. Mr. Minhas said in a way Pilot Officer Minhas had been linked with the PAF since his birth, having been born at the PAF Hospital, Karachi. He said the supreme sacrifice made by his son had given him great pride. "We are soldiers prepared to lay down our lives for the nation," he added.

Mr. Minhas said he and his other family members were planning to arrange for the publication of his son's diaries in due course. Pilot Officer Minhas was said to rest at the Defence Graveyard here on August 21 with full military honours. The young trainee pilot's entire family attended the funeral. along with senior PAF and other Armed Forces personnel. He left two younger brothers and four sisters. His father, who served in the old British Indian Military Engneering Services (M.E.S.), was a recipient of the World War Two India War Medal, the Persian-Iraqi Force Medal, and the Burma Camplagn Medal.

 

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