| # HOW HAD I HELPED TO RE-DEEM THE OLD PRESTIGE OF GP. CAPT. M. WASEEM KHAN ? . Of 1943 Vintage in the RIAF (...the same as that of Gen. M. ZIA-ul-Haq), this officer was the ONLY one with a BEARD in RIAF and later in RPAF/PAF ...! . By chance, in 1945 as a Flt. Lt. he had done the "Army's Command & Staff College Course QUETTA" withL Capt. ZIA ! . During 1948-49, he was one of the "Earliest Pioneering Flying Instructors at RPAF College RISALPUR, where Flight Cadet Corporal INAM-ul-Haq Khan" was also one of his students (...who later rose to be an Air Marshal & Federal Minister under President ZIA). . It was 1954-55 when I had come across him for the very first time, that I saw him close; when he was as a "Highly Admired & Efficient Station Commander Of RPAF CHAKLA as a Wing Commander" ! Those days I was only a PIPPO Visiting Transport Navigator from No. 6 Air Transport Squadron of Bristol Freighter Aircraft, based at RPAF Station LAHORE ! . In late 1960s, while as a Group Captain he was on deputation to the now defunct Department Of Civil Aviation (DCA); where he was posted as the Airport Manager KARACHI Airport ! Unfortunately, there was a tragic Car Accident within the Airport Premises, involving a very high diplomatic functionary of an East European Country ! As a consequence, he was DISMISSED from the PAF--with total LOSS Of Pension & Other Benefits ! ....a Very SAD occurrence in his life ! . BUT the Destiny has its own ways ! In 1977, Gen. ZIA came to ride the High Horse and Air Marshal INAM was in his Cabinet ! He reminded the President about his old Quetta Course-mate WASEEM and his predicament ! . How very lucky that ZIA re-instated the "Fully Honorable Retirement & Pension Etc. From PAF", and WASEEM was also given a high Administrative Job in one of Refineries At KARACHI ! However, soon in about 1970-71 he was sent to CHITTAGONG on an internal posting by his Company ! He was to become a POW and he became ! Then back to his Company at KARACHI ! He was finally retired from there in about 1982 ! Pakistan CAA: . The brand new Pakistan CAA came into existence on 7th December 1982, with AVM Khurshid Anwar MIRZA as the DG CAA and myself as an Air Commodore Director Administration (Group 11/Gde 20) & De-facto Dy DG CAA ! We had brought in a few Serving PAF Officers of the rank of Gp. Capt./Wg. Cdr. (Group 10/19 Gde) ! To meet our needs, we had also inducted some retired PAF & Army Officers--but in ONE Rank lower than their retired ranks ! My Role In Re-deeming His Old Prestige: . We had needed a 'Good & Competent Officer' for the job of Airport Manager KARACHI Airport ! What a chance ? Since I had known about WASEEM Khan, I recommended his name to my boss DG CAA ! Despite the fact that he was a retired Gp. Capt. I recommended his appointment in Group 11 (...equivalent to an Air Cdre/Gde 20) ! And he approved my recommendation. * Thus WASEEM became the Airport Manager Of KARACHI Airport, from which he had removed with disgrace about 20-Years before....! ....a somewhat rare luck, in which I had played a role...! Tail-piece: Lo & Behold: The very next day, WASEEM Khan had come to thank Me for 'His 2nd Chance In His Life' ! He also told me, that the very first person he let know this; was his Daughter In USA, who had earlier witnessed his sad Down Fall in late 1960s ! Air Cdre (Rtd) Sultan Muhammad DHA Lahore |
