Air Chief Marshal Qamar Suleman, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, on Friday expressed extreme grief on the demise of PAF legend, a national icon, and one of the founding fathers of the modern PAF, former Commander-in-Chief of Pakistan Air Force Air Marshal Malik Nur Khan who died on Thursday night.
The Air Chief said in his message that Air Marshal Nur Khan very ably and bravely led a small Air Force from the front to achieve a resounding victory against the Indian air force, four times larger than its own size, in the 1965 war. He was taken as the beacon of inspiration for all rank and file of Pakistan Air Force. Air Marshal Nur Khan was born on February 22, 1923, in Tamman, District Attock in a family with distinctive military traditions.
He joined the Royal Indian Military College (RIMC) at Dehra Dun in 1934, and joined Indian Air Force Volunteer Reserve (IAFVR) during World War II. He was commissioned as a fighter pilot in the Royal Indian Air Force on 6 January, 1941. After creation of Pakistan, in 1947, he was transferred to the Royal Pakistan Air Force and was given the command of Lahore Air Base. After a short stint at Lahore, he was entrusted with the command of PAF Base Chaklala. In January, 1948, he proceeded to London and served as a Liaison Officer in the Pakistan High Commission. After a brief stay, he returned to Pakistan and was posted as Commandant, PAF College, Risalpur, in September, 1948.
Air Marshal Nur Khan was a well decorated officer. Among his decorations are Hilal-e-Jurat, Sitara-i-Pakistan and Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam. He was also awarded the Order of Istiqlal (2nd Class) by the King of Jordan, and decorated as Commander of the National Order of the Cedars by the President of Lebanon and Grand Officer in the order of Range Nassau with Swords by the Dutch Government. His funeral prayers were offered at 1030 hrs at cricket ground, PAF Complex, Sector E-9, Islamabad. He was laid to rest with full honours at 1600 hrs at his native town, Tamman (Talagang), Chakwal.
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