By Air Cdre (R) Sajad Haider
His father was A. Cdre. Khaqan Abbasi. Hence the unusual two names taken from father n not Shahid Abbasi. Father was first discovered for cowardice in 1965 war where he failed as base commander Masroor, kcy, to launch the magnum opus of PAF, the pre emptive strike of 8 fighters on 6th Sept. against Jamnagar airfield full of enemy aircraft.
That same night the gallant Flt. Lt Ldr. Alam Siddiqui with navigator Qureshi were compelled to replace their cowardly O.C. prefaced C.B. who aborted from fear on pithy excuse, to volunteer their 3rd mission that night. A true act of gallantry in War. Both were martyred in their unusual third sortie of war.
No action was taken and Abbasi sneaked through the sieve to live to damage the PAF almost mortally, but luckily the Govt. removed him from his job, placed complete blockage of use of authority and restrictions on his official status and barred him from entering his office. A huge disgrace for any officer in uniform. This was ordered by the govt. transcending the authority of then CAS of PAF.
Despite the fact that he was the blue eyed boy of the incumbant chief of air staff. I PERSONALLY saw the File with press release at AVM Yousaf’s room at Engineers mess in front of PINDI P.C. He was Dy. Secy. Defence at the time and asked to release the press release that early eve. Thtough the press release Govt. had ordered sacking of CAS Choudary and fate of Abbasi and Saeedullahect in the gang was left for New Air Chief to decide.
All were sacked but after imploring with Soft hearted new CAS who turned it to Pre-Mature retirement on disciplinary grounds. The CAS whimpered forgiveness to forestall removal for misdemeanor from the PM through his acquired friend HafeezPeerzada. Who prevailed upon the PM and press release of sacking was held back till next day and slightly redeemed to pre-mature removal of Air Chief on serious charges. Peerzada was my friend and told me the entire episode years later at his home in F8/4.
In 1969 A. Cdr. Abbasi along with several others senior to him were sent away from active duty in PAF to other jobs in Pak and M.E. to cleanse the PAF from an intriguing gang, by AM Rahim Khan, the C IN C who luckily took over command from AM Nur khan.
Rahim khan sent Abbasi to Jordon on exchange but essentially to keep him away from PAF. (That’s where he befriended the nemesis of Pakistan Zia ulHaq). Unfortunate for PAF because Rahim khan should have retired these who were bane of PAF? Years later they made a comeback with a vengence, when narrated that will rattle the reader’s rafters for what they did to severely damage PAF. All were removed by Divine intervention in 1973.
Rahim khan sent Abbasi to Jordon on exchange but essentially to keep him away from PAF. (That’s where he befriended the nemesis of Pakistan Zia ulHaq). Unfortunate for PAF because Rahim khan should have retired these who were bane of PAF? Years later they made a comeback with a vengence, when narrated that will rattle the reader’s rafters for what they did to severely damage PAF. All were removed by Divine intervention in 1973.
Jordon Soiree …..
The Jordon king asked for Abbassi to be called back owing to his meddling with F-5 project in cahoots with the US Manufacturers for a fee to induct this useless fighter. The C in C should have sacked him then but for his soft heart, after a solid drubbing sent him to Kuwait. When AM Rahim was in exile of a kind, as ambassador in Spain, he narrated the whole episodes to me in 1976 while i was his house guest.
Abbasi was sent to Kuwait hoping he will behave or would have been dismissed. Sometime later, one day i was asked by my good & close friend Amb. Qasim Al Yaqoot, the Dean of Diplo. Corps in Islamabad, to have lunch with him and Def. Min. Of Kuwait on a visit here. We met at Marriott Thai restaurant and chatted about various happenings. Suddenly, out of context of the topics being discussed the Def. Min. asked me a rather surprising question. “Why your Air Force does not hold Kuwait in good stead?” Words to the effect. I was a bit baffled at this sudden turn of conversation. I asked ‘why should it’, especially when our officers are training the Kuwaiti airforce’. He said yes that’s good but why you sent this man KhaqanAbbasi to us, because we found him connecting with contractors of defenceequipt.
He added cynically that Arabs may have week defence capability and Pakistan is great help but you see Air Cdre. the one thing we Arabs are very good at is intelligence work. It’s our survival to know what’s going on everywhere and our intel. system is very efficient. So we found Abbasi violating our code expected of all foreigners, so we had to send him out. This is absolutely true as it was shocking for me even if it was Abbasi, but validated by AM Rahim.
So what’s that got to do with ShahidKhaqanAbbasi and what happened to his father, you will ask? It’s a long, intrigue, manipulation and facade which unfortunately resulted in his harrowing death when on the day of Ojhri Camp Explosions, he was getting away with his nice son when a missile hit him in the head killing him and the poor young son was a collateral with severe injuries.God bless the son’s soul as he must have been a good innocent young man. The question is where n how so much money came to an average officer of PAF. The creation of Air Blue and high rolling politics. Names of Orval Landis, john McCarty n Zia ulHaq were part of the episode. That’s another story. Second, this ShahidKhaqan was responsible for execution of reprehensible hi-jack of PIA flt.508 from columbo.
Moron judge who was deprived of depth perception could not see 200 lives, mostly children from ISI and army COAS on board were going to crash if things were not handhold as clumsily as expected from pathological LIAR Banoon NAWAZ. Army moved in. His manipulations in oil n gas are mere extension of his father’s legacy. Now the stooped gang called N league is putting him up as PM of this beleaguered nation, whuch is trying to breath after Allah’s poetic justice was delivered via the SC. But the collection of rodents and skunks abound, there is not one single man who is not drenched in stench of corruption in this gang of Zia’s second cardinal sin N league, who should occupy hugely sullied chair.
Lets pray.
