By Sqn. Ldr. Nusrat Hussain (Retd.)
What a heart-warming Golden Jubilee celebration it was!
Fifty years of camaraderie, laughter, and unforgettable memories came alive as members of the 65th and 3rd Supplementary GD(P) Courses gathered once again — brothers in blue reunited after decades.
Friends travelled from around the world: Shahid Mehmud from Maryland, Ayub Chaudhry from Chicago, Arif Fahim from San Antonio, Suhail Kiani from Texas, Javed Chaudhry from Toronto, Malik Nawaz from Pennsylvania, and myself from Vancouver.
From across Pakistan — Karachi, Rahim Yar Khan, Multan, Sialkot, Lahore, and Gujrat — came Tubrez Asif, Azizullah Qazi,
Waheed Hasan, Ishtiaq Rasool, Abdul Rehman, Zafar Yasin, Zubair Aslam, Mushtaq Chaudhry, Ejaz Minhas,Nadeem Rasheed, and Moarif Zia.
Rawalpindi and Islamabad were represented by Kazim Awan, Sohail Rana, Saqib Khawaja, Sohail Altaf, Yousaf Gul, Sadiq Swati, Zulfiqar Khan, Shakeel Maula, Afzaal Niaz, Raja Aslam, Chaudhry Aslam, Munir Cheema, and Rahat Mirza ,every rank represented, from Flight Cadet to Air Vice Marshal. Most of the officers were accompanied by their lady wives, adding warmth and grace to the gathering.
The celebration bloomed on 24 October at the PAFSOM Officers’ Mess, Islamabad — an evening filled with nostalgia, humour, and emotion. AVM Tubrez Asif welcomed everyone, Air Cdre Sohail Rana conducted the introductions, Sqn. Ldr. Azizullah Qazi revived his old Sindhi song, Air Cdre Kazim Awan dedicated “Strawberries and Cherries” to our late course-mate Tahir Gondal, and Air Cdre Zafar Yasin narrated jokes that left everyone laughing. It was a great privilege for me to narrate some memorable incidents from our service days. A beautifully crafted memento was presented by Wing Cdr. Abdul Rehman Baluch for being the senior most in age and popularly known as Rehman Baba. A USB presentation by Flt. Cadet Arif Fahim captured our 50-year journey. Copies of my book “The Last Salute” and elegant wallets by Air Cdre Zafar Yasin were shared as keepsakes. Arif also presented USBs containing the slideshow to all attendees. The hall featured a stunning painting of PAF aircraft , from the Mushshak to the F-16 — symbolizing our shared heritage.
The excellent coordination and efforts of AVM Tubrez Asif and Air Cdre Sohail Rana were highly appreciated by all. Flt. Cadet Arif Fahim earned special praise for his outstanding digital presentation and preparation of the slideshow.
We ended the night with a Dua for our departed friends and a lavish dinner that rekindled our timeless bond of brotherhood. A truly unforgettable evening, where time stood still, and the spirit of the Pakistan Air Force soared once again.
