By Tanweer Abbas  

In the subcontinent, the monsoon sweeps in from around July through September, bringing bouts of heavy rain, thunderstorms and oppressive sauna-like humidity.  The tail end of the monsoon season brings a little relief to Karachians from sweltering heat and humidity.  The September nights even though still a bit warm and damp, there is always a light breeze blowing that is best enjoyed by sleeping in the verandah.

It was one of those September nights.  The war had already been declared a day earlier and President Ayub’s historic speech on 6^th September had created among the populace, a sense of euphoria that have never been witnessed again in the history of the country.  Those living at the Mauripur airbase, had spent the first day of the war camouflaging their houses with mud and digging trenches to hide into in the event of an enemy air raid on the base.

It must be around 5:00am just before Fajr prayer call, that the sirens on the base started blaring suddenly, wreaking the peace of early morning hours.  For many, this was their first experience of enemy air raid, not remembering what to do, confusion, panic and chaos was order of the moment.  Woman and children wailing and every one running outside to see what had happened.  In a few minutes, the sound of a number of incoming aircrafts coming from north west side of the base pierced the silence that had just followed the air raid siren.  The speed and direction of the aircraft engine roar left no doubt that these were raiding enemy aircrafts.  As soon as the first 2 aircrafts of the group of 3 to 4 others, (unable to identify the type due to darkness -most probably hunters ) were visible over the base, a barrage of anti-aircrafts gun fire was ready to greet the un-welcomed visitors.   As the guns started to blast its ammo, the lead aircraft banked and veered sharply to the left in the direction of the sea making its escape to safety, followed loyally by his number 2.  In a few minutes, the ack ack fire came to a sudden halt ensued by a deafening silence. People came out of their hideouts gathered into small groups in the open area with everyone offering their expert opinion of the events in the last few minutes.  Some of the usual activities resumed on the base’s operational area, one could hear engine noise of heavy vehicles and then the roaring sound of the jet engines getting ready for take off.  A PAF -F86 Saber could be seen climbing in the air and make a turn towards the fleeing IAF aircrafts.   And suddenly there was a big ball of fire that illuminated the area around the runaway.  It was the ill fated F-86 Saber flown by Flying Officer Sikander Azam who in his zeal and fervor to catch up and deal with the fleeing enemy aircrafts was too quick and low to make the left turn.  His wing tip touched the ground transforming his aircraft into a spiraling ball of fire.  The young pilot’s ultimate sacrifice was given an honorable mention by the Base Commander, Air Commodore Masroor Hussain in his address on the occasion of first Air Force day parade on 7^th September, 1966 paying rich tribute to the young and in-experienced pilot’s courage and bravery. One of the main roads that runs through the base was named after the Shaheed Flying Officer Sikander Azam.

 Apart from the above, there was one more air raid on Mauripur during the entire period of the 1965 war. Both of these air raids by IAF were futile and did not to meet any military objectives.

On the night of September 9^th, a C-130 aircraft was due to arrive at Mauripur with spare parts and some ammunition for the air force.  It is rumored that, the PAF used certain amount of deceptive tactics to deceit the enemy intelligence.  One, the time of arrival of the friendly C130 aircraft was announced as 9PM and second, it was coming from Indonesia.  Last but not the least, Navy had successfully played its role to mislead the raiding IAF aircrafts away from their actual target.  Precisely, at 9PM the air-raid siren blared with full intensity every one rushed to the newly dug air raid shelters.  It was very quite for few minutes and then at a far distance the sound of some flying aircrafts could be heard followed by that of exploding bombs coming from the direction of the operation area.   A sense of worry and anxiety prevailed among the families whose loved ones were at work until some one returned home to announce that all is well at the operations area.  Next day, to much amusement of the whole Pakistani nation, the shames-less chronic lier,  Indian radio “Akaash waany “ announced with immense pride, that the great undefeatable Bharti Soormas (Indian warriors) raided and destroyed Laloo khait airbase.

The friendly C-130 did arrive but at 1AM and that from Iran and not Indonesia.  The IAF if it did received the intelligence, must have been searching for it in the wrong place and at wrong time.