The Indo-Pak War in September’65 saw No. 32 Wing Commanded by Wing Commander Masood A. Sikandar positioned at Sargodha designated as Strike Command for ground interdiction both defensive and offensive across the border into India. No. 32 Wing constituted of 16, 17 and 18 Squadrons from Mauripur. They were known as the “Mauripur Sabares” throughout the war. My posting at that point of time was with No. 2 Squadron as an instructor. I was seconded to the 32 Wing and came to Sargodha on the 8^th.

Around midday 19^th September I was sitting in the alert tent listening to accomplishments of pilots who had flown missions the previous day against Indian convoys of trucks, tanks and equipment on trawlers, moving towards the Pakistan border in the Sialkot Sector.

I had also flown one such mission on 17^th and wondered at their wisdom of sending such convoys without adequate air cover. The whole convoy was stretched along the road bumper to bumper. The spacing between vehicles was so small that one could destroy or damage up to 5/6 soft skin vehicles in a single pass! We flew several missions that day destroying or damaging many. Anti-aircraft fire was generally small arms fire, one could actually ignore it.

At about mid afternoon a flight of 4 x F-86s was scrambled from Sargodha to an urgent army call for ground support in the Chawinda sector of Sialkot. I was #4 of this element led by Sqn Ldr Azim Daudpota with Flt Lt Mujtaba Qureshi #2 and my flight commander Flt Lt SM Ahmed #3. On identifying the target we carried out if I recall correctly a total of six attacks, including two rocket attacks. As we were preparing to exit when 4 Gnats jumped us. I was still recovering from the dive of my last gun attack when I could make out calls from the leader to the formation members. The transmission was garbled and I could not make out what he said. A section of 2 Gnats had got behind #3 piloted by SM Ahmed. Just then I saw 2 Gnats coming from my left trying to position behind me. I gave a call “Leader from Four, I am breaking off to engage Gnats”. There was no response from anyone! I made a hard Chandelle type left turn to engage the Gnats. The height was around 1000 to 1500 feet. As I gained height and crossed over the Gnats, instead of reversing I instinctively converted my chandelle to a barrel roll, inverted I could keep them in sight. When I recovered from the barrel roll I was comfortably placed behind the #2 of the pair.           

I reduced power and used intermittent airbrakes to remain inside the turn of the Gnat. I quickly adjusted the gun sight settings to the wingspan of a Gnat, (I had mistaken them for Hunters) laid the “pipper” on the aircraft and fired a very short burst, perhaps ¾ of a second and immediately observed hits on the aft section of the aircraft. I recall flashes and pieces flying off and saw the pilot gently pull up and mercifully eject.

As I pulled up, the combat had occurred around 500 feet, I unexpectedly found the first of the pair of Gnats bang in front of me, slightly to my left and closing alarmingly. The Gnat probably responding to calls from his wingman appears to have slowed down and was in a 20 degree bank. I was less than 500 feet and closing fast, the pilot had his head turned looking back and I “felt” our eyes meet. I recall he did not have his smoked visors down. All I had to do is the make slight adjustment of the controls and fire. At that point, I still cant figure out, even after 40 years, what came over me! I banked away without opening fire. Could it be “looking”  into the eyes of a fellow hum being who appeared so helpless at that point, afraid of being hit by debris of an exploding aircraft or being fearfully low on fuel. Today, I am a very happy man, completely satisfied with my action on that day, although many friends chided me for this decision.

I headed towards Sargodha at 500 feet. I could hear my leader asking other members of the flight if they had seen me eject. He repeated the call and said “I hope Azam had ejected and is safe”. I was very moved by his concern for me and was desperate to inform him that not only was I safe but had also shot down an enemy aircraft. I heard #3 SM Ahmed’s call telling the leader that he was hit and had lost his pressure instruments but as the aircraft was controllable he was heading for Sargodha. I also heard #2 Mujtaba give an all well call.

Low on fuel I decided to slowly gain height. While climbing I took off my mask to check on the microphone connection, the plug had come off. As I reconnected the plug I had my transmitter functioning again. I joyfully informed my leader that I was fine and had shot down a Gnat. He was much relieved and directed us to land individually. At this point SM Ahmed requested me to give a chase up to the landing point, I declined politely, my fuel gauge was showing zero. I, however, had SM Ahmed on visual on his straight final. Suddenly I saw his left wing dip and the Sabre hit the ground short of the runway and explode in a ball of fire. I landed through the pall thick black smoke, parked the aircraft in the pen and declared to the ground crew that SM Ahmed was no more. Bad ending to a otherwise successful mission.

SM Ahmed had skilfully nursed a disabled aircraft only to crash a few hundred feet from the runway. I went to my tent without talking to anyone. In the evening I decided to go to the mess to and try to forget the SM Ahmed tragedy. As I approached the bar, I could not believe my eyes! The man, I thought had been killed in the crash was sitting on the bar stool nursing a broken wrist and a drink! It transpired that the ejection seat had somehow miraculously fired on impact and SM was thrown clear of the exploding aircraft.

The SM Ahmed incident had consolidated the belief in my faith that life and death is in the Hands of Allah and that death is predestined.