On Saturday, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) honoured Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas (Nishan-i-Haider) on the occasion of the 51st anniversary of his martyrdom. The PAF also released a documentary showcasing the bravery of Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas, who thwarted an attempt to hijack a plane and take it to India. Pakistan’s valiant son was born there on February 17, 1951 in Karachi. He came from the renowned Rajput Minhas clan.
He ultimately ended up doing what he was meant to do because of his early passion with aeroplanes and flying. After graduating from high school, Minhas pursued his actual love and received a degree in military and aviation history from the University of Karachi. In 1971, he received his commission as a pilot in the Pakistan Air Force. When Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman, a Bengali instructor pilot, gave Minhas the go-ahead to halt and then sat down in the instructor’s seat, Minhas was taxiing toward the runway. After taking off, the aircraft turned toward India.
Minhas radioed PAF Base Masroor to let them know he was being taken hostage. He verified the hijacking after the air traffic controller asked him to relay his message again. A further inquiry revealed that Rahman intended to escape to India with the jet trainer in order to fight alongside his countrymen in the liberation of Bangladesh. However, Minhas purposefully gave his life to uphold Pakistan’s honour by causing that plane to crash just 32 miles from the Indian border. It was the only thing he could have done.
