PM lauds PAF’s high morale, flies F-16

Visits Mushaf Air Base, briefed about operational preparedness of air force

SARGODHA: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Saturday appreciated the high morale of aerial defenders of the country and expressed his satisfaction with the operational readiness of the Pakistan Air Force during a visit to the Mushaf Airbase.

Prime Minister Abbasi was briefed about the operational preparedness of PAF, especially on disaster management and rescue and relief operations. He expressed his deep satisfaction with the performance of PAF as a modern aerial powerhouse.



The PM visited the newly established Airpower Center of Excellence (ACE) with Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman and attended a briefing on the ongoing military exercise codenamed Saffron Bandit.

Envisioned by the Air Chief, ACE is a premier institution which has been equipped with state of the art facilities and infrastructure. Besides training the PAF personnel, this institute will also train the combat crew of friendly air forces by conducting multi-national training exercises.

The PM was also informed that the first-ever multinational exercise is going to be held in October this year, in which the personnel from 19 different world countries are expected to participate.

Abbasi was also briefed about PAF’s contribution towards nation building, like the opening of numerous vocational institutions which create job opportunities for the youth.

PAF's efforts in the field of education were also lauded as various campuses of Air University and Fazaia Medical College have been established in different cities to provide quality education to young boys and girls. PAF has also established schools for people with disabilities to make them useful members of society.



The PM took keen interest in the Aviation City project, which has been established in Kamra to introduce an innovative approach to the field of aviation. This city would mainly focus on research and development initiatives with the help of industry academia linkage.

During his visit, the prime minister also flew an exercise training mission in an F-16 aircraft of the elite No 9 multi-role squadron. The air chief, sitting in another F-16 aircraft, also participated in the training mission.

This was the first time in the history of Pakistan that a prime minister participated in a flying mission sitting in the rear cockpit of a fighter jet. After landing back at the base, the prime minister mingled with the combat air and ground crew of the squadron.