Bajaur youth builds plane after six years

A young man from Bajaur, Subhanullah, has drawn widespread local attention after building an aeroplane through six years of continuous effort, overcoming limited financial resources and numerous technical challenges.

Subhanullah, who belongs to a working-class family, pursued his ambitious project largely through self-help and personal resources. According to him, the authorities have promised him an opportunity to conduct a trial demonstration of the aeroplane at Bajaur Sports Complex on September 6. He said permission for a flight could be considered following a successful demonstration.

The young inventor earns his livelihood by selling traditional footwear in Punjab during the season, while working as a daily-wage labourer during the rest of the year to meet his expenses.

Subhanullah said his interest in machines began during childhood. At an early age, he learned motorcycle mechanics, which further developed his understanding of machinery and mechanical equipment.

He said that although he had always dreamed of undertaking a major mechanical project, he lacked both the financial resources and the opportunity to do so when he was younger. With the passage of time, however, he decided to turn his passion into reality and began work on building the aeroplane.

The project was not without difficulties. Subhanullah said he had to travel to several cities, including Lahore, Timergara and Peshawar, to obtain the required parts and other equipment.

After six years of continuous work, he said, the aeroplane is now complete and ready for the next stage of testing. He expressed confidence that with adequate resources, technical facilities and government support, he could work on bigger and more advanced projects in the future.

Subhanullah claimed that after gaining experience from building his first aeroplane, he would now be capable of preparing another similar aircraft within a week.