15 oil paintings depicting various eras of the PAF and airplane models exhibited.
LAHORE:
The Pakistan Air Force held an aviation art exhibition at the Alhamra Art Gallery on Friday.
Around 200 oil paintings by Captain (retd) Syed Masood Akhtar Hussaini and 15 cardboard plane models by Squadron Leader Nadeem Ali were displayed as tribute to martyrs of the 1965 war.
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was the chief guest at the occasion.
Ali told The Express Tribune that he had used cardboard, paper, plaster of Paris and acrylic paints to build his plane models. The airplane models included those of Spitfires, F-16s, a Savour, an F-86, a B-57, a bomber, an F-6, an F-7, a Mirage and an A-5. “I was inspired by the late Group Captain (retd) Cecil Chaudhry, one of the heroes of the 1965 war, and one of the best fighter pilots the PAF has ever had,” Ali said.
Hussaini said that his oil paintings depicted various eras of the Air Force in six series, starting from its infancy. He said that in the first series, he had paid tribute to Air Marshal Asghar Khan and Air Marshal Noor Khan who, at the time of independence, had opted for Pakistan to develop its Air Force.
The second series titled Propellers to the Jet age, portrayed the time when the Quaid-i-Azam went to Risalpur and upgraded the Risalpur School to a college. “I painted a Tiger Moth and a Tempest, a Fury, a Freighter, an SA-16, an Auster, a Dakota and other fighter planes at the time when the Air Force moved to the Jet Age which included F-104s and B-57s,” he said.
The third series depicts various scenes from the 1965 war. War heroes including MM Alam, Sarfaraz Rafiqui and Cecil Chaudhry figure in it.
The fourth series has paintings of scenes from the 1971 war. It includes a sketch of Mervyn L Middlecoat, a fighter pilot who died in combat.
The fifth series, titled PAF Aerobatics and Abroad, has paintings showing the PAF’s presence in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Zimbabwe, Iraq, Bangladesh, Britain and the US.
The final series titled Frontline Air Force has paintings of the F-16 and JF-17s depicting the PAF’s modern era.
Sharif said that September 6, 1965, was a significant day in the history of Pakistan.
“Our armed forces fought valiantly against an enemy that was four times the size,” said Sharif, “I salute the passion of the Air Force and their sacrifices for our motherland. We, as a nation, can never pay them back. The art exhibited here is part of our rich heritage and a national asset.”
Punjab Assembly Member Hina Pervaiz Butt said that the oil paintings had depicted transitions the PAF has undergone since its inception. “It is an excellent opportunity for the youth to come, learn about the sacrifices by the armed forces.”
Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, said, “This is the first time the exhibition has been brought...to an art gallery. We salute our soldiers’ courage and hope that the bond between citizens and the PAF is strengthened through the exhibition.”
The paintings will be on display till September 10.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 7th, 2013.
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I do not understand Pakistan's 'Defence Day' logic !
Completely ignoring East Pakistan (over 55% population) and non-Kashmiri Indian muslims (over 90%), West Pakistan military government started 1965 war by attacking India to capture Kashmir. Pakistan military plan was a total rubbish. India halted Pakistan attack and captured more stratigically important areas in Pakistani Punjab. Pakistan then begged for peace and had to sign a 'peace treaty' with India at a town in Russia — a friendly country to India. However, military propaganda inside Pakistan potrayed different picture.
In 1965 my father was in Europe and rest of family in Dacca (East Pakistan). I have the letters written by my father and mother during that time — feeling of isolation, fear and uncertainity. Both my father and mother passed away a few years ago, but reading these letters make me angry now.
West Pakistan dared similar stupidity in 1971 and ‘rewarded’ with the largest post-WWll public surrender of Pakistan Army in Bangladesh to joint Bangladesh and Indian Armed forces.
Pakistan's 'history' is made of fictions. I think, now fictions should be replaced by facts.