PAF fighter pilot Captain (r) Saiful Azam passes away in Bangladesh

Fighter Pilots Saiful Azam.Who was awarded Sitara-i-Jura.at for his heroics in the 1965 war against India.

The 80-year-old retired group captain died at his residence.He had been suffering from various old-age diseases for a long time.

Bangladesh's Army officials also confirmed the death of PAF Pilot.

Pakistan Air Force Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan expressed heartfelt grief on the demise of the great war veteran, according to a press release by PAF's media wing. PAF chief paid rich tribute to Azam, saying that the former fighter pilot will always be remembered for his professionalism and his part in the 1965 Indo-Pak and 1967 Arab-Israel wars.

Fighter Pilot Azam was born in then East Bengal's Pabna District in 1941.He left home at 18 to enlist in PAF and was commissioned as a Pakistani fighter pilot in 1960.

During the 1965 war, he served in No. 17 Squadron at PAF's Sargodha base. Apart from inflicting heavy damage to Indian forces in 12 ground-attack missions, Azam also downed an Indian Air Force aircraft and was awarded Sitara-i-Jura’at.

Pilot Azam is the unique air force figure in the history of Bangladesh who took part in wars as a fighter pilot of three different countries — Jordan, Iraq and Pakistan.

He is the only fighter pilot who downed four Israeli aircraft during the 1967 Arab-Israel war, which is also a world record.

The USA  government also awarded him as one of the world's 22 “Living Eagles” for his outstanding war skills and courage.

After Bangladesh's cessation in 1971, the veteran Pakistani fighter joined the Bangladesh Air Force. Azam, also a former lawmaker from Bangladesh’s mid-northern Pabna-3 constituency, was regarded as a legendary figure by Bangladeshi people due to his untouched records as a fighter pilot.

In 1980,Pilot Azam retired from the military and developed a career in the civil service and later became a politician.

May his Soul rest in Peace.