The late Air Commodore (retd) Mohammad Mahmood Alam. - Photo from Wikipedia
The late Air Commodore (retd) Mohammad Mahmood Alam. - Photo from Wikipedia

KARACHI: Air Commodore (retd) Mohammad Mahmood Alam passed away in Karachi this morning after a prolonged illness, DawnNews reported.

Alam, 78-years-old at the time of his death, is considered a hero of the 1965 Pakistan-India war.

Alam, popularly known as M.M. Alam, while piloting an F-86 Sabre, shot down five Indian war planes in less than a minute during the war and altogether, downed nine war planes in the aerial fighting. His record remains unbeaten.

Alam was later awarded the Sitara-i-Jurrat. He also became the first and only “Jet Ace” in one mission.

The war hero was born on July 6, 1935, in Calcutta, India and was the eldest of 11 siblings. No one in his family before him had been part of the military, and in fact, he joined the armed forces against his father’s will. He is popularly known as M.M. Alam and was nicknamed 'Little Dragon'. He retired in 1982 as an Air Commodore.

In December 2012, the air force legend had been transferred to the Pakistan Naval Station Shifa Hospital in Karachi due to illness.

Opinion

Editorial

Afghan strikes
Updated 26 Dec, 2024

Afghan strikes

The military option has been employed by the govt apparently to signal its unhappiness over the state of affairs with Afghanistan.
Revamping tax policy
26 Dec, 2024

Revamping tax policy

THE tax bureaucracy appears to have convinced the government that it can boost revenues simply by taking harsher...
Betraying women voters
26 Dec, 2024

Betraying women voters

THE ECP’s recent pledge to eliminate the gender gap among voters falls flat in the face of troubling revelations...
Kurram ‘roadmap’
Updated 25 Dec, 2024

Kurram ‘roadmap’

The state must provide ironclad guarantees that the local population will be protected from all forms of terrorism.
Snooping state
25 Dec, 2024

Snooping state

THE state’s attempts to pry into citizens’ internet activities continue apace. The latest in this regard is a...
A welcome first step
25 Dec, 2024

A welcome first step

THE commencement of a dialogue between the PTI and the coalition parties occupying the treasury benches in ...