Rashid Minhas

Rashid Minhas or Rashid Minhas Shaheed (Urdu: راشد منہاس) (February 17, 1951–August 20, 1971) was a Pilot Officer in the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) during the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Image File history File links Rashid_Minhas. ... Image File history File links Rashid_Minhas. ... The phrase Zaban-e Urdu-e Mualla written in () is an Indo-European language of the Indo-Aryan family that developed under mainlyPersian influence in Central and South Asia during the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire (1200-1800). ... February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1971 calendar). ... A Pilot Officers sleeve/shoulder insignia Pilot Officer (Plt Off in the RAF; PLTOFF in the RAAF and RNZAF, P/O in the former RCAF) is the lowest substantive commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries, ranking only above Acting... Military manpower Military age 16 years of age Availability 39,028,014 (2005) Males ages 16-49 Reaching military age males: 1,969,055 (2005) Active troops 620,000 (Ranked 7th) Military expenditures Dollar figure $3. ... Combatants Mukti Bahini India Pakistan Commanders • General M A G Osmani • General Jagjit Singh Aurora General A. A. K. Niazi Strength India: 500,000+ Mukti Bahini: 100,000[1] Pakistan Army: 365,000 Paramilitary: 280,000 [1] Casualties India: 1,426 KIA 3,611 Wounded (Official) Mukti Bahini: NA* ~8...

Minhas was born in Karachi. Having joined the air force, he was commissioned in 1971; on August 20 of that year, he was getting ready to take off in a T-33 trainer in Karachi when a Bengali pilot, Matiur Rahman, forced his way into the back of the plane. Rahman knocked out Minhas (he was originally believed to have used a blunt object, but it was later ascertained that he had used chloroform), with the intention of defecting to India in order to join the liberation movement for Bangladesh (see Bangladesh Liberation War). It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Karachi Towns. ... August 20 is the 232nd day of the year (233rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Categories: Aircraft stubs | U.S. military trainer aircraft 1940-1949 ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Karachi Towns. ... The Bengali people are the ethnic community from Bengal (divided between India and Bangladesh) in Indian subcontinent with a history going back more than two millennia. ... Matiur Rahman Matiur Rahman or Shaheed M. Matiur Rahman (born February 21, 1945 in Dhaka - died August 20, 1971) was a Flight Lieutenant in the Pakistan Air Force when the Liberation War broke out. ... Chloroform, also known as trichloromethane and methyl trichloride, is a chemical compound with formula CHCl3. ... Combatants Mukti Bahini India Pakistan Commanders • General M A G Osmani • General Jagjit Singh Aurora General A. A. K. Niazi Strength India: 500,000+ Mukti Bahini: 100,000[1] Pakistan Army: 365,000 Paramilitary: 280,000 [1] Casualties India: 1,426 KIA 3,611 Wounded (Official) Mukti Bahini: NA* ~8...

In mid-flight Minhas regained consciousness, and quickly became aware of the circumstances: he was escorting a deserting PAF pilot and was quickly approaching the Indian border. Although the precise sequence of events remains a mystery, it is widely believed that the recovered Minhas made an attempt to regain control of the plane. In the ensuing battle between the two pilots, it is believed that either Rahman flew the plane into the ground to prevent the plane returning to the base, or Minhas did so in order to prevent Rahman from entering Indian territory. The crash site of the T-33 was later found 40 km from the Indian border.

Minhas was posthumously awarded Pakistan's top military honour, the Nishan-E-Haider, and became the youngest man and the only member of the Pakistan Air Force to win the award. He also became a national hero. The Pakistan Air Force base at Kamra has been renamed in his honour. Military manpower Military age 16 years of age Availability 39,028,014 (2005) Males ages 16-49 Reaching military age males: 1,969,055 (2005) Active troops 620,000 (Ranked 9th) Military expenditures Dollar figure $3. ...

References

• "Rashid Minhas Shaheed (1951–1971)" — Pakmilitary.net

External links

• Internet Discussion Forum webpage on the incident