Pakistan Air Force has paid tribute to the martyrs of 1971 War for their unprecedented courage, sacrifice and their war heroics.

The PAF’s Directorate General Public Relations released a short documentary film based on 1971 Pak-India war heroes Flight Lieutenant Ghulam Murtaza Shaheed, Tamgha-i-Jurrat and Flight Lieutenant Javed Iqbal Shaheed, Tamgha-i-Jurrat, said a news release.

During the 1971 Indo-Pak War Ghulam Murtaza was deputed at PAF Base Masroor as part of No.7 Squadron. This Squadron was deployed at PAF Base Mianwali due to the war risk and was tasked to attack and neutralize enemy air bases; among those was the Amritsar Base.

It had huge significance for Indian Air Force (IAF) due to its geographical and operational importance and PAF was well aware that this base would be used to attack Pakistan and it was necessary to destroy this base.

Flight Lieutenant (Shaheed) Javed Iqbal as pilot and Flight Lieutenant (Shaheed) Ghulam Murtaza Malik as its navigator were selected to accomplish this task.

On Dec 5, 1971, in the evening these two sons of the soil took flight towards their target. After evading enemy fighter jets and radars, when these daring air fighters reached Amritsar, the entire air field was drowned in darkness.

Before the enemy took stock of the situation or held of its positions the B-57 aircraft started flurries of bombs at the runway.

Unluckily, the parachute of Flight Lieutenant (Shaheed) Javed Iqbal did not open and he perished on the spot.

However, Flight Lieutenant Murtaza got serious head injuries and was taken into custody by the enemy as injured.He was later shifted to Military Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on Dec 12, 1971 and embraced martyrdom. He was laid to rest near Delhi besides Nizamuddin Auliya’ Shrine.