1965 war hero 'MM Alam' being remembered on his death anniversary

Lahore: Pakistan is remembering the “1965 War Hero” Muhammad Mahmood Alam, popularly known as MM Alam on Thursday on his 9th death anniversary.

MM Alam was the first-ever fighter pilot for Pakistan Air Force (PAF), listed on top in the hall of Famers list at the PAF Museum in Karachi.

Alam is considered a national hero for Pakistan, for his remarkable show of brilliance in the war of 1965 he was awarded the ‘Sitara-e-Jurat’ and his record of shooting down five Indian war planes in less than a minute remains unbeaten.

He was born on July 06, 1935, in Calcutta, India. No one in his family before him had been part of the military.

Moreover, he joined the armed forces against his father’s will.

Back in 1965, when India started the war in the late mist dark night, Alam who was the first commanding officer of the first squadron of Assaults Mirage III, took his F-86 Sabre jet plane equipped with AIM-9 sidewinder missiles and fly over the skies of Sargodha to defeat the enemies who entered in Pakistani Air Space.

He retired in 1982 as an Air Commodore.

The Air Force legend was battling illness since December 2012 and was admitted to Pakistan Naval Station Shifa Hospital in Karachi, following which he died in Karachi on March 18, 2013, at the age of 77.