PAF plays a significant role amid Pak-China support to each other to combat COVID-19

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has shown valour, steadfastness and forbearance in the face of all crises and emerged victorious, earning national and international acclaim and applause.

In this context, one should remember the PAF’s phenomenal role during the 2005 earthquake that shook the entire country, killing and maiming thousands while rendering many others homeless. The force deployed its C-130 aircraft that shifted the injured to hospitals even when the runways had virtually broken and cracked due to the devastating effects of the quake.

Talking to The News about the prevailing situation, Pakistan Air Force officials have shared some details of their ongoing operations in the country. They said that after the quake, PAF pilots had distributed food handouts and other essential items at lower altitudes, rescued people to relatively safe areas, and provided relief to suffering people. The marathon operation — in which a fleet of C-130, CN-235, B-707, Alouette-III and Y-12 aircraft played a major role — continued from October 10, 2005, to January 2006. Moreover, a total of 2,442 tonnes of food and other essential items, including medicines, were shifted and many people were rescued.

At the moment, the world is faced with another crisis of alarming proportions — the COVID-19 or the novel coronavirus — that has wreaked havoc in Europe and the US, killing over 180,000 people so far.

A crisis that first broke out in China’s city Wuhan in December last year has now got a foothold in Pakistan, and many citizens have been affected by the pandemic. Even when the coronavirus struck China, the Pakistan Air Force, quite daringly, provided the Chinese with all imaginable assistance, with their first flight reaching Urumqi on 1st February 2020. A 16-member crew aboard the IL-78 aircraft provided China with seven tonnes of important items, including medicines.

The force’s next target — which was even more challenging — was to provide 17 tonnes of supplies, including food items, to the Pakistani students stuck in the virus’s epicenter Wuhan. The same aircraft returned to Pakistan with 1,000 corona test kits, 10 ventilators, and other medical equipment, including facemasks, gifted by China.

On 28th March 2020, the PAF’s IL-78 once again landed in China, with the latter gifting Pakistan’s healthcare personnel another massive assistance which included 20,000 N-95 masks, 0.3 million medical facemasks, 10 ICU ventilators and five portable ventilators. Both friendly nations are still exchanging their expertise in various fields and helping their respective citizens in this hour of immense grief and predicament. In addition, on the request of PAF’s CEO Air Marshal Arshad Malik, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan NI (M), provided a C-130 transport plane to carry PIA pilots who volunteered to fly sorties bringing back stranded Pakistanis from abroad due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Medical help for Balochistan

On April 6, 2020, a PAF C-130 aircraft carrying medical equipment and relief goods for the people of Balochistan landed at the PAF Base, Samungli (Quetta). The No. 6 Squadron C-130 took off from the PAF Base Nur Khan early in the morning for the relief mission. The aircraft airlifted approximately 11,000 pounds of medical equipment, including N95 masks, protective gear, gloves, face masks, testing kits and medicines, in the sortie.

Reaching out to Zaireen

On April 4, 2020, on the instructions of the Government of Pakistan, the PAF is undertaking relief operations in the fight against COVID-19. In this regard, a PAF C-130 aircraft carrying Zaireen from Dalbandin landed at Skardu.

The Zaireen were kept in the makeshift arrangements at Taftan, the bordering town between Pakistan and Iran. They acknowledged the concerted efforts of the government for giving best possible facilities at such a far-off place. They also thanked the PAF for arranging this special sortie for the people of Gilgit- Baltistan.

The PAF’s Air Transport fleet is actively involved in carrying out relief efforts in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic and has airlifted tons of relief goods and medical equipment from the neighbouring country, China.

Medical equipment from China

The Air Transport fleet of the PAF has been assigned the onerous responsibility to airlift medical equipment and relief goods from Peoples Republic of China to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan.

In this regard, a PAF IL- 78 aircraft laden with 14 tons of cargo comprising ventilators, N95 masks and protective gear landed at the PAF Base Nur Khan. This is one of the many relief flights undertaken by the PAF in past couple of months. These sorties also included the ones flown to COVID-hit Chinese city of Wuhan earlier this year. During these relief sorties, tons of medical supplies were airlifted by PAF aircraft.

Air chief donates salary

As an earnest gesture towards a noble cause, the Pakistan Air Force has decided to contribute to the corona relief fund. Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, Chief of the Air Staff, Pakistan Air Force, would donate a one-month salary for the fund, which has been established by the government to fight the pandemic.

Keeping the precarious situation of the country in view, it has been decided at the air staff level that all rank and file of the PAF would contribute to the fund. Besides the air chief, officers of the rank of air commodore and above would donate their three days of the salary, while the officers of group captain and below ranks would donate two days’ salary in the national cause. Moreover, airmen and civilians would also chip in their one-day salary in the corona relief fund.