1965 War hero MM Alam remembered on death anniversary

Karachi (Web Desk): Pakistan on Wednesday observed the 13th death anniversary of Muhammad Mahmood Alam, famously known as MM Alam, a distinguished figure of the 1965 war.

Born on July 6, 1935, in Calcutta, Alam was the eldest among eleven children. He was brought up in Bengal, and after the partition of India in 1947, his family moved to what was then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh.

Alam began his military career when he received his commission in the Pakistan Air Force (then RPAF) on October 2, 1953.

He earned widespread acclaim for his heroic exploits during the 1965 Indo-Pak war while serving at Sargodha. Piloting his F-86 Sabre fighter jet, he participated in numerous aerial battles, successfully shooting down nine Indian planes, including six Hawker Hunters, and damaging two others.

A particularly remarkable achievement came on September 7, 1965, when Alam destroyed five enemy aircraft in less than a minute, taking down four of them within a mere 30 seconds.

This extraordinary feat set a world record and solidified his reputation as one of the finest fighter pilots in history.

After retiring from the Air Force in 1982 as an Air Commodore, Alam settled in Karachi.

He passed away on March 18, 2013, at the age of 77, leaving behind a legacy of courage, skill, and patriotism that continues to inspire.