By Nabeel Athar (17th Entry)
Written on May 11, 2003

Once upon a time.. Yes, that is how it feels when I think of the days when I met Rizwanullah the first time. It was in the year of 1970, the month was April and the day was 29th. How did I manage to remember all that? Well it is because this day is celebrated by my old class mates. This was the day when about 100 of us assembled in the lush green lawns of Cadet College Hassan Abdal looking forward to spend 5 years ahead of us together. Rizwanullah was a very average normal plump looking 12 years old at that time who did not seem to have any extraordinary qualities. He and I shared the same dorm with some 10 other boys. Ameenullah, Aamir, Shahbaz Remani, Omar Askari, Shahid Aziz, Omar Hayat, Shah Shaukat and of course he. Though we shared the same boarding dorm, he studied in another section and I was studying in a different section. So in the beginning we did not have much interaction. Then gradually, we started to know each other better. At least both of us came from a Military family background...That was enough for us to start a friendship in an alien environment enwrapped in the gloom of nostalgia, wanting to fill in the gap that suddenly was en-thrust upon our lives by none other than our own parents in the name of a better future. Whether our parents’ decision helped our future or not, it did however, brought all of us in a common bondage called sincere friendship which, I think, is cherished by all of us who live to this date.

The first year of Rizwan was as careless as experienced by most of us. In the second year, the war in East Pakistan, and subsequently the creation of Bangladesh, made thousands of Pakistanis to become prisoners of war. Rizwanullah’s father was one of those POWs. This incident brought a tremendous change in Rizwanullah's personality. From a careless naughty child, he suddenly grew up to become a man who wanted to join Air force to take revenge for his father's miseries. I remember Rizwan's anxious waiting for his father's letters and his father's voice over All India Radio. Rizwan became sober and serious. He started tending to his studies and probably in his mind planned to become a future fighter pilot. I remember that because in one of the light moments after PREP (a one hour compulsory study period at our dorms), he demonstrated the "stick" by using his ruler scale and how that "stick" could make the change in the body position of the pilot. Rizwan reclined and gazed through the air looking beyond the roof of the dorm as if he was flying a fighter jet positioning to gain the altitude.

I recently learned from listening to a tape by Norman Vincent Peale who suggests that power of imaging is one of the most effective ways of accomplishing one's dreams. Rizwan, had not listened to Norman Vincent, I am sure, but unconsciously was practicing the power of imaging. By simulating his role in the cockpit on his dorm chair, he had envisaged the ways through which he had to take the revenge from his father's enemies.

Only in about a year from then, he qualified for Air force College Sargodha and left us to pursue his ambitions. After joining the Air force College, he did come to see us once. We had advanced in the 11th grade and were almost ready to become men. But we saw in Rizwan a man already, way ahead of our thoughts, sobriety, and maturity. At that moment we did not realize that Rizwanullah is going to widen this generation gap by his laser sharp focus and hard work.

After Cadet College, I joined Marine Academy in Karachi to seek a career in Merchant Navy, and Rizwanullah continued his soar as a fighter pilot. We did not meet each other for a long time. But from common friends and acquaintances I would hear of his various accomplishments in Air force. The very first one was about him getting the sword of Honor. Then time flew and so did Rizwan. Only a short while after, I heard that he earned the best pilot's trophy a distinctive achievement signifying the identification of an important person in the making.

He did make some challenging decisions for himself. For a GDP (Fighter pilot) to leave flying to become an Aeronautical Engineer seemed a bizarre move at that time. But Rizwan knew what he was doing. For the time being, he left flying to join the Aeronautical College in Karachi. I remember meeting him then some time. He was already a known figure in the Air force and I was still struggling in my career. I felt a little awe. Where the heck that Rizwan had disappeared who I knew and who used to tell naughty stories of his early childhood. This Rizwanullah was very different. Mature, serious and yet humble... even in describing his achievements. I later learnt from a friend that Rizwanullah received the gold medal in the passing out ceremony of Aeronautical College. He had once again received the highest achievement award on his graduation.

He was one of the first ones to get married. I had heard that he married one of his maternal cousins. His bride's father was also in the Air force and probably was posted as a base commander at the time of Rizwan's marriage.

In the later years of my life, I learnt that Rizwan had been to UK and was awarded the top most award for his academia performance from there. And then one day in the early nineties, Rizwan called me at my home in Lahore to announce that he and his wife wanted to visit us. My ex wife and I had been barely married for 3 years and our mutual discord probably made both Rizwan and his wife uncomfortable who left early.

I was on my honeymoon with my present wife roaming on the Mall of Murree. Rizwan met me there. At that moment I felt uncomfortable and did not have the heart to introduce my wife to them properly. Later, Salma my wife, did mention that she felt bad about it.

Few years passed and I along with my whole family was vacationing at a scenic place in Islamabad. I called Rizwan and his wife, who came to see us shortly after. We had a wonderful time. For the first time in so many years I again felt close to Rizwanullah. He did mention his accomplishments but also said that his older son was preparing for joining our own alma meter, the Cadet College. Rizwan was progressing in every sense.

After that, I met him in Lahore. He had flown from Islamabad to Lahore to receive some American Air force dignitaries and had some time to spend with me. So he called and asked me to come and meet him at the Air force Mess. I went to see him. He was as usual sober. Told me how he engaged some American jets who had flown in the territory of Pakistan while flying over the sea. Despite their superior aircrafts, Rizwanullah was able to engage them skillfully. He mentioned that the intruding Americans subsequently sent a letter to Air force headquarters praising the skills of the pilot who engaged them.

He was sure to become the Air Chief. My other friends in the Air force would tell me. His various promotions, his assignments, his credentials were all making way for him to become the number one man in the Air force. He was gradually becoming a legend in the Air force whose training facilities showed Rizwan's name in Bold Letters on their honor boards. Trainers taught Rizwan's tactics. His flying moves were analyzed, and aspiring fighter pilots boasted their encounter with this legend.

I came to America in 2001 and lost touch with him. Rizwan would widen his lead from me to such an extent I could not have imagined. While going through the site of Dawn one day, I read the names of the people who died in the tragic Air Crash that took lives of the elite of the Air force. Rizwanullah no doubt was amongst the elite. A true officer, A true gentleman,  A dear friend........