Rafiqui House

"On 6 September 1965, Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Ahmed Rafiqui led a formation of 3 F-86 aircraft on a strike against Halwara airfield. The formation was intercepted by about 10 Hunter aircraft out of which Squadron Leader Rafiqui accounted for one in the first few seconds. But then his guns jammed due to a defect and stopped firing. However, Rafiqui refused to leave the battle area which he would have been perfectly justified to do; instead he ordered his No. 2 to take over as leader and continue the engagement while he tried to give the formation as much protection as was possible with an unarmed aircraft. This called on the part of Squadron Leader Rafiqui. The end for him was never in doubt but he chose to disregard it and, in the process, his aircraft was shot down and he was killed but not before enabling his formation to shoot down 3 more Hunter aircraft. Rafiqui's conduct was clearly beyond the call of duty and conformed to the highest traditions of leadership and bravery in battle against overwhelming odds. For this and his earlier exploits, he is awarded Hilal-i-Jurat and Sitara-i-Jurat".

The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) received 102 F-86 Sabre aircraft from the USA in 1956 and another 90 from Iran after the 1965 war. These aircraft were considered the backbone of PAF and played a significant role in the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War. Although the Sabre was no longer a world-class fighter, it provided a technological advantage. In the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Sabres claimed to have shot down fifteen Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft, including nine Hunters, four Vampires, and two Gnats. The PAF's F-86 Sabres, equipped with AIM-9B/GAR-8 Sidewinder missiles, were a potent weapon against ground targets. Pakistan claimed to destroy around 36 aircraft on the ground at various Indian airfields, while India only acknowledged 22 aircraft lost on the ground due to strikes partly attributed to the PAF's F-86s and its bomber Martin B-57 Canberra. In the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War, Pakistan deployed only one PAF F-86 squadron, facing the IAF's numerical superiority. The IAF claimed to have shot down 11 PAF Sabres, allowing complete air superiority for the Indian Air Force. After the war, Pakistan phased out its F-86 Sabres and replaced them with Chinese F-6 fighters.