Writer: Brig Fouad Hafeez

Issue: B&T Sum 19

A signboard with the name Captain Abdur Rahim (shaheed) Sitara-i-Basalat (S Bt), Tamgha-i-Basalat (T Bt) & Bar Chowk is visible at the crossroad of Central Ordnance Depot complex and Military College of Signals in Rawalpindi, while going towards Lalkurti. Many people cross this chowk daily and read the name, very few know the history of this brave soldier. This signboard is in fact, honouring a legendary pilot.

When researching into the life of this celebrated hero, the scribe contacted Lieutenant Colonel Mahboob Haider, retired, who remained associated with Captain Rahim during aviation operations in Siachen. He narrated his personality and professionalism in such an enthusiastic manner, that it further strengthened the resolve to pen down a few aspects about this brave soldier.

Captain Rahim, commonly known as Baba in Aviation, was a legendary aviator. Northern Areas flying remained the most important and outstanding part of his military career. He was born in a humble family on 2 December 1959, at Uch Sadogare, Lower Dir. For initial schooling he joined Government High School Number 1 Peshawar City, and attained his matriculation certificate in 1975. Subsequently he joined Government College Peshawar, from where he completed his intermediate education in 1979. During childhood, he worked in a motor garage to earn his livelihood. Later, he joined Pakistan Air Force as an airman, from where he started his professional life.1 Thereafter, he appeared for the Inter Services Selection Board and joined Officers Training School (OTS) Mangla. He was commissioned in the Pakistan Army on 10 June 1983 and posted to 86 Field Artillery Regiment stationed at Lahore. After a couple of years of service in the Artillery, he opted to join the Army Aviation Corps, and till his shahadat on 15 October 2005, he remained in Aviation.2 In a life span of almost 46 years, it was over two decades that he served in Aviation. He was only to be an aviator, and died an aviator.

His flying experience and extensive flying hours, first on fixed wing (nearly 800 hours), then on rotary wing (nearly 4000 hours), speak about his professional career in Aviation.

The scribe interviewed ex-General Officer Commanding Aviation, Major General Khalil Dar, retired, an old colleague of Captain Rahim. He says that he was not an ordinary officer, right from when he joined the Army, till he laid down his life in the line of service. He remained a different, extraordinary soldier and human being.

He was truly a field soldier and a master of flying. Lieutenant Colonel Faizan, retired, his aviation colleague says, “He used to make helicopters dance on his fingers but was least interested in reading and studying. Short stature, under confident looking personality but was actually a brave hearted lion. He was soft, gentle and very friendly in the crew room but suddenly used to change into an extraordinary, brave and daring pilot in the cockpit. He was ruthless, verbal and demanding to his co-pilots. The flight engineers and crew chiefs were equally afraid of him because of his extraordinary technical knowledge.”

Despite many attempts, he did not pass the captain to major promotion examination. He was served with a warning for termination of service due to non-clearance of promotion examination within the prescribed period, but his illustrious flying career, expertise in the field, and on the recommendation of Army Aviation, the Army retained him. In Aviation, Baba Rahim joined as a captain and embraced shahadat as a captain, but the respect he earned as a daring and brave pilot is unprecedented.

In 1985 he opted to join the Aviation, he initially qualified on Mushak (MFI-17) and was posted to the Army Aviation Squadron at Peshawar, which happened to be his home town. He was happy and stayed there for about two and half to three years, thereafter he converted to Lama helicopters and started serving in Skardu (Siachen).

He joined the Skardu Aviation Squadron in December 1990.4 Those were the days when Aviation was fighting the war with troops on the highest battlefield in the world (Siachen). The Lama pilots were respected, well reputed and doing the toughest jobs in the world. They were exploring the limits of men and machines. Captain Rahim was senior in that squadron, and the way he used to talk earned him the nickname of Baba. He used his knowledge of being an airman (technician) very well as a pilot. One would find him standing on the deck and sometimes fiddling with the engine along with technicians. He was the only pilot who could accomplish any type of mission. Besides this, if there was any electrical issue where pilots used to stay in Skardu, General Khalil says, we would not call an electrician, he would do it himself. If there was a stove which was not working, he would get hold of that stove and put it right. So he was an extraordinary, multi-skilled person.

When most pilots would come back after a day’s mission, feel tired and lie down, he would take his fishing rod and go to Sadpara Lake for fishing. He was very fond of fishing. He was a good story teller as well, on any topic like hunting or fishing.

He was the kind of person everybody knew and looked up to. He would volunteer for difficult missions. Many a time, his brave actions and decisions saved innocent lives. He had made his mark in the Skardu Aviation Squadron through his professionalism. Later he converted to twin engine helicopter MI-8/17.

MI-17s were specifically inducted for operations in Northern Areas (now Gilgit Baltistan), so the first priority for conversion was given to pilots who had already operated there. Baba Rahim was selected for conversion. He was amongst the first batch that went to Russia in 1996 for training, and to ferry the helicopters to Pakistan. He became a pioneer in MI-17. He was inherently and naturally good in flying and technical knowledge; he became a kind of leading authority on MI-17, competing with very senior officers who were there in the squadron. The Kargil operations were not possible without the cargo support of Captain Rahim. He flew in a hostile environment, at times completed more than 20 missions in a day to provide logistic support (rations, ammunition and casualty evacuation).

Shifting of Guns (sling operation)

He was one of the daring pilots who undertook the challenging and very demanding helicopter mission of slinging a 130 millimeter gun, to deploy them in forward locations, to provide effective fire support. With this heavyweight, there was no way to move the guns to forward locations. 130 millimetre guns were stripped into pieces, weighing about 2 to 2.5 ton each, and the barrel was loaded inside MI17. Aviation did not have the knowledge or necessary equipment at that time, to sling. It was considered too dangerous as compared to a normal cargo load, being aerodynamically unstable. It was a major operation, very senior and experienced aviators participated including Rahim Baba and made it a success. This operation proved useful to counter the Indians on the Line of Control, and especially during Kargil operations.

From Airman to Instructor Pilot in the PAF

• Pakistan Air force also inducted MI-17 helicopters, and the PAF requested Pakistan Army to provide pilots and instructors initially to operate MI-17 helicopters, and later train PAF pilots. Rahim Baba along with Lieutenant Colonel Ihsan was sent to PAF on deputation, in February 2002 as instructors. Though Rahim Baba was captain in rank, but as a token of respect, he was allowed to wear the PAF uniform in the rank of squadron leader. Strangely, Rahim was not a qualified MI-17 instructor, but he was taken as instructor because of his experience and skill of Northern Areas flying. He remained instructor for about 3 years at Mushaf Air Base, Sargodha. He used to train Alouette pilots at various bases like Masroor, Chaklala, Kamra and Skardu. He established his reputation as a pilot who knew his machine, and its limitations. He was a highly respected instructor pilot in the PAF, and earned the nickname Rambo during his stay in Pakistan Air Force.
• During 1999, Captain Abdur Rahim was tasked to move an Air Force radar, from Skardu to a location at a height of nearly 14,000 feet. This was the first ever operation of this nature, where a radar container7 was slung with the MI-17 helicopter. It immediately served as a deterrence upon enemy aircraft, which tried to penetrate deep into Pakistan’s airspace. Apparently it seemed impossible, but he was specifically short-listed for the mission as he was considered the most skilful pilot in the Northern Areas. He took up the challenge and completed the mission in a manner that Pakistan Air Force still remembers him for his bravery, skill and timely support.

Participation in OPERATION LIFELINE

On 8 October 2005, Pakistan was hit by a massive earthquake. During this time, OPERATION LIFELINE was conducted by the Aviation, almost all of Aviation especially MI-17s from all aviation units participated. At that time Baba Rahim was posted in Aviation Squadron at Dhamial, and one of the helicopters, an MI-17 belonging to Anti-Narcotics Force was being piloted by Captain Rahim and co-piloted by Lieutenant Colonel Roghani. The area was in Bagh, Azad Kashmir. His devotion and commitment can be ascertained by the fact that from 8 to 15 October 2005, Baba Rahim delivered 22,500 kilograms of relief goods, recovered 229 casualties and had flown 32 hours within the first seven days. It amounted to 4 to 5 hours of flying and rescue missions daily.

On the sad day of 15 October 2005, the helicopter took off from Bagh at around 0910 hours for the first destination, Sher Camp, and landed there at around 0930 hours. While off-loading relief goods at Sher Camp, the crew noticed a sudden weather build up, therefore decided to return to Bagh by discontinuing the mission. The helicopter took off from Sher Camp for Bagh and immediately encountered low clouds, rain and thunder, with almost zero visibility. While trying to avoid the weather and in a hurry to get out of it, the helicopter hit the mountain ridge, approximately 2.2 kilometres north-west of Sher Camp. The helicopter disintegrated and caught fire. All seven occupants, crew members and Captain Abdur Rahim, along with Lieutenant Colonel Roghani, embraced shahadat.

For the first time, Baba Rahim could not defeat the weather, which he had mastered for so long. It was only his departure from this physical world that could break his will to serve. His commitment to service during the hour of need remained far above the call of duty. His departure was a setback not only for the Army Aviation, but for the nation. He was posthumously awarded a T Bt in 2006 for his role in the conduct of OPERATION LIFELINE, in the earthquake-hit areas, during October 2005.

“The Role of Army Aviation stood out in reaching the needy, evacuating the injured and providing succour to wherever and whatever required in the most trying conditions. This, they did to the peril of their lives. One but cannot forget the heroism of Lieutenant Colonel Ahmed Ali Roghani and Captain Abdur Rahim who died while making an attempt to reach out to the “waiting” when lesser men would have given up. May God bless their souls. Aviation flew around 20,000 hours, evacuating over 170,000 injured and transporting 132,000 tons of relief goods. These statistics speak for the Herculean Effort and more so, when it comes through limited resources in men and material. You have deservedly earned the nation’s applause and brought credit to the country amongst the international community,”.

Vice Chief of Army Staff, General Ahsan Saleem Hayat

Gallantry Awards

Captain Rahim’s meritorious service is reflected by his awards.

• Captain Rahim was awarded S Bt in 1992, for successful evacuation of 3 individuals from a post at 21,000 feet, an avalanche hit area
• Even before his shahadat, he was awarded T Bt in 2005 on successful completion of 2,000 hours of safe flying in Siachen.
• He was posthumously awarded a second T Bt in 2006, for his role in the conduct of OPERATION LIFELINE for the earthquake hit areas, during October 2005.
• He was awarded Imtiazi Sanad (1999— KARGIL OPERATION) for successful completion of more than 300 flying hours in the operational area.

His son Major Waleed Rahim, EME, remembers his father in these words; “my father was very skilful in every field. Whenever we used to be posted from one station to another, he would make crates for packing, from wooden planks. The funny part was that neighbours used to think that a carpenter was working, but later when they knew about dad doing all this, they used to appreciate it. Our home was full of workshop tools, from woodwork to car tools. Our dad was an allrounder”.

Architect Junaid Rahim, his other son, says that the monument dedicated to shuhada at the Army Aviation Squadron, Dhamial Base is designed by him, dedicated to his father.

Baba Rahim actively participated in construction of a mosque in Peshawar Aviation Squadron in 1987, which was renovated and named after him in 2008. This mosque was inaugurated by his youngest son (now Major) Waleed.

Final resting place of our shaheed Baba Rahim
The officer had an intuition about shahadat in active service, and asked to be buried among other shuhada at Army Graveyard, Rawalpindi.

Baba Rahim left behind a widow, Nargis Rahim, a daughter and three sons. 18 years down the line, Momina Rahim is a student of fine arts at Fatima Jinnah Women University, Waleed Rahim is serving in the Army as major, Junaid Rahim is a reputed architect, and Shoaib Rahim is a dentist at Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi.