Rais Ahmad Rafi

Rais Ahmad Rafi (13 December 1933 — 2 March 2009) also known as Rais Rafi and Rais A. Rafi, was a former one-star rank officer of the Pakistan Air Force. As a squadron leader, he commanded the No. 8 Sqn in the Indo-Pakistani air war of 1965 and received the Sitara-e-Jurat for gallantry. He served as the Chief Investigator in the Civil Aviation Authority of Pakistan in the late 1980s.

Early life Rais Ahmad Rafi was born on 13 December 1933 in Jhelum. His father, Muhammad Ajaib, was an artillery officer in the British Indian Army and Pakistan Army, retiring as a Brigadier.

Rais enrolled into Muslim University High School Aligarh as a student of Class V in 1944. After the Partition of British India in August 1947, his father opted for Pakistan and was posted to the School of Artillery at Nowshera Cantonment.

As a squadron leader, he commanded No. 8 Sqn from October 1964 to April 1968.

Sitara-e-Jurat His Sitara-e-Jurat citation reads: "Squadron Leader Rais Ahmad Rafi flew a total of 14 operational missions during the Indo-Pakistan War. The officer led his Squadron on most of the hazardous missions to Ambala, Adampur, Jamnagar and Jodhpur. He completed all the missions assigned to him in a highly professional manner and in complete disregard to his personal safety. The officer was a source of inspiration for other pilots in the Sqn and set a fine example of courage, valour and determination. He invariably delivered his attacks with great accuracy and precision causing maximum damage to the enemy. For his courage and gallantry performance, Squadron Leader Rais Ahmed Rafi is awarded SJ."

Post-war He was deputed to the Iraqi Air Force from April 1968 to 1969. From June 1981 to December 1982, Air Commodore Rafi commanded PAF Base Korangi Creek.

Rais died on 2 March 2009 at his residence. He was buried at the graveyard in H-8, Islamabad.

Awards and decorations

PAF GD(P) Badge RED(More than 3000 Flying Hours)Sitara-e-Jurat (Star of Courage) 1965 WarTamgha-e-Diffa (Defence Medal) 1. 1965 War Clasp 2. 1971 War ClaspSitara-e-Harb 1965 War (War Star 1965)Sitara-e-Harb 1971 War (War Star 1971)Tamgha-e-Jang 1965 War (War Medal 1965)Tamgha-e-Jang 1971 War (War Medal 1971)Tamgha-e-Sad Saala Jashan-e-Wiladat-e-Quaid-e-Azam (100th Birth Anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah) 1976Tamgha-e-Qayam-e-Jamhuria (Republic Commemoration Medal) 1956Hijri Tamgha (Hijri Medal) 1979