Islamabad, Pakistan: Shahid Khaqan Abbasi became first Prime Minister of Pakistan who flew a fighter aircraft as co-pilot.
For sending a strong message to India that even Prime Minister of Pakistan is ready for air combat against Indian Air Force, the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi flew F-16 fighter aircraft as co-pilot during  Exercise Saffron Bandit on Saturday.
It is pertinent to mention that Saffron is the colour of India (and its ruling party BJP) and Bandit literary means a group of criminals.
It may be mentioned that PM Shahid Khaqan is the founder of a private commercial airline namely Airblue and an engineer by profession. He has great love for flying and cockpit of a fighter jet has long relation with his life as being a son of Air Commodore late Khaqan Abbasi who served in Pakistan Air Force.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan visited newly-established Airpower Center of Excellence (ACE) at PAF Base Mushaf Sargodha on Saturday for getting a briefing about potentials of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) for responding any Indian adventurism. PAF Base Mushaf is named after former Base Commander Sargodha and the Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir who lost his life along with his wife and senior leadership of Pakistan Air Force in a plane crashed near Kohat in 2003.
According to official information, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was briefed by Air Chief Sohail Aman on the ongoing exercise ‘Saffron Bandit’ and was informed that the first-ever multinational exercise will be held in October and 19 countries would participate in multinational Air exercise.
