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{{short description|Pakistani cyclist}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix = His Excellency Air Commodore
| name = Imtiaz Ahmed Bhatti
| honorific_suffix = Sitara-i-Jurat, Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Military), Sitara-i-Basalat
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1933|4|18|df=yes}}
| death_date =
| birth_place = Gujrat, British India
| death_place =
| placeofburial =
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial_coordinates = 
| birth_name =
| allegiance = Pakistan
| branch = [[Pakistan Air Force]]
| serviceyears = 1953-1988
| rank = [[Air Commodore]]
| servicenumber = 
| unit = No. 15 Squadron <br/> No. 25 Squadron
| commands = No. 19 Squadron
| battles = [[Indo-Pakistani Air War of 1965]] <br/> [[Indo-Pakistan War of 1971]]
| battles_label =
| awards = [[Sitara-e-Jurat]] <br/> [[Sitara-e-Imtiaz]] <br/> [[Sitara-e-Basalat]]
| spouse = 
| relations =
| laterwork =
| signature =
}}

'''Imtiaz Bhatti''' born (18 April 1933) in Gujrat, British India is a [[cycle sport|cyclist]] and a former Air Force pilot of [[Pakistan]]. He was the Pakistan cycling champion during his student days at Punjab Agriculture College, Lyallpur (now [[University of Agriculture, Faisalabad]]) in late 1940s and early 1950s. He set national cycling records and represented Pakistan in the [[Cycling at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Men's individual road race|individual]] and [[Cycling at the 1952 Summer Olympics – Men's team road race|team road race]] events at the [[1952 Summer Olympics]] where he was placed 1st among the Asian cyclists and 25th in the world in the 1000 m time trial.<ref name="sports-reference">{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bh/imtiaz-bhatti-1.html |title=Imtiaz Bhatti Olympic Results |access-date=30 December 2012 |work=sports-reference.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121216131114/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/bh/imtiaz-bhatti-1.html |archive-date=16 December 2012 }}</ref> Bhatti a veteran of the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]] flew 34 combat missions, the maximum from Pakistan during the war and is credited with confirmed downing of two Indian planes and damaging a third, besides participating in raids that took out the Amritsar radar and various other air defence and ground support missions.

== Career ==
After completing his postgraduate studies at Punjab Agriculture College, he joined the [[Pakistan Air Force]] in 1953, where he was commissioned as an officer and had a distinguished career before retiring as an [[air commodore]] in 1988. Due to his distinguished acts of gallantry, valor and courage shown during war while performing duty and meritorious service, he was awarded with [[Sitara-i-Jurat]], [[Sitara-i-Imtiaz]] (Military) and [[Sitara-i-Basalat]] by the Government of Pakistan and declared a legend by the PAF Falcons and is one of the war heroes to whom tribute is paid on Pakistan Defence Day.<ref>{{cite web |author=APP |url=http://app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=51869 |title=Defence Day celebrated with renewed pledge to defend country | |access-date=16 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065402/http://app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=51869 |archive-date=4 March 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Dawn |url=http://archives.dawn.com/archives/144105 |title=Defence Day celebrated | |access-date=16 September 2013}}</ref>

=== 1965 war ===
On 1 September 1965, Sargodha Airbase was assigned an Air Defence Alert mission. Bhatti who was a flight lieutenant in No. 15 Squadron at Sargodha at that time. After completing his regular duty 0400–1200 hours, he asked to be allowed to continue for another shift. Squadron Leader [[Sarfaraz Rafique]] commander of No. 5 Squadron, accompanied him on the mission, which started around 1700 hours.<ref name="Kaiser Tufail">{{cite book|last=Tufail|first=Kaiser|title=Great Air Battles Of Pakistan Air Force|year=2005|publisher=Ferozsons|isbn=978-9690018922|pages=16–20}}</ref>
On getting airborne, they were directed by the Pakistani radar at Sakesar to the Sialkot-Chamb axis, from where they vectored to Chamb-Jaurian. Once there, the two started visual search not only for the attacking aircraft, but also for the PAF C-in-C, who was reported to be making an on-site assessment of the battle in a T-37. Bhatti first spotted two Vampires crossing 3–4,000 ft underneath and informed S/L Rafique, who immediately went after the two spotted planes. Bhatti, instead of flying as a traditional wingman, broke away and sighted more Indian aircraft. Before he could go after them, he saw two more Vampires that were trying to get into position behind Rafique. He called Rafique to break and himself took care of the other two that were following Rafique.<ref name="Kaiser Tufail"/>

According to the Government of Pakistan citation: "[[Flight Lieutenant]] Imtiaz Ahmad Bhatti was one of the two pilots who were on an air patrol when they were directed to intercept enemy aircraft attacking our ground forces in Chamb area. This was the first air encounter of the Indo-Pakistan War. Though heavily outnumbered, [[Flight Lieutenant]] Bhatti fought with exceptional courage and professional skill and shot down two Vampire aircraft in this engagement. This set an inspiring example for others to emulate. For his gallantry, determination and dedication to the Service he is awarded Sitara-i-Jur'at".<ref name="Syed Shabbir Hussain">{{cite book|title=History of the Pakistan Air Force, 1947-1982|year=1982|publisher=Kifayat Academy|asin=B0000EDYH0|pages=53, 240, 318|author=Syed Shabbir Hussain}}</ref>

On 13 September, in an encounter between PAF [[North American F-86 Sabre|F-86 Sabres]] from Sargodha and IAF [[Folland Gnat|Gnats]] from No. 2 Squadron,<ref>{{cite book|title=The India-Pakistan air war of 1965|year=2005|publisher= Manohar|isbn=978-81-7304-641-4|pages=240–241|last=Jagan Mohan|first=P.V.S|author2=Chopra, Samir|url=https://books.google.com/books?ei=luJsUsrQDYPD4wTgioCABw}}</ref> an Indian Gnat flown by Flt. Lt. A.N. Kale was shot down by Flt. Lt. Yusaf Ali Khan, although Kale managed to eject safely. The other Gnat, flown by Squadron Leader N. K. Malik, was engaged and damaged in air combat by Flt. Lt. Bhatti. The experienced Malik somehow managed to return to his base, but according to All India Radio the Gnat's pilot later died of wounds sustained during the combat while attempting to land.<ref>{{cite book|title=F-86 Sabre: the operational record|year=1994|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press|isbn=9781560985310|page=107|last=Jackson|first=Robert}}</ref> His funeral was attended by the Indian President.<ref>{{cite book|title=Battle for Pakistan: The Air War of 1965|year=1979|publisher=Ian Allan Ltd.|isbn=9780711009295|page=150|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RPttAAAAMAAJ|last=Fricker|first=John}}</ref> Yusaf Ali Khan was credited with a kill, while Bhatti was only credited with damaging a Gnat, despite later confirmation that Malik had died of his wounds and his Gnat had crashed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/Country-By-Country/India.htm|title=Chronological Listing of Indian Air Force, Naval Air Force and related Losses & Ejections|date=October 2013|access-date=27 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222165653/http://www.ejection-history.org.uk/Country-By-Country/India.htm|archive-date=22 December 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Bhatti, with the rank of [[squadron leader]], commanded the 25th Squadron, equipped with FT-6s, from 1968 to 1970. During the [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]], he served in the 25th Squadron, stationed at Sargodha Airbase. He commanded the 19th Squadron from 1973 to 1974.<ref name="Syed Shabbir Hussain"/>

=== Post-Air Force career ===
After leaving PAF, he served as [[Ambassador]] / [[High Commissioner]] of [[Pakistan]] for [[Burundi]], [[Madagascar]], [[Malawi]] and [[Tanzania]] from 1990 until 1992. After returning from his ambassadorial duty, he happily settled in [[Sargodha]], looking after family farmlands in districts [[Jhang]] and [[Sargodha]] concentrating on growing citrus and guava orchards, bamboo and forest plantations besides various food crops.{{Citation needed|date=September 2013}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.pakistankakhudahafiz.com/opinion/the-first-air-combat-1965-a-thrilling-dog-fight/ 1965 first Air combat - a thrilling dog fight]
*[http://www.paf.gov.pk/september_account.html PAF September account]
*[http://pakshaheen.freeservers.com/contact.html Flying Start PAF opens its account in 1965]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120110082433/http://www.pafmuseum.com.pk/historic-events/1965-war/Rafiqui-Opens-Sep-Acc.htm Rafiqui opens September account]
*[http://www.defencejournal.com/sept98/sarfaraz.htm Sqdn Ldr Sarfraz Ahmed Rafiqui]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130105022240/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1965War/Tango-Chamb.html Tank Busting In The Chamb by Air Marshal Trilochan Singh PVSM AVSM VrC VM (Retd)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130706030406/http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1965War/Chapter3.html Air Attack - Outbreak of the WAR (Sept 1st - 6th)]

{{Recipients of Sitara-e-Jurat}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhatti, Imtiaz}}
[[Category:1933 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Pakistani male cyclists]]
[[Category:Olympic cyclists of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Cyclists at the 1952 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Pakistan Air Force officers]]
[[Category:Pakistani aviators]]
[[Category:Pakistani military personnel of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]
[[Category:Pilots of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]
[[Category:Recipients of Sitara-e-Jurat]]
[[Category:Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz]]
[[Category:Cyclists from Punjab, Pakistan]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Jhang]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Pakistan to Burundi]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Pakistan to Madagascar]]
[[Category:High Commissioners of Pakistan to Malawi]]
[[Category:High Commissioners of Pakistan to Tanzania]]
[[Category:University of Agriculture, Faisalabad alumni]]

Imtiaz Bhatti - Revision history

Bot: robot: Create/upgrade articles. If there is a mistake please report on my talk page.

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->Lugnuts at 19:35, 28 September 2021