Muhammad Mahmood Alam: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|Pakistani fighter pilot}}

|honorific prefix = Air Commodore

|name= Muhammad Mahmood Alam <br /> [[Sitara-e-Jurat|SJ]]

|native_name = {{Nastaliq|محمد محمود عالم}} মুহাম্মদ মাহমুদ আলম

|native_name_lang = urdu

|birth_date={{birth date|df=yes|1935|7|6}}

|birth_place= [[Calcutta]], [[British Raj|British India]]

|death_date={{death date and age|df=yes|2013|3|18|1935|7|6}}

|death_place= [[Karachi]], Pakistan

|image= MM alam in 2010.jpg

|alt=

|caption= Muhammad Mahmood Alam in 2010

|nickname=MM Alam, Little Dragon

|allegiance={{PAK}}

|serviceyears=1960–1982

|branch={{Air force|Pakistan}}

|rank=[[File:US-O7 insignia.svg|20px]] [[Air commodore]]

|commands=

|unit=[[List of Pakistan Air Force Squadrons|No. 11 Squadron Arrows]] (1965)<ref name=PAF>{{cite web|url=http://www.paf.gov.pk/mmalam.html|title=Events&nbsp;– M M Alam's F-86|publisher=Pakistan Air Force (official website)|access-date=5 March 2010|location=Pakistan}}</ref><br />[[List of Pakistan Air Force Squadrons|No. 5 Squadron Falcons]]

|battles= [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1965]]<br />[[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971]]<br />[[Soviet–Afghan War]]

|awards= [[Sitara-e-Jurat]] and [[Medal bar|Bar]]<ref name="Fiza'ya: psyche of the Pakistan Air Force">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_JS4AAAAIAAJ |title=Fiza'ya: psyche of the Pakistan Air Force |last1=Singh |first1=Pushpindar |last2=Rikhye |first2=Ravi |last3=Steinemann |first3=Peter |publisher=Society for Aerospace Studies |year=1991 |isbn=9788170020387 |pages=28, 31}}</ref>

|laterwork=  

[[Air Commodore]] '''Muhammad Mahmood Alam''' {{Small|[[Sitara-e-Jurat|SJ]]}} ({{lang-ur|{{Nastaliq|محمد محمود عالم}}}}; 6 July 1935&nbsp;– 18 March 2013) was<ref>''Dawn'' Newspaper, [http://dawn.com/2013/03/18/m-m-alam-passes-away-in-karachi/];</ref> a Pakistani fighter pilot officially credited by the [[Pakistan Air Force]] with having downed five Indian jets in under a minute.

He was a [[North American F-86 Sabre|F-86 Sabre]] [[flying ace]] as per Pakistan Air Force records. He was awarded the [[Sitara-e-Jurat]], the nation's third highest military award for his actions.

Alam was born on 6 July 1935 to a well-educated family of [[Calcutta]], British India. Born and raised in [[Bengal]], Alam was a fluent [[Bengali language|Bengali]] speaker, however his paternal line was of Urdu-speaking Bihari origin; having emigrated from [[Patna]] and settled in the [[Bengal Presidency|Bengal]] province of British India for a long time.<ref name="Nation">{{cite news|url=http://www.nation.com.pk/national/06-Sep-2013/knowing-mm-alam|title=Knowing MM Alam|work=The Nation|access-date=8 September 2014|date=6 September 2013}}</ref> The family migrated from Calcutta to eastern Bengal which became [[East Pakistan]], now Bangladesh following the formation of Pakistan in 1947.<ref name="Nation"/> It was in East Pakistan, where Alam completed his secondary education, graduating from the Government High School in [[Dhaka]] in 1951. He joined the then Royal Pakistani Air Force (now Pakistan Air Force) in 1952, being commissioned on 2 October 1953.<ref name="The News International">[http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-166043-Iconic-war-veteran-MM-Alam-passes-away Iconic war veteran MM Alam passes away], [[The News International]]. Retrieved on 19 March 2013.</ref> Alam's brothers are [[M. Shahid Alam]], an economist and a professor at [[Northeastern University, Boston|Northeastern University]],<ref>Institute for Policy Research & Development, [http://iprd.org.uk/?page_id=30 Advisory Board] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404101927/http://iprd.org.uk/?page_id=30 |date=4 April 2019 }}; [http://iprd.org.uk/?page_id=6291 Dr. M. Shahid Alam] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404101918/http://iprd.org.uk/?page_id=6291 |date=4 April 2019 }}</ref><ref name=Aksan>Cihan Aksan, ''State of Nature'', [http://www.stateofnature.org/onIslam1.html On Islam: An Interview with M. Shahid Alam]</ref> and [[Mohammad Sajjad Alam|M. Sajjad Alam]], a particle physicist at [[SUNY Albany]].<ref>Department of Physics, [http://www.albany.edu/undergraduate_bulletin/department_physics.html M. Sajjad Alam].</ref>

His family moved to [[Pakistan]] in 1971, after the secession of [[East Pakistan]].<ref name="Nation"/> Being the eldest of his 11 siblings, Alam did not marry as he had to assume the responsibilities of the upbringing of his family.{{Citation needed|date=September 2021}} Some of his younger brothers became distinguished in various academic careers.<ref name="The News International" />

Alam was admitted to Pakistan Naval Station Shifa Hospital in Karachi where he died on 18 March 2013, aged 77.<ref>[http://dawn.com/2013/03/18/m-m-alam-passes-away-in-karachi/ M. M. Alam passes away in Karachi], Dawn (newspaper). Retrieved on 19 March 2013.</ref> He was being treated for respiratory problems for 18 months. Alam's funeral prayer was performed at the [[PAF Base Masroor]], where he served some of the significant years of his career. Alam was buried at the Shuhuda (Martyrs) Graveyard, located at PAF Masroor Airbase. Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad, Air Chief Marshal (Ret.) Farooq Feroz Khan, Sindh corps commander Lt. Gen Ijaz Chaudhry, Pakistan Rangers (Sindh) Director-General Maj. Gen. Rizwan Akhter, Base Commander PAF Base Masroor Air Commodore Usaid ur Rehman, many war veterans of the 1965 war and Alam's closest colleagues attended the funeral. One of the younger brothers of the deceased, Zubair Alam, was also present.<ref name="The News International" />

[[M. M. Alam Road]], a major road in [[Lahore]], [[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]], [[Pakistan]] is named in honour of the [[ace in a day|flying ace]] of [[Pakistan Air Force]], Air Commodore Muhammad Mahmood Alam, running from Main Market to [[Gulberg, Lahore|Gulberg]]. The road runs parallel to famous Main Boulevard thus providing an alternate route and is a commercial hub with many restaurants, fashion boutiques, shopping malls, beauty saloons and décor stores. M.M. Alam Road hosts a variety of flamboyant restaurants in modern Lahore.<ref>{{cite web|last=Haq |first=Shahram |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/88625/urban-planning-M.M-Alam-road-to-be-heart-of-new-business-district/ |title=Urban planning: MM Alam Road to be heart of new business district&nbsp;– The Express Tribune |publisher=Tribune.com.pk |access-date=20 January 2012}}</ref> On 20 March 2014, on account of his first death anniversary, the PAF Airbase Mianwali was renamed after him as [[PAF Base M.M. Alam]].<ref name="Dawn: Renaming">{{cite news|title=Pakistan not sending troops to Bahrain or Saudi: PM|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1094412/pakistan-not-sending-troops-to-bahrain-or-saudi-pm|access-date=20 March 2014|newspaper=Dawn|date=20 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Desk |first=Web |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/685226/paf-honours-ace-pilot-mm-alam-renames-mianwali-air-base-after-him/ |title=PAF honours ace pilot MM Alam, renames Mianwali air base after him – The Express Tribune |publisher=Tribune.com.pk |date=27 February 2014 |access-date=21 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Imaduddin |url=http://www.brecorder.com/top-news/1-front-top-news/163520-paf-mianwali-base-renamed-as-mm-alam-airbase.html |title=PAF Mianwali Base renamed as M.M. Alam Airbase |publisher=Brecorder.com |access-date=21 March 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewstribe.com/2014/03/20/pm-nawaz-sharif-names-paf-base-mianwali-after-mm-alam/ |title=PM Nawaz Sharif names PAF base Mianwali after MM Alam |publisher=The News Tribe |access-date=21 March 2014}}</ref>