Retired Air Marshal Shahid Naqvi passes away

Hyderabad: Much-decorated retired Air Marshal Syed Shahid Hussain Naqvi, AVSM, PVSM and Vir Chakra awardee, passed away on Thursday. He was laid to rest at the graveyard in Daira Mir Momin, Sultan Shahi, with the Indian Air Force (IAF) paying tributes to the departed soul. A large number of officers and personnel attended the funeral.

His Janaza was performed at Alawa Sartauq, Darusshifa. Moulana Agha Ibrahim Jazari led the Janaza prayer.

Air Marshal Shahid Naqvi is survived by son Captain Syed Shakeel Naqvi and two daughters who live in the US. The Air Marshal had remained paralysed for the last five years. He was commissioned in the Air Force in March 1963.

Shahid Naqvi was awarded Vir Chakra in 1972 post the 1971 War that liberated Bangladesh, and the Ati Vishist Seva Medal in 1996. During operations in 1971, when America and Saudi Arabia backed Pakistan, then Flight Lieutenant Naqvi flew 19 missions deep into enemy territory. On December 9, 1971, while on a visual tactical reconnaissance mission in the western Sector, he remained in air for nearly 12 minutes watching over the area despite heavy ground fire and brought back valuable information. This helped the Air Force conduct operational missions against three Pakistani Railway yards, setting ablaze several trains carrying fuel and other stores.

Born during partition near Parbhani in Maharashtra, Air Marshal Naqvi studied at Gulbarga and Hyderabad. As Air Officer, he personally designed and fabricated a bomb trolley, which is now standard equipment in the IAF.