Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The groundbreaking ceremony of the Younusabad project was held at the PAF Base Samungli on Friday.

Former chief of air staff Air Chief Marshal (r) Tahir Rafiq Butt was the chief guest while Begum Flight Lieutenant Yunus (Shaheed) was the guest of honour at the ceremony. Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman and a large number of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) officials were also present.

The proceedings of the ceremony commenced with a briefing on the Yunusabad project given by Rashidabad Memorial Welfare Organisation (RMWO) President Air Commodore (r) Shabir Ahmed. Later the air chief unveiled plaque of the project.

In consonance with the aim to set up model villages throughout the country, the RMWO in collaboration with the PAF launched the project in Balochistan. The project is located along the Samungli Road, Quetta close to the PAF Base Samungli, on an area of over 130 acres land gifted by the PAF.

The project is named ‘Yunusabad’ after the first martyr of the 1965 war, Flt Lt Yunus Hussain. The project has been launched with an aim to eliminate illiteracy and eradicate poverty in the rural areas of Balochistan. The project will have educational, healthcare, vocational training centres and socio-economic facilities under one roof for the underprivileged and the poor of the area.

Addressing the participants, Air Chief Marshal (r) Tahir Rafiq Butt said, “The entire nation greatly appreciates PAF’s endeavors in nation building and Yunusabad project, indeed, is a significant step in the same direction.”

He said the project was the second one by the RMWO that had already set up a state-of-the-art facility at Rashidabad in rural Sindh, which was a source of pride not only for the PAF but also for the entire nation.

Speaking on the occasion, the air chief paid rich tributes to the supreme sacrifice rendered by Flt Lt Yunus Hussain (Shaheed) during the 1965 war and termed him the role model for all the PAF airmen. He said the PAF would provide firm support to Yunusabad project and would ensure that the project be completed in given time. Later, the air chief presented mementos to the chief guest and Begum Flt Lt Yunus Hussain (Shaheed).