Sayed Sajad Haider (died 3 January 2025), nicknamed Nosy Haider was a Pakistani fighter pilot and Air Commodore in the Pakistan Air Force. He was also an author, columnist, businessman, defence analyst, political commentator, and philanthropist.
Born in Sargodha, Haider and his family later moved to Balochistan, where he grew up alongside Akbar Bugti. By 1953, he graduated from the RPAF College, commissioned into the Royal Pakistan Air Force, and completed his Fighter Conversion Course on the Tempest at Mauripur, coming in second place behind Sarfraz Rafiqui. In 1954, he flew in aerial operations against the Faqir of Ipi. Shortly after, he joined the No. 11 Sqn, the RPAF's first jet unit. Recognised for his performance in air combat, he trained on the F-86 Sabre in the United States and later joined the PAF Falcons aerobatic team, which set a world record with a 16-aircraft formation loop in 1958.
As Squadron Leader of No. 19 Sqn, he gained fame for leading a devastating blitzkrieg attack on the Pathankot airbase during the Indo-Pakistani war of 1965, where he destroyed four Indian aircraft on the ground, 11 tanks, and damaged another three. His formation accounted for the destruction of 13 enemy aircraft, including two MiG-21s. The following day, he led another formation attack on Srinagar Air Force Station, where they destroyed three more aircraft.
A career rife with events that included false accusations, Haider, along with 13 other PAF officers, was falsely accused of treason and mutiny in a supposed coup against then President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1973. This accusation, devised by Air Chief Zafar Chaudhry, his deputy Saeedullah Khan, and third in command, Khaqan Abbasi, was later revealed to be completely baseless. Consequently, Haider and some officers were exonerated while Chaudhry and Khan were fired.
In the mid-1970s, as air attaché to Washington, D.C., he rejected a bribe from an American executive who was subsequently fired. In cahoots with Pakistani, Iranian, and American high-level officials, this sacked executive would then be behind a plot that accused Haider of making disparaging remarks about the Shah of Iran, causing diplomatic tensions between Iran–Pakistan. The scheme was later exposed, revealing that they had fabricated the lie in retaliation for Haider rejecting the bribe, as they aimed to profit from illicit defence deals with the PAF.
In late 1979, Haider confronted President General Zia-ul-Haq during a top-secret meeting at the General Headquarters. He criticised the intelligence agencies for manipulating the truth, suppressing the press, and conveyed his disillusionment with the military's conduct towards civilians. Refusing to serve any longer under Zia's rule, he resigned from the air force in 1980, ending an illustrious career with very few assets.
He formed an aviation, defence, and communications company called Cormorant. It ceased operations in 1990 after he refused to take kickbacks from two Pakistan army generals of the Defence Procurement Division, including the Director General.
Early life and education Born in Sargodha, Syed Sajjad Haider was the son of Fazal Hussain Shah and Rashida Begum.
He attended a Mission school in Quetta with his sister Kausar until class 5, then spent three years at Islamia High School Quetta before they both enrolled at St. Francis' Grammar School. As a teenager, he was inspired by Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, whom he once saw sitting just six feet away during a visit to his former school, igniting his ambition to defend Pakistan. Moreover, the sight of Polish pilots engaging in dogfights over Quetta during World War II further fueled his aspirations—he was mesmerised by their skill in Spitfires and vowed to become a fighter pilot himself, though his father dismissed it with laughter. Haider later wrote, "I was the first to become a fighter pilot from Balochistan."
Initially, his family resided in the Bugti House before moving to a small tin-roofed home within a complex of eight homes constructed by the father of Akbar Bugti, Nawab Mehran Khan Bugti. A close friend of his father, Mehran Khan gifted him two of the homes. Following this transition, Haider grew up close to Akbar Bugti and other Bugti siblings. He recalled Akbar Bugti being a "stunning and fearsome person," who always referred to him as chapeit or "scrawny boy". Akbar's younger brother, Ahmed Nawaz Bugti, would bring Haider with him every day to learn how to drive.
Against the backdrop of the post-World War II depression, Haider's family confronted challenging times, as his father did not charge people for treatment, which led the family to rely on ration cards to obtain essential goods such as sugar, flour, tea, eggs, cooking oil, and petrol. Despite the challenging economic situation, he stated that the harsh realities of war did not directly impact his childhood, thanks to his mother's significant sacrifices to ensure warmth and sustenance. After passing the Senior Cambridge exam, Haider joined the Forman Christian College in 1950.
Ancestry
Haider claimed descent from the rulers of the Khwarazmian Empire; he said that his father, Dr. Syed Fazal Shah, was from Moinuddinpur, a small village in Gujrat founded by their ancestor, Sayed Moin-ud-Din Shah.
Dr. Syed Fazal Shah was a wartime doctor in World War I and spent most of that time stationed in Rouen, France. On the invitation of his close friend and sworn brother, Nawab Mehrab Khan Bugti—father of Akbar Bugti—as well as Jafar Khan Jamali, Dr. Syed Fazal Shah opened his medical practice in Quetta after the war. He was also an associate of Muhammad Ali Jinnah and was one of the founding members of the All India Muslim League (AIML), laying its foundations in Balochistan and Sindh.
During a meeting, Jinnah once asked him, "Why didn't you become President of the Muslim League in Balochistan yourself? Why did you allow Qazi Muhammad Isa to take the position?" Fazal Shah replied, "I am not interested in power but in the results of the prime mission. Furthermore, Qazi Muhammad Isa is a local of Balochistan, while I am an outsider."
Devoted to his medical profession, Syed Fazal Shah provided care to underprivileged patients, often charging nominal or no fees. He responded to emergency calls without hesitation, even in Quetta's freezing temperatures. His dedication took him to remote areas, including Rojahan Jamali, and he attended to patients such as the wife of Nawab Mehrab Khan Bugti. Haider recalled that his father never turned away a patient over unpaid dues, enduring irregular hours, long distances, and diverse modes of travel—from horse-drawn carts to jeeps, and at times, even on horseback.
Personal life and death He had an older sister named Kausar and two younger brothers, Bunyad Haider , a renowned cardiologist who served as the Chairperson of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and the youngest, Jawwad Haider.
Haider married three times. In 1960, he married his first wife, Iffat, who gave birth to their son Adnan in 1963. He married his second wife, Tahira, in 1970, and the marriage lasted until 1971. He married his last wife, Faryda, in April 1979, who gave birth to their son Zohare in 1980 and daughter Zaiena in 1984.
Haider died on 3 January 2025, at the age of 92 and was laid to rest the next day at his Los Colinas Farmhouse in Bara Koh, Islamabad.
Service years
During his second year at the FC College, he was selected to join the 13th GD(P) Course at the RPAF College in December 1951. He later reflected on being an average student who barely scraped through the 1½ year course. However, shortly after earning his pilot wings, he rose to the top of his course within months, despite starting in the middle during training and was commissioned into the Royal Pakistan Air Force on 11 June 1953.
Airstrikes against Faqir of Ipi
In 1953–54, Haider participated in air raids against Faqir of Ipi and his men. In an interview in 2004, he recalled: "We were called in to rescue ground troops. Flying overhead, we saw hundreds of tribal fighters, in groups of 10 and 15, hiding behind big boulders. They knew the terrain, they moved very quickly, and they understood the limitations of our aircraft. They used to hide at the bottom of steep hills so pilots would have no space to pull up after attacks."
World record loop of 1958
On 2 February 1958, hundreds of thousands of people were in attendance at an air show in Mauripur organised in honour of the visiting guest King of Afghanistan Mohammad Zahir Shah. Flying in the No. 3 position, Flight Lieutenant Haider was part of the Falcons aerobatic team led by Wing Commander Mitty Masud which set a world record by performing a 16-aircraft diamond loop in F-86 Sabres.
The same year, Haider was the youngest and first to receive the Golden Eagle Award after the Partition of British India, for being an exceptional fighter pilot.
War of 1965
Sajjad Haider is often lauded as the Saviour of Lahore and one of the key heroes of the 1965 War, for his role in leading the Sherdils of No. 19 Sqn as Squadron Leader.
The strike on Pathankot was a mission that underscored Haider's strategic acumen and the unwavering resolve of his squadron. The PAF played an integral role in hindering the Indian land forces' advance, particularly in the Wagah sector. Despite the historical significance of these events, he noted that they are often overlooked in war narratives.
Before they took off from Peshawar, Haider had arranged for towels drenched in buckets of eau de cologne and said to his men: "Boys, we don't know who will be the unlucky ones who won't be able to dodge the enemy Ack-ack. They would surely arrive in the reception hall up there (Heaven) at around 1715 Hrs; but let us be sure we all smell good for the promised houris and angels who will receive us at the gates leading to heaven, for fighting as Allah has commanded us."
They targeted the IAF airfield with aircraft guns only and the success of the mission resulted in the destruction of numerous Indian aircraft. According to him, this showcased the exceptional skill and determination of the PAF pilots and was acknowledged by the Indians. He attributed the success to the collective efforts of his team and underscored the leadership and the visionary strategies of Air Marshal Asghar Khan and Air Marshal Nur Khan.
The following day, Squadron Leader Haider was summoned by his base commander who provided a letter that contained Instruction Orders, directing No. 19 Sqn to conduct a reconnoitre at Avantipura airfield, Strafe any targets, and then go to Srinagar to hit any parked aircraft. Flight Commander "Mo" Akbar, was directed to put three pilots for the mission together. The team consisted of Arshad Sami Khan, Rao Akhtar, and Khalid Latif. A Hi-Lo-Hi profile was worked out to avoid radar detection by climbing to 20,000 ft near Nanga Parbat. As they descended over the Khel village, they entered the Kashmir valley. Approaching Srinagar, they observed the target at Avantipura, and then turned towards Srinagar airfield. As they approached, Flt. Lt. Rao Akhtar saw a civilian helicopter that was brightly painted and asked permission from Haider to engage it. He responded, "No leave it alone, it's a civilian helicopter." Afterwards, it was reported that this helicopter was carrying Ghulam Mohammed Sadiq, the Chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir. As Haider pulled up, heavy anti-aircraft fire started and he engaged by conducting a strafing attack, destroying a C-7 Caribou and two C-47 Dakotas. Once the attack was over the formation regrouped and returned to home base. During the course of this attack, the Indian Air Force said that they had shot down two F-86 Sabres and captured Squadron Leader Haider, claims which were proven false.
Sitara-e-Jurat
His Sitara-e-Jurat citation reads: