You think of a military museum and the word war, blood and gunfire come to mind. You enter the PAF Museum, situated at the Faisal Base in Karachi and are caught by surprise at the contrastingmaterialization of your preconceived notions. You didn't expect a well maintained, sedateterrain of greenery. You wonder at the sparkling fountain waters, and gape at the awesome fighter planes and jets; all in position for take off. This is what the PAF Museum Karachi has tooffer. It is a place of soothing calm for your battered psyche in a city that offers little retreat.

While walking down the blooming green lawn, you view the various fighter aircraft's, poised and polished, to intimidate many a visitor. From the fighter Supersonic Interceptor to the Mirage Fighter-Bomber, you pass many impressively displayed aircraft's before entering the main building.This building is divided into various galleries, including the Chief's gallery displaying photographs of the various Chiefs of the Air Force staff and a section attributed to the story of the museumwith a touch screen computer showing the different facets of the Pakistan Air Force. Various souvenirs presented to the PAF are also exhibited, along with replicas of awards, shields, insignias and uniforms used by the Force. Hardware, radar and other equipment have been displayedfor the visitors. Not many civilians are familiar with the fact that the forces have a separate winter and summer uniform and also a ceremonial dress, all of which are displayed at the museum.The mannequins dressed as lady officers in the khaki saris and official topi look impressive.

Several newspaper clippings about the histrionics of the PAF in the 1965 and the 1971 War are exhibited with pictorial representation of some major feats, including Squadron Leader M.M. Alam'snoted accomplishment of the destruction of two-thirds of an enemy Squadron. The most impressive sphere of the entire display is perhaps the explanations of the varying military terminology,mounted and displayed, which will, amongst other things, clarify much confusion between a battalion and a Squadron! Not to be missed, of course, is the back-ground music, varying from Patriotic national songs to motivating military numbers as well as the sounds and echoes of airplanes taking off andlanding. Paintings and photographs depicting the history of not only the PAF but also global AirForce history are also presented in various locations. They give information on the two World Wars, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War and the six-day Israel War all of, which areinformative as well as interesting.