Sir: It was heartening to learn that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has renamed PAF Base, Mianwali to PAF Base, M M Alam. Similarly, the government has also issued a commemorative stamp named after one of the greatest fighter pilots of all times, Air Commodore M M Alam. The credit for these steps goes to the PAF, especially Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt for the former and the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for the latter. This should have been done long ago. Unfortunately, our leadership wakes up only after a lot is written or spoken through newspapers or television, thanks to a very dynamic and vibrant present day media, which brings issues to light so vividly. The legendary Cdre Alam was not an ordinary hero. He was arguably the best fighter pilot of the modern jet warfare era. This ‘Ace’ pilot (‘Ace’ is a term reserved for pilots who shoot down at least five enemy jets in an air war) did something in a single sortie in the 1965 India-Pakistan war that has not been done by American fighter pilots in Europe, Korea, the Middle-East or Vietnam or by any European fighter pilots, despite their many long engagements. Cdre Alam’s feat of courage and valour took the heart out of the Indians in the 1965 war and their dream of gaining air superiority over the skies of Pakistan was virtually crushed by this courageous flyer. He still holds the record of shooting down the most enemy airplanes in the subcontinent. Most of the youngsters of my generation wanted to be like M M Alam as he was an icon, and it was the romance around fighter-flying that drew many of us (including myself) to become fighter pilots, which I was lucky to achieve. I request the concerned authorities in all the provinces and in the federal capital to name a road after this great man as was already done in Lahore. Such recognition will also inspire our youngsters, who are the future of this disgruntled and demoralised nation. M ASIF Karachi