BANGALORE: The uniform worn by former Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief Tanveer Mahmood Ahmed in the photograph that appeared in a newspaper advertisement commissioned by the government to mark the National Girl Child Day on Sunday, is a winter ceremonial dress.
Like in the Indian Air Force (IAF) winter ceremonial dress is worn on many occasions — when making and receiving formal calls, during the departure of the head of state or foreign heads, and other state ceremonials.
Though Indian and Pakistani uniforms are both blue in colour, the winter ceremonial dress worn by the Pakistani Air Chief has no similarities to that of an IAF Chief ’s.
The IAF winter ceremonial dress comprises a terry wool tunic with silk rank braid on sleeves with collar tags and a terry-cotton full sleeve shirt with plain black tie, along with badges, medals, decorations, proficiency badges and aiguillettes.
The Pakitani winter ceremonial dress also has badges, medals, decorations, proficiency badges and aiguillettes, but a striking difference between the two uniforms is that in the PAF uniform the tunic is bandhgala (closed collar). There are differences in the insignia in the crest and the roundel. The Indian national emblem (Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka) is embossed on the IAF.
The IAF roundel has the tri-colours of India’s national flag and the Pakistani one has two colours-green and white. Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal F H Major said: “This shows that people have no clue of the structure of their country’s armed forces, their officers’ rank structure, and their uniforms. How can they post the picture of the Pakistani Chief ?” he asked.
“The uniform pattern of the two is totally different,” he said.