Character Building as the Bedrock of Pakistan Air Force’s Leadership

The Centre for Aerospace & Security Studies (CASS), Lahore, held a roundtable discussion on 9 October 2025, examining the theme “Character Building as the Bedrock of Pakistan Air Force’s Leadership.” The session was distinguished by a comprehensive address from speaker Air Cdre Khalid Banuri (Retd), who offered a profound exploration of the philosophical and practical foundations of the PAF’s leadership ethos. His discourse placed particular emphasis on Project Phoenix, a transformative initiative designed to systematically institutionalise these core principles.

 

The speaker’s detailed exposition meticulously traced the Pakistan Air Force (PAF)’s historical legacy, beginning with the arduous period of Partition and extending to its contemporary standing. He compellingly articulated that the PAF’s enduring strength has consistently derived not from numerical advantage, but from a qualitative edge founded upon operational effectiveness and an unshakeable ethical foundation. This principle, he noted, is perfectly encapsulated by Quaid-e-Azam’s enduring vision of the service being “Second to None.” Furthermore, he presented a stark comparative analysis with the Indian Air Force (IAF), contending that whilst both services share a common legacy, the IAF has experienced a marked decline in its professional ethos. This decline, he argued, is attributable to increasing politicisation, a concerning departure from institutional truthfulness, and an abandonment of the traditional principles of military chivalry.

 

The central focus of the presentation was Project Phoenix, which he characterised as a deliberate and forward-looking endeavour to systematise character development. He clarified that this initiative was not launched in response to a crisis, but rather represents a conscious pursuit of excellence from a position of pre-existing strength. The project is fundamentally built on the conviction that character, encompassing unwavering integrity, a warrior ethos, and moral courage, forms the essential bedrock upon which all other military skills, both technical and tactical, must be constructed. He elaborated on the conceptual framework of the project, which is designed to foster holistic development across the physical, cognitive, and moral domains of the individual.

 

A principal outcome of this vision was the establishment of the Jinnah Centre for Character and Leadership (JCCL) at the Pakistan Air Force Academy, Risalpur, in 2022. The foundation was laid by Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, whose leadership elevated the centre as the driving force behind a comprehensive modernisation agenda, refocusing the PAF’s transformation on human development as the core of operational readiness. A foundational workshop was held for the newly formed centre on 11 November 2022 to develop its curriculum. Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu’s hands-on approach has cultivated an institutional culture that values critical thinking, ethical commitment, and technological adaptability, principles demonstrated during the May 2025 war. As Air Cdre Khalid Banuri observed, the JCCL now functions as a living ecosystem, where spaces named for prominent figures embody its core values of humility and discipline.

 

The roundtable also featured a robust interactive session where participants engaged with themes such as institutional decline in the IAF and the complexities presented by generational change. Both Air Cdre Khalid Banuri (Retd) and the President of CASS, Air Marshal Asim Suleiman (Retd), emphasised that whilst a strong institutional ethos is paramount, the decisive leadership and professional exemplar set by the Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu were pivotal to recent operational successes. They highlighted that his timely hands-on direction was a critical factor, serving as a practical demonstration of the character and competence cultivated through the PAF’s evolving training paradigm.

 

In his concluding remarks, the President of CASS, Air Marshal Asim Suleiman (Retd), powerfully reinforced the roundtable’s central theme. He asserted that institutions cannot progress in isolation without heroic figures, stating, “You always need heroes,” and that a nation’s armed forces are incapable of advancement without individuals who demonstrate personal excellence. He unequivocally credited the Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu as the leader who secured victory for Pakistan and bestowed immense glory upon the nation, affirming that he had undoubtedly earned this distinction. The President further disclosed that the accomplishments of the Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu have been personally acknowledged by at least four to five Air Chiefs from leading air forces, including those of the US, the United Kingdom, China, and Türkiye, who described his achievements as extraordinary. He concluded that this recognition underscores the principle that an organisation can only rise when its leaders strive for excellence, and that the character-building ethos championed by Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu remains the defining factor in securing the PAF’s enduring legacy and operational supremacy.

 

The discussion collectively affirmed that in an era defined by rapid technological change, the ultimate source of a military’s strength resides not in its platforms alone, but in the timeless character of its personnel and the unwavering ethical foundation of its leadership.