AN RAF officer from Edinburgh who played a leading role in relief operations following the devastating Kashmir earthquake has been recognised by the Queen.
Flight Lieutenant Sohail Khan, 35, travelled to Pakistan - the country of his parents' birth - to help in the aftermath of the disaster last October.
His language skills were invaluable as he liaised with the Pakistani military to make sure aid w
ent to the areas it was most needed.
Now Flt Lt Khan has been rewarded with the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service.
The former Bruntsfield Primary and George Heriot's pupil was part of a team from RAF Odiham in Hampshire which was sent to help distribute UN aid using three Chinook helicopters.
Based at the Pakistani Air Force base in Chaklala, it was the first time Flt Lt Khan had visited Pakistan in 13 years.
He said his experiences there were the most challenging and rewarding of his career.
He said: "When we arrived and got set up, the scenes of devastation were really shocking.
"From on top, the buildings looked fine, but as you got closer you could see they were crushed to bits.
"There were lots of people injured and homeless children everywhere.
"We had a team of about 100 people, including air crew, ground crew, engineers and operational support officers.
"My job was to run one of the two operations hooking loads into aircraft.
"When all the aid trucks came in, I was in charge of liaising with the Red Cross, the World Food Programme and the military and civilian authorities.
"I had to ensure that the crews got the correct instructions, so there was no duplication."
Every day during Operation Maturin, which ran from October 22 until the end of November, the team would load the helicopters with much-needed supplies, ranging from basic essentials such as bags of rice to metal sheets for constructing shelters.
The huge earthquake, which measured 7.6 on the Richter scale devastated remote areas of Pakistan and Kashmir.
Most of the casualties were in Pakistan, where the official confirmed death toll was 73,276. Nearly 1400 people were killed in Indian-administered Kashmir, according to officials. International bodies have estimated that a total of 86,000 died.
Flt Lt Khan grew up in Slateford, where his family still live, and got a taste for his future career when he joined the Edinburgh Air Cadets. Later, he flew with St Andrews University's air squadron.
He joined the RAF in 1996, and has been based in Linton-on-Ouse in Yorkshire, Leuchars and Cranwell in Lincolnshire.
After hearing his efforts were to be recognised with a Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service, he said: "I was over moon - really happy.
"There were a whole bunch of guys who were out there to do a job as part of a big team. It was very humbling, but nice to get something on behalf of everyone else."
Sixty-four members of the Armed Forces were honoured for their gallantry and service in Iraq, Afghanistan and other operations around the world.
Secretary of State for Defence, Des Browne said: "The men and women of our Armed Forces are doing hard and dangerous work every day in operations around the world.
"I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate those honoured and to thank them. They are a tribute to our Armed Forces and our nation."
