Afghan Border Incident

Even worse, I realised the young Muslim boys were enjoying the ham sandwiches that the British High Commission had provided for our picnic lunch!

During the Holy Month of Ramadan in 1970, half way through my tour of exchange duty as a flying instructor with the Pakistan Air Force Academy at Risalpur in the North West Frontier Province, there was a flying visit to the Academy by members of the RAF's Central Flying School Examining Wing. On one of their days off I escorted the CFS officers on a day trip up the Khyber Pass as far as the Pakistan-Afghanistan border at Torkham. I carefully briefed the visitors that because it was Ramadan they must not be seen eating or drinking during daylight hours.

I had made a vow that for the whole month of Ramadan that I would not eat or drink during daylight hours except on those days when I was required to fly on duty. My Pakistani colleagues were quite impressed with my decision. On flying days the Pakistani officers and Muslim students could obtain dispensation to eat and drink. In temperatures of upwards of 35 degrees Centigrade it was not safe to fly whilst fasting.

Once we had reached Torkham, our Pakistani driver parked the minibus behind an outcrop of rocks about 200 metres from the border post. The driver said that it would be permissible for us to have our refreshments there as long as we stayed out of sight. The driver then withdrew to say his midday prayers. I wanted to take some photographs of the border post and so I went off on my own while the CFS officers had their picnic. The border guards were very happy to pose for my photographs and I was even allowed to walk across the border so that I could say I had been to Afghanistan.

Imagine my dismay when I returned to the minibus to see the CFS officers eating their sandwiches and drinking cans of beer surrounded by about a dozen boys aged about 6 to 10 years old. Even worse, I realised the boys were enjoying the ham sandwiches that the British High Commission had provided for the (RAF's) picnic lunch! Quickly I shooed the boys away; they all had wide grins on their faces but I doubt if they knew they were eating pig meat. After remonstrating with the CFS officers I shouted for our driver. When he returned I explained what had happened. He was very understanding. Children of that age were not required to fast but I imagine their fathers would have been very angry had they known what their offspring had been eating. All adult males in that area carried rifles.

	Some of the many British Indian regimental badges carved into the rock face on the way up the Khyber Pass.
	The Khyber Pass winding back on itself several times. In the far distance is the plain and beyond that the bustling city of Peshawar, capital of the North West Frontier Province.
	The viewing point from where I took the photograph in the box above. Two of the CFS staff officers are admiring the view and my Pakistani colleague is posing for me. It was shortly after this, when my back was turned, that the CFS guys disappeared behind an outcrop of rocks for their sandwich lunch referred to above.
	Two of the CFS officers here 'leaving' Pakistan to walk the short distance across no-man's land to the Afghan border post.
	I asked the Pakistani and Afghani border guards if they were willing to pose for a photograph for me. To be strictly accurate, one of my Pakistani colleagues from Risalpur, himself a Pathan, did the talking in the Pashto language. Everyone was all smiles in 1969.
	This was a typical Peshawar street scene in 1969.