Involvement in Pakistani society

The Pakistan Air Force has played an integral part in the civil society of Pakistan, almost since its inception.^[162] In 1996, General Jehangir Karamat described Pakistan armed forces' relations with the society:

In my opinion, if we have to repeat of past events then we must understand that Military leaders can pressure only up to a point. Beyond that their own position starts getting undermined because the military is after all is a mirror image of the civil society from which it is drawn.

— General Jehangir Karamat on civil society–military relations, ^[162]

In times of natural disaster, such as the great floods of 1992 or the October 2005 devastating earthquake, air force engineers, medical and logistics personnel, and the armed forces played a major role in bringing relief and supplies.^[163]

The Pakistan Air Force has been involved in relief activities not only in Pakistan but also in many other countries of the world, such as the relief activities after Bangladesh was hit by floods.^[163] The Air Force also dispatched relief to Indonesia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka after they were hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and the resulting tsunami. The Pakistan Army, Air Force, and Navy sent ships and helicopters to assist in the tsunami relief operati