LAHORE-From introducing 'bhangra rap' in Pakistan to being a host, actor and even an activist, Fakhr-e-Alam has made Pakistanis proud all over the world.
Fakhr spent most of his childhood dreaming to be an air force pilot. Yet fate had other things in store for him. After almost 25 years in show business as a musician, singer, actor and entertainer, he finally turned towards his childhood dream of becoming a pilot and so in the year 2015 he got his private pilot license in Florida, USA.
The planning of ‘Mission Parwaaz’ has been a huge undertaking for Fakhr, who had initially announced his keenness to fly across the globe in 2015 but it took time to take off, he said.
Talking about Mission Parwaaz, Alam said, “Mission Parwaaz was about a childhood dream realized decades later by sheer passion and dedication. It was one man's dream to bring pride and glory to his country and its people. It was a journey with many hurdles, disappointments overcome by self-belief and persistence.My goal was to present the world a positive image of Pakistan and show them that we are a brave and peace-loving nation and that we are no less than any other country.”
Alam continued, “the world is facing a shortage of pilots at the moment and I want to inspire young Pakistanis to take up this profession as the country is full of talented people whose potential has not yet been exploited.”
Commenting on the one year anniversary of Mission Parwaaz, Fakhr-e-Alam says, “I have always been proud to be a Pakistani. I undertake things to make my country proud. Mission Parwaaz, a global circumnavigation was a once in a life time adventure very few people get to do. I hope to see more Pakistanis to undertake such an endeavor.”
Alam revealed that sourcing a plane was a challenge in itself. One of the biggest challenges for Mission Parwaaz was finding the right aircraft. “The problem was I had less than 100 hours flight experience,” he adds. No operator, owner or charter service around the world was willing to give him an airplane. When an airplane was made available the insurance companies refused to give him insurance cover which was mandatory to operate a flight through international air spaces and airports.
Alam said that once he got a plane, he had to work to get the insurance done as the insurance companies were still skeptical. They eventually agreed but included a lot of restrictions and clauses.
However, Alam said that people across the world helped him in whatever way they could and he was very grateful for their support and encouragement.
When asked, about funding and support for a completion of such a magnanimous mission, Alam said, “I had to raise my own funds because initially no one was willing to sponsor me as the companies thought it was a foolish idea. I started doing few acting assignments which I wasn’t doing earlier. Once Mission Parwaaz was announced slowly and steadily I started getting sponsors from United States and my own country.”
Speaking about his new project of traveling to space, Alam said: “Space travel is my next Mission Parwaaz2. This mission is more complicated than the first one. It requires a lot of funding and most importantly is finding the best space partners whether it be from China, Russia or United States companies. This is what I’m working on right now.”
He concluded saying, “my book ‘Mission Parwaaz– FakhreAlam Making History’ explains the whole journey and the various challenges I faced. It will inspire the youngsters and make them feel proud of Pakistan. I hope after reading the book, they will think out of the box. Our youngsters are put under pressure to get degree and jobs. The idea is to dream big and then follow those dreams.”