Ayesha is Pakistan’s first ever female war-ready fighter pilot. The 26-year-old fighter, hailing from Bahawalpur, is one of the 19 women who have achieved the ranks of pilots in the Pakistan Air Force over the last decade – there are five other female fighter pilots but they have yet to take the final tests to qualify for combat.

If border sniping should ever descend into all-out war between India and Pakistan, Ayesha Farooq will be one of the first pilots into the air

"In our society most girls don't even think about doing such things as flying an aircraft,"

There are now about 4,000 women in Pakistan's armed forces, largely confined to desk jobs and medical work

"We played together when we were children so I think he always knew I would not be a traditional woman,"