The lion-heart who never bowed: Remembering Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed (NH) on 61st defence day of Pakistan

PESHAWAR, Sep 05 (APP):Many soldiers die in wars and thousands returns as Ghazis but very few earn respect and appreciation from opponent army for their indomitable courage and heroic battlefield performance and become immortalized forever.

Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed (Nishan-e-Haider) was one of those celebrated officer of Pakistan Army whose indomitable courage, unmatched valour, devotion to duty, leadership qualities and heroic battlefield performance during Kargil conflict in 1999 was highly praised by the Indian Army.

Death was meaningless for the 29-year old young officer of the 12th Northern Light Infantry (NLI) Regiment, who fought like a lion against both the enemy and harsh weather on an altitude of 17,000 feet on Line of Control (LoC) at Gultary mountainous region where he inflicted heavy humans and material losses to the adversary.

The courageous feat of Capt Sher Khan by accomplishing the assigned mission of forcing the enemy to withdraw left the Indian commander Brigadier M.P.S Bajwa out-rightly impressed by his splendid battlefield performance and an indomitable courage and wrote a citation letter requested Pakistan that Capt Sher Khan Shaheed has fought bravely and deserve recognition.

Later, Capt Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed (1970-1999) and Havaldar Lalak Jan Shaheed (1967-1999) of the 12th NLI Regiment were decorated with prestigious Nishan- e-Haider, the highest military gallantry award of Pakistan posthumously for their matchless sacrifices for defence of the motherland during the Kargil war.

Both these celeberated worriars of Pakistan had embraced Shahadat in Gultary region near Tiger Hills in Kargil on July 5 and 7, 1999 respectively and become immortalized forever.

Capt Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed was the first army officer from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who was awarded the prestigious Nishan-e-Haider.

Students Ibrahim Khan and Ismail Khan who came with his father to Qissakhwani were jubilant after their childhood dream to purchase Captain Sher Khan”s portrait were fulfilled on eve of 61 defense and martyrs day.

‘Captain Sher Khan is my hero and i will definitely follow his footprints to defend the country from all threats,” said Ibrahim Khan, a third grade student of a private school while talking to APP.

He said Pakistan is our country and we are all ready to pay tributes to defenders of Pakistan on defense day.

Homage is being paid to all martyrs of armed forces of Pakistan including recepiants of Nishan-e-Haider (NH), Captain Raja Muhammad Sarwar Shaheed, Major Muhammad Tufail Shaheed, Major Aziz Bhutti Shaheed, Major Muhammad Akram Shaheed, Sawar Muhammad Hussain Shaheed, Major Shabbir Sharif Shaheed, Lance Naik Muhammad Mehfuz Shaheed,  Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas Shaheed, Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed, Havaldar Lalak Jan Shaheed and Naik Saif Ali Janjua Shaheed decorated with Hilal-e-Kashmir (Equivalent to Nishan-e-Haider) on occasion of 61th Defence Day of Pakistan, which would be celebrated with great national enthusiasm on September 6.

Prople from Karachi to Chitral and Gawadar to Khunjrab would present glowing tributes to all martyrs and ghazis of Pakistan who laid down their lives during 1948, 1965, 1971 wars, Kargil conflict 1999 and war against terror for defence of the motherland.

Civil and military officials, politicians, traders, businesmen, media men, relatives, colleagues and others would pay visit to the residences of martyrs and recepiants of Nishan-e-Haider including Capt Sher Khan Shaheed at Nawan Kallay (now renamed after his name) in Swabi district to pay homage to the “Lion of Kargil”.

Florals wreaths would be laid on the graves of Capt Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed at Swabi district in KP and Havaldar Lalak Jan Shaheed (NH) at village Hundur, Yasin Velley at Ghazir district in Gilgit Baltistan besides others eight recepiants of Nishan-e-Haider.

The smartly turned out contingents of armed forces would present salute to pay respect to all the recepiants of Nishan-e-Haider, who sacrificed their lives for our safe and prosperous future.

The defence analyst said that 6th September 1965 was the day when India attacked Pakistan in darkness without a warning or a declaration of war and violated all international laws, conventions and agreements.

The whole Pakistani nation along with their valiant military forces had stood up against the coward enemy and showed unmatched valour in 1965 War.

Brig Mahmood Shah, a defence analyst told APP that Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Artillery had broken the back of enemy in 65 war.

Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed (Nishan-i-Haider) had sucessfully defended the strategic BRB canal near Lahore for five days where he embraced shahadat after hit by an enemy tank shell on 10th September 1965.

Squadron Leader Muhammad Mahmood Alam shot down two enemy hunter aircrafts and damaged three others on 6th September and destroyed five more enemy hunter aircrafts in less than a minute on 7th September, which was unprecedented in the history of Pakistan Air Force.

During 65 war, he said Pakistan had occupied about 1,617 square miles of Indian territory and we were in strong position to occupy Dehli if war continued for few more days as moral of enemy troops have been completely shattered.

He recalled that most of enemy officers of 1965 war had served with Pakistani commanders during the second World War II and the latter know about their so called fighting abilities and wars skills that helped our forces to foil their evil designs.

“The motivational songs of the legandry Madam Noor Jehan such as “A Watan ke Sajelay Jawano and Rang Laye Ga Shaheedo ka Laho” aired by Radio Pakistan had infused a new wave of spirit of patriotism and national fervor amongst Pakistanis regardless to their ethnicity, religion, caste, colour or political affiliation during 65 war days.”

Brig Mahmood Shah said the legacy of unmatched gallantry and sacrifices of our Army Officers and Jawans started from the shahdat of Capt Raja Muhammad Sarwar Shaheed (NH) in 1948 Kashmir war, was carryforward by Major Aziz Bhatti Shaheed (NH) in 1965 war and Capt Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed (NH) in Kargil conflict in 1999.

The shooting down of two Indian warplanes inside LOC one fell in Azad Kashmir and other in Indian Illegally Occupied Jummu and Kashmir besides capturing of Indian Pilot on February 27, 2019 and Pakistani forces historic success in Marka Haq last year has proved the high level of preparedness, professionalism and strength of our military that defeated the enemy on all fronts.

He said the unity exhibited by Pakistani nation during Maraka Haq last year was like of 65 War.

He said Pakistan was a land of martyrs producing worriers like Capt Sher Khan whose indomitable courage, invincible leadership and battlefield performance has been highly praised by the enemy commanders during Kargil conflict.

Born at the residence of Khurshid Khan at Nawan Kallay in Swabi district on January 1, 1970, Capt Karnal Sher Khan belonged to a respectable family whose grandfather took part in Kashmir freedom Movement in 1948 that resulted liberation of Azad Kashmir from the Indian yoke.

His grandfather had immense love for armed forces of Pakistan and wished someone from his family to join Pak Army to serve its country. That is why he gave his grandson Sher Khan title of ‘Karnal’ (a pashto version of colonel) that later become a permanent part of his name .

To fulfill wish of his grandfather, Capt Sher Khan after passing intermediate examination, had joined the prestigious Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Kakul in 1992 and got commission in 27th Sindh Regiment on 14th October 1994.

He was later posted in 12th NLI Regiment during the Kargil conflict where he emerged as a symbol of mettle and courage. He was deployed in forward location at Gultary region where he set up personal examples of bravery and dution to duty.

Capt Sher Khan defended five strategic posts, which he had established with his soldiers at the height of 17,000 feet in Gultary area.

On July 5, 1999, Indians forces with the help of two battalions, attacked these posts and managed to capture some portion of one of his post. Inspite of facing all odds, he led a counter-attack and re-captured the lost portion.

True to his name, Capt Sher Khan chased the enemy and conducted many successful raids in the enemy area. During one of such raid, he went inside the enemy camp where he inflicted heavy losses to them.

During the fierce battle, he received burst of mashine gun fire in the chest and embraced Shahadat on July 5, 1999.

His epic action in the battlefield true to his name earned him the title of “Loin of Kargil”. He emerged as a symbol of indomitable courage and valour among the young officers and jawans of Pakistan Army.

The celberated hero laid down his life for Pakistan and his supreme sacrifice has raised heads of all patriatic Pakistani high.

The best tribute to the Shaheed was that all of us should work hard with full dedication and professional commitment in their selected professions to make Pakistan more stronger and economically prosperous.

The body of the Lion of Kargil when brought to his native village at Swabi for burial on July 18, 1999, a sea of people arrived to see his last glimpses and attended his funeral prayer.

Later, he was laid to rest in his native village Sher Khan Kallay in Swabi with full military honors where a mausoleum has been constructed.

A Cadet College at Ismaila village near his hometown on main Swabi-Mardan Road has been constructed and named after Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed.