By Fakhar Alam
PESHAWAR, Sep 05 (APP): The nation is all set to celebrate the 57th Defense and Martyrs Day with national enthusiasm on Monday across the country where people would pay homage to all martyrs and ghazis of Pakistan, who laid down lives and sustained injuries during different wars for defense of the motherland.
From Karachi to Chitral and Gwadar to Khunjrab, people from all walks of life including senior citizens, academics, farmers, civil society, human rights activists, military personnel, farmers,
laborers and media men would present glowing tributes to all martyrs and ghazis of Pakistan, who rendered matchless sacrifices while fighting against the nefarious and aggressive forces during 1948, 1965 and 1971 wars, 1999 Kargil conflict, war against terror and had destroyed the nefarious designs of the enemy.
This year’s Defense and Martyrs’ Day theme is “Our martyrs our pride, salute to all the relatives belonging to ghazis and Shaheeds.”
On the 57th Defense and Martyrs Day, which would be celebrated with great national enthusiasm on September 6, Civil and military officials, politicians, traders, businessmen, media men, relatives, colleagues and others would pay a visit to the residences of martyrs and recipients of Nishan-e-Haider as mark of respect and would present glowing tributes to the defenders of Pakistan.
The entire nation was paying homage to all martyrs of armed forces of Pakistan including recepiants of prestigious 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 Defense and Martyrs Day.
Floral wreaths would be laid on the graves of martyrs and recipients of
Nishan-e- Haider. The smartly turned out contingents of armed forces would present salute to pay respect to all the recipients of Nishan-e-Haider, who sacrificed their lives for our safe and prosperous future.
Great tributes would be paid to the 65 War hero, Major Aziz Bhatti Shaheed (Nishan-i-Haider) who successfully defended the strategic BRB canal near Lahore for five days where he embraced shahadat after being hit by an enemy tank shell on September 10, 1965.
Squadron Leader Muhammad Mahmood Alam popularly known as M.M. Alam shot down two enemy hunter aircrafts and damaged three others on 6th September 1965 and destroyed five more enemy hunter aircrafts in less than a minute on September 7th, which was unprecedented in the history of Pakistan Air Force.
Flight Lieutenant Imtiaz Ahmad Bhatti and Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Ahmad Rafiqui had thwarted the nefarious designs of the enemy on Halwara and destroyed several enemy’s aircrafts. Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Rafiqui fought bravely in the 65 War and embraced martyrdom.
Similarly, Squadron Leader Sajjad Haider had exhibited exceptional leadership, indomitable courage and flying skills in operations during the said war.
The legacy of unmatched gallantry and sacrifices of our Army Officers and Jawans started with the martyrdom of Capt Raja Muhammad Sarwar Shaheed (NH) in 1948 Kashmir War, had been carried forward by Major Aziz Bhatti Shaheed (NH) in 1965 war, Shabbir Sharif in 1971 War and Capt Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed (NH) during the Kargil conflict in 1999.
Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed (Nishan-e-Haider) was one of those celebrated officers of Pakistan Army whose indomitable courage, unmatched valour, devotion to duty, leadership qualities and heroic battlefield performance during Kargil conflict was highly praised by the Indian Army.
Death was meaningless for the 29-year old celebrated young officer of the 12th Northern Light Infantry (NLI) Regiment, Capt. Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed 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 at Tiger Hills near Kargil and inflicted heavy human and material losses to the enemy.
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 posts. Inspite of facing all odds, Capt. Sher Khan 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 such raid, he went inside the enemy camp where he inflicted heavy losses to them.
During the fierce battle, he received a burst of machine 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”.
The courageous feat of Capt Sher Khan by accomplishing the assigned mission of forcing the enemy to withdraw left the Indian commander Brig M.P.S Bajwa outrightly impressed by his splendid battlefield performance as well as indomitable courage and wrote a citation letter requesting Pakistan that Capt Sher Khan Shaheed has fought bravely and deserved recognition.
Later, Capt Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed (1970-1999) and Havaldar Lalak Jan Shaheed (1967-1999) of the 12th NLI Regiment were decorated with the prestigious Nishan- e-Haider, the highest military gallantry award of Pakistan posthumously.
Both these celebrated warriors of Pakistan had embraced Shahadat in the Gultary region near Tiger Hills Kargil on July 5, 1999 and became immortalized forever.
Capt Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed was the first army officer from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who was awarded Nishan-e-Haider.
Brigadier (Retd) Mahmood Shah, Senior Defence Analyst and former Secretary Security ex Fata told APP that Capt Sher Khan Shaheed had followed the footprints of his predecessors including Major Aziz Bhatti Shaheed and other martyrs of 65 War and added a new chapter of gallantry in the history of Pakistan Army.
“September 6, 1965 was a day when India attacked Pakistan in darkness without a warning or a declaration of war by violating all international laws, conventions and agreements. The whole Pakistani nation along with their valiant military forces stood up against the coward enemy and showed unmatched valour in1965 War by defeating Indian forces,” he said.
Brig Mahmood Shah said Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Artillery had broken the back of the enemy in 65 War.
“During the 65 war, Pakistan had occupied about 1,617 square miles of Indian territory and we were in a strong position to occupy Delhi if war continued for a few more days as the morale of enemy troops had been completely shattered,” Brig Mehmood Shah who participated in 65 War, recalled.
He said most of the enemy officers of 1965 war had served with Pakistani commanders during the second World (War II) and the latter knew about their so called fighting abilities and war skills that helped our forces to foil their evil designs.
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had special love for PAF and visited the Royal Pakistan Air Force (RPAF) School, Risalpur (Now Asghar Khan PAF Academy) in Nowshera on April 13, 1948 as first Governor General of Pakistan despite his poor health and addressed RPAF officers and cadets in these words.
Quaid-e-Azam said, “there is no doubt that a country without a strong Air Force is at the mercy of the aggressor. Pakistan must build up her Air Force as quickly as possible. It must be an efficient air force second to none and must take its right place with the Army and Navy in securing Pakistan’s defense.”
“The shooting down of two Indian warplanes inside LOC one fell in Azad Kashmir and other in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir besides capturing of an Indian Pilot on February 27, 2019 had proved the highest professionalism, indomitable courage and outstanding fighting skills of the PAF,” he said.
He said the unity exhibited by the nation after the Indian air strike on Balakot on February 27, 2019 was the same as that of the 65 War.
Brig Mehmood said, “the February 27 successful action of PAF has clearly testified that our armed forces were fully capable of giving a befitting response to the enemy in case of any misadventure by it.
He said PAF was the pride of the nation as it made the defense of the country impregnable.
