An account by his brother:

“ a gifted child ..a humble n smiling MCJ cadet .. an ideal PMA senior .. a high profile officer .. a hard core soldier .. a lovely son .. a caring brother .. n most of all a ” SHAHEED” for da nation … CAPTAIN Waqas Zameer Shaheed ( Sitara-e-jurat) (peacetym equivalent of nishn e haider ) “On the night of 28th july Waqas was called from kanju post as he was going bak home after a highly successfull stay at swat for 15 ff .. he talked to his family that m coming .. But later that night an operation was planned to search n cordon 5 to 10 miscreants .. his junior LT Mohsin said sir app raat k jagay hain mai chala jata hun .. he refused n with a smile replied “lalay apna khayal rakhen” ..

then he offered prayers with his troops recited Surah kausar motivated them n dey started the opertion .. Waqas was the commander nd was leadin 3 APC’S with infantry troops of 6 AK .. on their way the few miscreants fired rockets at Waqas’s APC .. which missed nd waqas shot dead the person who fired them .. as they went a bit forward .. fire from all sides opened at them ..dey had da wrong information that dere r 5 to 10 miscreants but dere were more den 100 .. nd fierce fighting started .. meanwhile our soldiers got injured ..Waqas jumped off da APC .. nd using da tactics of fire nd move he started rescuing da injured wid his troops following him .. da fight went on for 5 hours .. as he shifted 14 injured soldiers .. as they were about to move .. Waqas was back in da APC ..

at that moment one of 6akz soldier got shot .. he shouted “isay uthao” .. but every person was on his position .. he jumped off again nd fired in forward direction n picked him on his shoulders n took him to da APC .. as he was about to shift him in .. he was shot jus abv da chest .. he Shouted “”ALLahoAkbar”” .. (mashallah) n fell .. even in that state he ordered his troops k is banday ko nikalo .. waqas was shifted in da APC .. but due to to much blood coming from his mouth he cudnt ..speak but he kept on reciting from his fingers .. shahadat ki ungli right haath ki khari thi n dusra hath zikar ki position mai .. n Embraced shahadat ( MAshahallah

we recieved his body after 32 hours of his departure but even den fresh blood was coming ( MAshallah ) wid both hands in da same position (mashallah ) .. n as v wer about to bury him .. uski ankhien khud ba khud band hugai ( Mashallah) .. ajj bi uski kabar se khushbu aati hai .. all 15 soldiers dat he saved MAshallah all r alive includin da 1 whom he was holdin while he was shot true example of a shaheed ..” By far he is da most handsome shaheed of all” … Congrats bro indeed u got ur destiny ! .. me sadi n fadi will join u soon inshallah ! ! “

Family members of martyred Captain Najam Riaz have made a shocking disclosure about the alleged involvement of an important administrative official of Malakand in the killing of four SSG commandos at the hands of Taliban last week. The heroic tale of brave commandos reveals how the valiant soldiers had broken the necks of eight Taliban, once they realised that they were about to be beheaded. The mother of Shaheed Captain Najam told The News while sitting in her village house, amid tears in her eyes, that she would have even sacrificed ten sons for the sake of Pakistan and she was proud of her 24-year old son, who before going to Swat had told her not to weep over her body as he knew he was going on a journey of martyrdom.

“Our Shaheed captain told that the important official of Malakand had come to meet the Taliban when they were in their possession. The official considered to be darling of the Taliban had told his friends to keep the four SSG commandos with them but return their weapons”, one of the family members of the martyred Captain told The News. The father of Captain who retired from army as a Hawaldar demanded of the government to take action against the former official of Malakand whose collaboration with the Taliban resulted in beheading of his son along with three companions. The family members of the martyred captain also claimed that they had come to know that actually Sufi Mohammad had directed the militants to kill the SSG commandos after his own son Kifiyatullah was killed during the operation.Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Babar Awan visited the village of Captain Najam. He went there on the direction of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani to lay flowers on his grave and offer condolences to his family. Dr Awan himself belongs to Kahuta.

The family of the martyred captain made some unusual demands to compensate the loss of their son. “Please ask your PM to set up a cadet college in Kahuta in the name of martyred Najam, set up a hospital and construct the road,” demanded his father, sisters and mother. When Dr Awan asked whether they needed something for themselves, they all said, they did not need anything rather they had given their son for the sake of Pakistan. A large crowd of people gathered when Dr Awan reached there in the remote village Kalhut-located at one and a half hours drive from Islamabad. Over 100 people of this small town demanded of the minister not to halt the operation against the militants and eliminate them. Even the parents and sisters of the martyred captain gave their voice to this demand that operation should be continued and the sacrifice of their son should not be wasted.

When Dr Awan returned to Islamabad late night, he immediately talked to the PM Gilani about the demand of the parents of the martyred captain and Gilani announced to approve the college in Kahuta, which might greatly make the whole family happy. The family told the heroic tale of these four detained SSG commandos who had refused to die without putting any resistance, once they came to know that the NWFP government would not take any interest in their release. The visit of the former official of Malakand to Taliban asking them just to return the weapons and keep the captives had made them understand what was in store. The only way left with these brave soldiers was to fight back and should not give up. As their captors got the message from their top leadership to eliminate the SSG commandos, the preparation started to tighten them with rope so they could be beheaded. But as the captors came close to them in the room where they were detained, these commandos suddenly jumped at the eight Taliban. Within seconds, the commandos broke their necks. But two Taliban guards standing outside rushed inside and sprayed them with Kalashnikov bullets, which led to their instant martyrdom. “We are proud of our commandos that they did not die like cowards. They fought back and killed 8 Taliban as they went down fighting like real heroes, one of the family members of the captain Najam said.

Lieutenant Omer Tirmizi, a young and dynamic individual and a brave solider was posted to Bajaur Agency to counter Taliban insurgency in 2008. He comes from a family of soldiers, who devoted their entire lives to protecting our motherland. Most of the young officers of his age and experience are hesitant to face these highly trained and well equiped barbarians in their home ground, but the day he received his orders of being posted to the war-struck area of Bajaur, he knew he his dream had come true and the reason he was made for will be tested to the core.

I still remember his words when he was about to leave for Bajaur: ” I will be lucky to come back alive, but I dont wish for that luck, I just pray that He gives me the courage and faith to live upto my name, this uniform I wear and the flag that is pasted on my forearm ”
Having known him for years, as a friend and as a brother, I knew he was special and made for “war”. Since the day he left for Bajaur, I started waiting for the “good” news

And the news came, Omer had been critically injured and from fighting the so-called talibs, he was now battling for life. The news got to me when he was being flown in a helicopter to CMH Peshawar, and doctors had informed his retired father and loving mother about his critical condition. ” We would lose him, WE WOULD LOSE HIM ” were the words of the doctor in the air urging the pilot to fly as quickly as possible.

The mother who used to worry about his son’s habit of not taking breakfast and running after him around the house, had lost her senses. Her loved one was battling for life!

The moment of truth had actually passed few hours ago, when he was ordered to lead a team of a few jawans into a talib-controlled stronghold. He being the only officer had to coordinate with his superior as to when to send the Cobras after his team’s mission was accomplished

He lead his brave jawans into the compound, knowing that his enemy were veterans in the field of guerilla warfare, an art of war neither he or his team was trained to counter. They had to adapt to this way of war, in areas their hostiles knew like their own backyards. And so did they! They fought bravely for hours and though overnumbered significantly, with limited ammunition and supply. They managed to distract over 200 talibans and as per their plan, called for backup support of helicopters and artillery shelling but to their surprize were told not to wait for the back-up as the promised support had to be diverted somewhere else.

Moments like these, test the faith of a soldier. Surrounded by enemy, with bullets and rockets hurling past their ears, they could not retrieve. Omer ordered his men to lay down and hide in the fields initially, thinking it would be madness to try and fight in such a situation where death was inevitable. He assembled his men, head to head, laying down in the fields and informed them of the situation.

“ This is the moment we were made for, this is the day we were trained for, this is the day our mothers fed us for and this is the moment our fathers prayed for glory! I cannot force you to embrace death, which seems inevitable in this situation, so I beg for your advice. We all have to die, if somehow He wishes to give us some more time, we might end up dying on beds, but we all used to shout back in our training days – LIVE LIKE ALI * , DIE LIKE HUSSEIN * . So do you want to live like Hazrat Ali Sher-e-Khuda and die like Hazrat Imam Hussein ? “

Listening to these words of their commander, the jawaans without even slightest of utters stood up together and pointed their guns towards the trees their enemies were firing from. Omer had lost his senses, the Nasha of shahadah and the will to defeat these ignorants who had defamed Islam and Pakistan overwhelmed his ability to think. He jumped out of the fields, came in the open ground where there was not even a single inch of earth that was not hit by bullets and rockets.

7 men were now face to face with enemy 20 times more. ” Nayar-e-Haidri ” – ” Ya ALI ” was heard amongst the sound of bullets. ” Himmat-e-Marda’n – Madad-e-Khuda ” saw its real interpretation and they saw their enemy falling down from the trees hit by their shots. Some who managed to jump down and moved towards this little army of only a few men, got hit before reaching 10 feet closer and died near their boots damped with blood. Omer saw one of his jawaans leg flying towards him, blood and human flesh plagued his uniform but he still stood strong and kept on reciting the praises to His lord.

Omer was drunk in the wine of martyrdom, he didnot realize he was hit by a sharpnel until he found himself lying in the fields, he felt something in left leg and when he looked, a shower of blood was flowing out. He couldnot see his jawaans, as some of them had been martyred and some had retrieved. He lay alone, in the fields, wounded but still wanting to stand up and fight. Having tried two or three times, he realized that he couldnot move his leg. He heard his enemies coming closer and talking in the local language that they have an officer injured, which meant a lot of money! He had heard stories of them peeling off officer’s skins and disgracing their uniform. He could not let that happen! His hands pierced in his pockets, grabbing a grenade, and waiting for them to come closer so that he could blow himself up. Each second seemed like an hour, the time was moving in slow-mo. They were near now, his grenade’s pin was in his mouth, ready to take it out and kill them, so what if he had died with them! But then “khota” – his favorite jawaan of relatively chubby stature came running towards him alongwith some jawaans who had retrieved, forcing the enemy backwards. “Khota” managed to pick omer and started running towards their base, bullets and rockets passed them by but khota ran like leopard then, and omer still found an element of humor in it .

He was brought to the base, given first aid and was boarded on a helicopter for immediate surgery in CMH Peshawar. He could hear the words of the doctor narrated above ” We would lose him, WE WOULD LOSE HIM ” but now having felt death so closely, his fear of it had vanished.

Omer had undergone several surgeries since then, he is on wheelchair with one leg disabled. And he still says with vigour, ” It was just net practise, the real moment of truth will come again”

His team had managed to kill over 50 insurgents that day, his Commanding Officer had a leg amputated and then lost his life afterwards. Many of his close friends and coursemates embraced shahadah’

In midst of all the negativity that one witnesses in the country, brave men and women like Omer give us hope. If they are ready to blow themselves them, we have an army of 16 Crore willing to die for the green flag!

- S. A. A. Z.

Lt Atif Shaheed. A young man in his early 20’s gave his life protecting us from the barbarians who vow to defame Islam and Pakistan. His family and friends yearn for his voice, long for his aura and miss his presence. Pakistan will never forget him. Pakistanis will always salute him! Aye Puttar Hatan day Nae Wiqday –

Message from His Brother:

Brave, motivated, loving and caring… member of our family, brother of mine n soldier of Pakistan army. How can I explain when I don’t have words? Time n space here are limited to explain him as a human, as a soldier and as a brother. I still remember I woke up early in the morning, when he came on vacations from PMA n brought Halwa Puri. I missed few job interviews as I could not manage to wakeup early in the morning just for him

Jis morning main aap ko shahadut mili to us sa 1 nite before main nain Allah sa dowa ki ka mari zindagi aap ko mil jaa.bec our family,army n sub ko aap ki zarorat thi. but nothing could b hapend bec u alwaz prayed for shahdut. i m t best judge of tis,may b some body else. yaad a Atif jub main tumhara sath lra tha buchpan main n as a punisment hum dono ko maa nain ak room main bund kur dya tha phir…………… aub tumhain kya kya bataoon ka mujha tumhara sath guzra howa ak ak pul yaad ata ha. yaar y u stoped coming in my dreams.aya karoo yar dil bahal jata ha. idhar udhar jaa raha hoo pur humara khawaboo main nain ata.yy? koi narazgi ha. yar kisi din khawab main aa ka apni zabani apni shahdut ka batooo. tell me janat main mobile service ha,koi ptcl number.yaar koi number apna doo.since long aap sa baat nain howi. pics aap ka mobile main zbardast hain.cool hain.but hum pics ko room main laga bhi nain sakta u know naa ka KUCH KUCH HOTA HA. tari unit ka sb jawan n officer acha hain…..cant mention their nams. tari pket sa 500 ka note nikla tha.main nain apna paass rukh lya ha jub tara paass aaoo ga to treat marain gaaa. yar tara bagar gari main bathna ka maza bhi nain ata aaj kul.bus tara byc chalata hoon aaj kul miss u my dear.pata nain kub milain

Major who fell helping out comrades laid to rest
By Our Reporter
Thursday, 21 May, 2009 | 06:57 AM PST

LAHORE, May 20: Maj Abid Majeed Malik who laid down his life during Operation Rah-i-Rast near Matta, in Swat, on Tuesday, was buried with full military honours at the Cavalry Ground graveyard here on Wednesday.

The major fell while trying to evacuate his injured comrades.

Corps Commander Lt-Gen Ijaz Ahmad Bakhshi, Maj-Gen Shafqat Ahmad, Maj-Gen Raza Muhammad and a large number of other army personnel and civilians attended the funeral prayers.

The corps commander laid on Maj Abid’s grave a floral wreath on behalf of Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

——–

Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Unfortunately the Pakistan Army has been the butt of public criticism during the last few years. People forget that the Pakistan Army and its valiant soldiers have always been injecting fresh blood in the national polity by their inimitable sacrifices, be it floods, earthquakes or war against the enemy.

The same spirit of sacrifice and valour is being exhibited in the ongoing operation against militants. The heroic story of Major Abid Majeed bears testimony to this reality. On the fateful morning of May 18, 2009, Major Abid Majeed’s brother Major Khalid was entrusted the task of recurring the area from Shalpalam to Jura whereas Major Abid Majeed’s company was responsible for securing the area from Jura to Nazarabad. Major Khalid’s company successfully secured the area followed by Major Abid Majeed.

Thereafter Major Abid Majeed’s company was ordered to more forward. Thirteen vehicles of the company moved to safety however the last vehicle came under heavy and precise firing, near a ‘nullah’ bend, by militants.

The driver of the vehicle embraced martyrdom there and then. No more movement was possible as the route was blocked. The forward troops tried to move back and rescue the trapped soldiers, however due to accurate and effective firing by militants the movement was not possible. It was then at 1645 hrs that Major Abid Majeed decided to move back himself. He took two soldiers, the first aid kit and a water bottle and ordered his company to engage the militants. In the rain of bullets, he rushed to the site, dragged the two bleeding soldiers Sepoy Tariq and Sepoy Nausherwan to a place of safety. He immediately poured water into their mouths and then started bandaging them to stop the flow of blood.

In the meantime, his shoulder got exposed and he was shot at. Not bothered by it, he kept himself engaged in the task of bandaging. The second bullet hit his ribs, but it too failed to prevent him from completing his task. Unmoved by the blood gushing out of his wounds, he dragged soldiers to a safer place. In the process, he was hit by three bullets and fell down.

While bleeding profusely, he took the wireless to talk to his brother Major Khalid (for the last time), who was 100 metres away. “Brother I have to pay so much to so and so, do not forget it. Take care of the mother and under no circumstances leave the job of eliminating the miscreants incomplete. I wish I could march onto Mingora and see it clear of the militants”. And then he succumbed to his injuries but he managed to save the lives of two soldiers.

Sepoy Tariq and Nowsharwan cannot control their tears at the mention of Major Abid Majeed’s name. The only words they utter are “Why Major Sahib why not us”.

Long Live Pakistan Army!

Long Live Pakistan!

— Brigadier Syed Azmat Ali

Rawalpindi

Maj Abid was commissioned in the Punjab Regiment on Oct 12, 1997. He leaves behind his wife and two children.

——-

Lahore bids farewell to a hero who was fighting a war for Pakistan’s survival
May 21, 2009 · 13 Comments
Daily Times reports:

Major Abid laid to rest

* Lahore corps commander lays floral wreath on behalf of COAS

LAHORE: Major Abid Majeed, who was martyred while fighting the Taliban in Nazarabad area of Matta tehsil, was laid to rest at the Army Ground, Shaudha Graveyard, with full military honours. The body of Major Abid reached Lahore on Tuesday.

His family considered his martyrdom a sacrifice for the country and the will of God. They urged the people to support the army against anti-state elements in the ongoing operation in the country’s north. He was buried with full army protocol. Lahore Corps Commander Lieutenant General Ijaz Ahmed Bakhshi and other civil and military officers attended the funeral prayer. The corps commander laid a floral wreath on the grave on behalf of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Kayani. Abid was supposed to celebrate his 34th birthday on May 25.

Major Abid got commission in Pakistan Army in 1997. He had served in the UN peace mission in Congo and had also been posted to Siachen. Major Abid’s father Abdul Majeed was a colonel, while his grandfather Muhammad Khadim was a subedar in the army.

Talking to the media, Major Abid’s widow Ishrat Abid urged the people to pray for the army officials and support them. She said her husband had brought respect and honour to her and their two children. His uncle Abdul Hafeez said he was happy that his nephew had given his life to save the country. His mother said Abid’s dream to give his life for the country had come true. Major Abid is the second major from Lahore to give his life for the country in the line of duty. On April 19, Major Malik Azhar of Gulshan Ravi was martyred in Hangu in a suicide attack. Major Azhar was buried in Miani Sahib Graveyard with full army protocol.

: Pakistan will never forget you. Pakistanis will always salute you and your family. Because of men like you, in midst of all this fuss, we are sure that no one can touch us!

——–

Sofia Yasin // May 21, 2009 at 6:11 pm | Reply

Major Abid was my first cousin, (khalas son), he was more then just a cousin, an older brother, a friend and above all a very down to earth human being for whom everyone else was more important than his own being. He was always there to bring joy in others life. I would kindly like to request you all to offer prayer for my lovely cousin, that Allah may grant him paradise and the status of Shaheed and also sabr and strength to his wife, mother, brother and sisters. Please could you also pray for my cousin Major Khalid Majeed who was also injured during the fight.
Thank you, may Allah grant you peace and happiness, Ameen

Sofia Yasin [urf fofo as bhai use to call me]

Waseem Malik // May 21, 2009 at 9:04 pm | Reply

Abid we will miss you a lot brother, your shahdat has really changed the way we think and see things. Alongwith all our family members i am so proud of you, I would lke to correct few things here, Abid’s Grand Fathers name is Mohammad Fazil and he belongs to a village called Khalaspur near Jhelum. Our khalu Col. Abdul Majeed was the commanding officer of 19th Punjab and both brothers decided to join their fathers unit. As Sofia said brother Kaild was injured inthe same fight but he told us that he will join his unit again as soon as he is well enough. We Salute Khald and Abid for their bravery and thanks you for making us all so proud of you and your family. I would request all our brothers and sisters to support our troops and forget our diferences to save our country, and also pray for all the Shuhda’s in this war.

Waseem

Sania Malik // May 22, 2009 at 9:10 am | Reply

Major Abid was my best friends husband. I feel honoured to have known him in the short time he was apart of our lives. My prayers are with him, Khalid bhai and all our brothers fighting this gorilla war who are sacrificing their today for our tomorrow.
I salute you Abid Bahi!

Simab Abdullah // May 22, 2009 at 10:13 am | Reply

The beloved husband of my dear friend Ishrat, Major Abid Majeed Malik Shaheed, may your soul rest in eternal peace, and may blessings shower you in abundance. Amin. May Allah give your family the strength and determination to overcome this difficult time, until the day you reunite. InshaAllah.

You and your family will always be in my prayers.

Amar Ul Haq // May 22, 2009 at 11:08 am | Reply

I had never met Major Abid (Shaheed) but he was my Sister in laws best friends husband yet I do feel I got to know him in the last few days by hearing stories about his bravery and the sacrifice he has made.

He was a true soldier who was Martyred with honour by saving the lives of others and so that Pakistan would be free from its enemies.

You are an example to us all and may Allah give strength to your brave widow, children and family and may Allah bestow his blessings upon you all.

Shahrukh Slatch // May 23, 2009 at 10:56 pm | Reply

Major Khalid is a Great Man.
I Meet Major Khalid in the Mirrage of her Sister Aisha (Baji) She Marry with My Very Good Friend (Saqib Malik) Younger Brother.

(Jab Tak Na Jala Charag Shahid Ka Laho Sa)
(Kahta Hein Janat Ma Chiraga Nahi Hota)

Afraz Liaquat // May 24, 2009 at 10:09 pm | Reply

Inna Lillahe Wa Inna iLeyhe Rajeon

I have spent few years with Abid bhai when his father Col. Majeed was in Rangers with my father back in early 90’s. Abid bhai was a great charm of the family and been of great demand to everyone due to his attractive and jolly personality.

Sad to loos such a great man but heartily glad he left this dunya with honour of shahdat.

May Allah bless his soul with peace and Janna.

Yasir Javed // May 24, 2009 at 10:57 pm | Reply

May Allah accept his greatest sacrifice and give patience to his family! Ameen.

Maj Liaquat retd // May 25, 2009 at 5:49 am | Reply

May Allah accepts Khalids Shadat and gives family patience, composure, health and wealth help bringing up children to natural stature ameen.col Majeed and myself served together in Rangers HQ Lahore a wonderful person who will always look after the people.After his retirement he especially travelled to Peshawar to obtain signatures from me on proceedings which were to benifit his subordinate who was crippled in accident .such a person left behind a family on which nation is proud of

Muhammad Ali // May 25, 2009 at 12:26 pm | Reply

I knew Abid from PMA and was told about him yesterday by friend of mine. I have not seen him since 1997 but all his memories came rushing back to me, He was a very kind hear ted, Brave and courageous man. May Allah bless his soul. Ameen.

Hasan Askari gardezi // May 26, 2009 at 1:12 am | Reply

Major Abid_May Allah rest your soul in peace, and shower His blessings on your sacrifice. “Aap ki Shahadat, rang lai gi aur in taliban ko Gharat kare gi_Insha Allah, Ameen”

2/Lt Uxair 50 Fd Regt, Arty. // May 26, 2009 at 4:41 am | Reply

I know Maj. Abid since the day I joined PMA. He was PTSO with 119L/C. He was the one with calm and cool personality. 119 ki jan thay wo. Here I am going to write a message from major abid.

“I never bothered to stand with you in blood freezing cold in PMA PT ground. I never let you feel the cold of the snow covered ground. I felt my feet like freezing, I even cried with pain but never let you know. I taught you how to be “ROUGH AND TOUGH.” Gave you personally demonstration of assault course and waited. Got you Raw and waited till you were pruned and nurtured. Once I felt that you can stand at the Test of Time, I left you and waited for the time where I can teach you something even more dignified. I did it and 119 I have led you once again. I am the first one to reach heaven. Please don’t let me down. I have showed you the path. I am waiting on the never ending tracks of heaven for someone from 119 to come and join me. I am waiting and I am still waiting.”

Your’s Forever
PTSO ABID.

‘I was standing in front of my trench, when I was shot…’

RAWALPINDI: ‘They used to attack early in the morning or after dark. They would always go for an ambush,’ said Lieutenant Zaigham, wounded in battle with the Taliban and lying in a hospital.

Zaigham – who did not give his full name – sustained shrapnel wounds from fierce street fighting in the Swat valley and is a patient at the Combined Military Hospital in Rawalpindi, away from the combat in the northwest.

Lying in bed with bandaged wounds, he and fellow soldiers spoke of intense battles against heavily-armed insurgents, who put up stiff resistance and are often able to outflank Pakistan’s well-equipped and motivated soldiers.

Pakistan has declared the combat area a closed military zone, sealed off to journalists and aid workers. It is impossible to corroborate information coming from behind the frontlines from either soldiers or trapped civilians.

From May 4 to May 17, when Zaigham was wounded, his unit advanced slowly from Khwazakhela in northern Swat to the nearby town of Matta, which has long been under Taliban control.

‘There were strong resistance during the entire journey but we managed to clear the area. They buried mines and planted IEDs (improvised explosive devices) every 50 metres,’ he said.

‘There were checkpoints, bases and training centres in the mountains. We were clearing and destroying all this.’

‘They positioned snipers in holes made out of the walls of houses. They used civilians as human shields. They used to attack from houses and roofs.’

‘They are well equipped, they have mortars. They have rockets, sniper rifles and every type of sophisticated weapons,’ said Zaigham.

‘I am certain that foreign elements are behind these militants. Can I ask something very simple – who are their sponsors? What their sources of funding? Who runs their logistics?’ he said.

Residents trapped by the fighting in Swat have also said the Taliban dug trenches and were well armed. US-based Human Rights Watch has accused the Taliban of using ‘human shields’ by preventing civilians from leaving.

Zaigham was wounded when a rocket shell exploded in Matta and shards of shrapnel sliced into his shoulder and leg. He needs constant care.

‘Some of my colleagues embraced shahadat (martyrdom) in this fight and some were wounded, but we forced the militants to retreat,’ he said.

Pakistan says more than 1,050 militants and 58 soldiers have been killed, but Taliban spokesmen speaking to local media heavily contradict those claims.

Neither have authorities released any word on civilian casualties.

Wounded soldiers who spoke to AFP said they were willing to lay down their lives for what commanders have declared a fight to ‘eliminate’ militants.

Soldier Haseeb Ahsan, 26, was among those flown into Peochar, in northern Swat last week in a bid to open a new front and wrest back control of a Taliban bastion and alleged stronghold of Swat Taliban commander Maulana Fazlullah.

The airborne troops admitted they came under heavy fire.

‘We landed in the jungle. Militants ambushed our group. I received two bullets in my right thigh, but I kept on firing’ he said.

‘My wish was to die in the way of Allah and for my country. I will definitely go back and hit them hard,’ he said.

One of the younger soldiers, Mohammad Asif, 18, was he was wounded last week in Swat’s main town of Mingora, where the Taliban are still in full control.

‘It was midnight. I was standing in front of my trench, when I was shot. They always attack secretly. I wanted to tell them ‘don’t attack like jackals, attack like men’,’ he said.

‘When I was hit, I returned fire and they ran away. I want to go back, I wish I could become a martyr for my country’ he said.

Story of a brave FC soldier who died fighting in Swat

By Rahimullah Yusufzai

PESHAWAR: “I am dying, take my gun and deliver it to General sahib,” were the last words of Sepoy Gul Farosh as he lay critically injured near Manglawar village in Swat on October 28, 2007.

His surviving colleagues from the Frontier Corps conveyed his words and delivered his gun to their officers. Maj General Mohammad Alam Khattak, Inspector General of the Frontier Corps, was subsequently informed about Sepoy Gul Farosh’s dying words. In his meetings with FC soldiers and visitors, the general often mentions the brave Jawan as someone who fought till the end and didn’t lose control of his gun even after being fatally wounded.

There was a background as to why Gul Farosh uttered those memorable last words. He had heard Maj General Alam Khattak, himself a Pashtun from Nowshera, telling a darbar, or soldiersí meeting, that losing one’s gun amounted to abandoning oneís wife. There cannot be a greater insult to a Pashtun than to lose his wife. And it is common to hear the Pashtuns telling each other that abandoning one’s gun was just as dishonourable as losing a wife.

Gul Farosh, a typical Pashto name meaning flower seller, later succumbed to his injuries. It took time to retrieve his body and transport it to his village, Shamozai, in Mardan district for burial. Three days after his death, the young bearded soldier was buried in his ancestral graveyard.

His death shocked his old father, Dervesh Khan. The tragedy made him ill and one could see that life was slowly ebbing away from this frail and poor farmer. He had spent almost all his life tilling other people’s land as tenant and fetching firewood from the mountains to sell to villagers. Like his name, he was a Dervesh in the real life. Simple and honest, he couldn’t even properly count the currency notes. And even though he was desperately poor, Dervesh Khan always carried sweets in his pocket to give to children. One does come across sweet persons in life and he definitely was amongst them.

About two and a half months after Gul Farosh’s death, Dervesh Khan quietly bid farewell to the world. On January 10, 2008 he was buried close to the grave of his dear son. It was a double tragedy, which deprived the family of its breadwinners.

Gul Farosh’s mother and wife would have coped better with the grief of his death if he had children. The couple remained issueless during the seven years of marriage. In August 2007, Gul Farosh was injured in action in Thall. But he recovered and continued to serve the FC with distinction. He had also qualified an anti-terrorism course at the FC training centre at Mir Ali in North Waziristan.

After his recruitment in FC Khyber Rifles wing on April 1, 1997, he served at a number of places, including Ali Masjid in Khyber Agency, Ghallanai in Mohmand Agency, Thall, Regi Lalma, Peshawar and Torkham. He also took part in rescue and rehabilitation activities for the earthquake-affected communities at Battagram in Hazara. That was the kind of work in which the deeply religious and kind-hearted Gul Farosh found satisfaction.
‘Take my gun and deliver it to General Sahib’

Prayers are required for such brave men! And more…..braver families!

Since the operation against militants began in April last month, over 1,100 militants had been killed and over 60 soldiers had been martyred so far. Yet I never felt the pain of those dying in the name of their countrys sovereignty against terrorism so excruciating as the martyrdom of my sisters fiancé. 

He was only 24 years old, a month older to me and he was very smart and handsome boy. He loved my sister and she loved him and we all loved him just as much as his own family loved him. He was engaged to my younger sister and they were looking forward to getting married by next year. 

On 11th of May, 2009, he was deployed to Lower Dir as part of the Operation Rah-e-Rast’ against Militants in Swat and near-by areas. He left from Rawalpindi and we all prayed for him. We never knew he was leaving forever. Let me narrate to you what happened just 10 hours before he embraced martyrdom  we Muslims call Shahadat.’ 
It was mid-night  the beginning of the painful 21st May, 2009. He called up my sister and wished her a very happy birthday. The 21st of May was the day when 23 years ago my younger sister came into this world. He sang to her birthday song in 6 different languages, he gave her his prayers and told her how bad he feels for not being there with her on her birthday. 

He was in Lower Dir and she was here with us in Rawalpindi. She said to him, I wish you were here on my birthday. I wish I could have celebrated my birthday with you. And he replied, Do you want me to come over? Should I come over to Rawalpindi in the morning and we celebrate your birthday together? She said, yes, please, please do. 
He did come over on her birthday but not the way we wanted him to come over. He didnt come to her walking on his feet, holding a bouquet in his hands just the way he promised to her last night. Instead, he came on the shoulders of sad soldiers in a box we call a martyrs coffin!

He had been martyred on the 21st of May, 2009.

The very day my sister came into this world, he left this world forever  On my sisters birthday! 

I received a call at around 11:30 in the morning, I was in Islamabad. It was my ill-fated sister and she was crying like a mad woman. She was literally screaming in the phone so I couldnt understand what she was trying to tell me. I heard something like a blast in Lower Dir, a strip running on a TV channel showing my sisters fiancés name among the martyred. She was hysterical. She wanted me home right away. 

I left in panic, I kept praying the news I just heard was false. It took me an hour to reach home from Islamabad to Rawalpindi. I was met with screams of my sister who was out of control of almost everyone. She wasnt accepting the fact that her love has left her on her birthday. She kept screaming, You guys are lying to me. He is not dead. He cannot leave me. He promised me to celebrate 93 birthdays with me. This was our first. He cant leave me on our (her) first birthday, he promised me 93 birthdays together. 

I couldnt see her like this; I had broken down into tears. My mother was half-living half-dead. We all left for his house. What I saw there, I cannot narrate in words. His mother was still, tears in her eyes, she hugged me and the first thing she said was, Hold on to your sister, she will die. Take care of her. I was looking at her. This was the mother of a brave soldier, a soldier who was our loved one, but a soldier who came home on his loves birthday but not the way any member of his family or mine would have ever imagined or wanted him back. 

Even if I want to tell you what my family on the whole and specifically my younger sister is going through, I wont be able to because there are no words to put down my pain, my familys loss, his familys sufferings and most of all my sisters desolation. Two families were destroyed when one soldier died. 14 hearts wept dry of blood when one heart stopped beating on the 21st of May. All sacrifices in the name of a peaceful, safe, terrorism-free country. 

Capt. Omerzeb, like many soldiers sacrificed his life for the greater good of his nation but is the nation even thankful to those families who have been left scarred for life. When sons, brothers, husbands, and fathers die every other day while fighting the militants, how many people in our nation pray for their safety, their long lives, their safe return? They know that when they are sitting in the comforts of their homes, it is these brave men fighting on the borders for them to have that sense of security and comfort. 

My heart breaks every time I see my younger sister who has not regained herself so far. Who wakes up in the middle of the night and weeps like a child, who hasnt eaten in 24 hours, and whose eyes have swollen dry of tears that have drained her off completely. I wish this fight against the militants come to an end soon. Till now every time a soldier died, we thought we felt the pain but no, we couldnt. Nobody can until your loved one goes away when you are least expecting. Now, I can truly say I know what a martyrs family goes through when their beloved leaves them forever. 
May his soul rest in peace, may all those soldiers who have given their lives for this noble cause, for their country rest in peace. Most of all, the families who have lost their sons, their brothers, their husbands and their fathers, may God give them strength, patience, and peace of heart.

 

I post this true story of a distraught family, of my family, of my loss, of my younger sisters anguish to pay tribute to the brave Capt. Omerzeb for his valor and all the love that he gave us in whatever little time we spent with him. God bless us all! 
  

“Think not of those who are slain in Allah’s way as dead. Nay, they live, finding their sustenance in the presence of their Lord; They rejoice in the bounty provided by Allah. And with regard to those left behind, who have not yet joined them (in their bliss), the (martyr’s) glory in the fact that on them is no fear, nor have they (cause to) grieve.” Al-Quran (3: 169-170)

 

Courtsey: Amar Faheem Blog 


  
 

 

 

 

Captain Bilal Zafar, a commando of the Pakistan army SSG (the world’s best elite force), embraced martyrdom on the 17th of May, 2009 – fighting terrorists and militants in the embattled valley of Swat. 

He always used to say “Bullets can’t harm me”, and thus it proved true. He was hit on the arm by a bullet but he carried on until he was hit by an RPG (Rocket propelled grenade) where he embraced martyrdom on the spot. 

His last message has been circulated widely on print and electronic media. This is what he had to say: 
“In the volleys of fire.in the thunder of bombs, there are a few who just do not stop.knowing that they are surrounded by death.knowing that they could leave their wives widows and children orphans.but they just keep on moving because something is pumping in their hearts.and flowing through their veins known as honour, devotion and motivation.death over surrender.that is why they say death before disgrace.Pakistan Army Zindabad”. 

We Salute your courage, Sir! This sacrifice of your’s for this nation will never be forgotten. At least not by us: the people of Pakistan. Let this martyrdom also dispel the notion that the army lacks any motivation to defeat these extremist militants, it is obvious that their spirits are very high. 

We stand by you! Long Live Pakistan!

Ayaz Amir

For sheer irresponsibility nothing beats President Asif Zardari’s statement, in another avoidable newspaper interview, that the operation in Swat would soon be extended to Waziristan.

 

Whom was he trying to impress? Certainly not the people of Waziristan who have already started thinking of moving to safer places. Nor Baitullah Mehsud, the chief of our domestic insurgents, who stands forewarned. Thank you, Mr President. 

Across our embattled Republic it is by now established wisdom that Mr Zardari is an accident of fate, penance for sins committed and some even barely imagined. Even so, why must he prove his incapacity at every turn? Newspaper interviews are not his forte. What will it take to make him realise this? He adds to no one’s knowledge and, if anything, only spreads more doubts about himself. 

Sections of the national commentariat and the usual suspects in politics are spreading confusion which is bad enough but still not a culpable offence. Zardari’s aforementioned statement, however, comes close to attracting serious provisions of the penal code. “Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence,” said de Gaulle. If only someone could convey this to the president. 

This war the army is fighting and in which our officers and soldiers are dying is tough and serious business as it is. The army needs the nation’s total and unequivocal support. If we can’t help the army we can at least try not to make its task more difficult. 

We are in a tight spot, no doubt about it, facing domestic enemies and external pressures. But if we emerge from this test successfully — and there is no reason on earth why we should not — we will be a stronger nation, leaving many of our present troubles behind us. Wars are never a good thing but when they become unavoidable, as on this occasion, they test a people’s mettle. Whether we like it or not, great nations, throughout history, have been forged in the fire of conflict. 

If I may be forgiven another de Gaulle quote: “The sword is the axis of the world and its power is absolute.” The world as we know it has been shaped by the power of the sword. In the mountains and valleys of Malakand it is our sword against the Taliban’s. We win and the Republic is secured. They win — and I am only presenting this as an argument –Pakistan as we know it is lost. It’s as simple as that. 

It is always possible to take exception to the conduct of military operations. If an army botches an operation, if it suffers too many needless casualties, if it is not properly led in battle, if soldiers shirk their duty, if a sledgehammer is used when something lighter could have sufficed, it is perfectly legitimate and even necessary to point out these things. But to be critical about the tactical aspects of any particular operation is quite different from questioning the entire basis of the present war which is what some of our more confused politicos and media people are doing. 

In the first two or three years of the Second World War nothing went right for the British. But no one said that Britain should make peace with Hitler. The Soviets suffered catastrophic losses when Hitler attacked the Soviet Union. But that did not persuade Stalin to sue for peace. 

So it is a bit baffling to hear some of our astute thinkers who, even at this late hour, are mouthing clichés about dialogue and a ‘political settlement’. Dialogue with whom? Maulana Fazlullah, the Reverend Muslim Khan whose aim is not dialogue but the establishment of an Al Qaeda–inspired emirate? 

If they were at all interested in a peaceful solution they would have seized upon the Swat accord, which was wholly to their advantage, and made it stick. But peace was not their agenda. Before even the ink on the accord was dry, they set about expanding their sphere of control. That’s when the roof came crashing down on their heads, for which they have only themselves to blame. 

Of course the US is also part of the larger equation. But we mustn’t forget that whether we like it or not the US is in Afghanistan and is going to be there for some time. What we have to take to heart is that where our interests may differ in other respects, they converge when it comes to the Taliban. 

Mullah Omar and the Americans can fight it out among themselves. That quarrel is none of our business and we should be no part of it. But the Taliban in Pakistan are very much our problem because their ideas and the idea of Pakistan just cannot co–exist. So while the Americans are fighting their Taliban for their reasons, we have our own compelling reasons to fight our home–grown Taliban. 

Of course it depends on us how we make use, or how we exploit, this convergence of interests between us and the Americans. If we had strong and wise leaders — which, alas, we don’t — we could have spoken to the Americans in a surer voice and got more out of them in terms of aid, assistance and military hardware. And we could have drawn the lines of engagement more clearly telling the Americans what was acceptable and what was not. 

For instance, with better leadership we could have insisted that pronouncements from the US administration about the safety or non–safety of our nuclear weapons were simply unacceptable. Such statements give the impression as if Pakistan was teetering on the brink of meltdown or collapse. We should be doing all in our power to discourage such alarmism. 

In fact just as it is ironclad Israeli policy not to say anything about their nuclear weapons, it should be our policy to say not a word about our nukes. Questions about their safety should be greeted with a stony silence — as per the last of my de Gaulle quotes: “Silence is the ultimate weapon of power.”

How long will this war last? We should be under no illusions on this score. It will last as long as the Americans stay in Afghanistan. For the epicentre of this conflict, however hard the Americans try to obscure this circumstance, is Afghanistan, not Pakistan. So we should prepare for the long haul as these dark clouds which encircle us are not going to go away in a hurry. 

Of all the conflicts we have fought, the only necessary war was the Kashmir war of 1948–49. If we had not fought it what we call Azad Kashmir would not have been ours. It is another matter that we did not press home our initial advantages more decisively. If we had, and if the political and military leaderships had been on the same wavelength, our gains would have been greater. But that’s another story (for an excellent account of that conflict read Shuja Nawaz’s ‘Crossed Swords’– a must read for a better understanding of the Pakistan army). 

But if that was a necessary conflict our other wars have been huge exercises in futility. The 1965 war was an adventure whose purpose even its perpetrators were never fully able to explain. As a nation we were doing reasonably well until then but lost our way, and suffered irretrievable harm, thereafter. In 1971 we dug our own pit, Indira Gandhi only exploiting the ground we ourselves had prepared. Kargil was folly of the highest order, resulting in nothing except wasted deaths and immense loss of national prestige. After 1948 t the present war is the first true war — true in the sense that there is a purpose to it — which we are fighting. 

No war was ever won with too many ifs and buts. In this war we can afford neither confusion nor weakness of resolve. What has been started must be finished. The army is in the forefront performing its national duty. The opprobrium it earned during the Musharraf years has been erased by the sacrifices being offered by officers and men. They are taking Taliban bullets on their chests. The least we owe them is our gratitude. 

Tailpiece: The families of fallen officers and soldiers are setting an example in fortitude all of us could follow. Whether it is the family of Lieutenant Najam Riaz in Kalhut, Kahuta, or that of Major Abid Majeed Malik in Lahore, they are shedding no tears and instead saying how proud they are of how their sons/husbands died for the country.

 

With such proud fathers, mothers and wives how can Pakistan ever be a lost cause?