A Son, a Friend, a Shaheed
Shabbir of Sabauna
__
Sometimes I wonder what motivated him to approach death with such alacrity
My son always had a premonition where he was headed
Sometimes when I pine too deeply for him, he comes in my dream gesturing he has acknowledged my feelings
'Ammi Jee' in an interview fondly remembered her elder son
Maj Sharif had raised his kids on simple guidelines, hard work & honesty
Rule of thumb: کسب کمال کن کہ عزیزجہاں شوی
Achieve excellence and ye shall be loved by the world
Major Shabbir Sharif did the same and earned glory
In Miani Sahab Shabbir sleeps beside his best friend Tanveer who took his own life
His mother would see Tanveer in pain in her dreams
She had told Shabbir of her wish to have a saint or martyr buried beside him
Sometimes I feel Shabbir embraced shahadat for the sake of friendship
Maj Shabbir Sharif is the most decorated soldier of Pakistan Army
Upon his commission in 1964 he was awarded Sword of Honour at PMA
In 1965 Indo Pak war he earned Sitara e Jurrat
In 1971 War at Battle of Sabuana he was awarded the highest award for gallantry, Nishan e Haider
It was Sulemanki-Fazilka Sector in 1971 War
Maj Shabbir Sharif commanding B Company of 6 FF captured Ditch Cum Bund (DCB) on Sabuana Distributary with all important Beriwala Bridge intact
He effectively beat back major counter attacks by 3 Assam and 4 Jat causing heavy casualties
On night 4/5 Dec Maj Shabbir shot and killed 4 Jat’s company commander Maj Narain Singh
He himself got injured due to face burns from a smoke grenade
He stayed on front line and on 6 Dec while engaging enemy tanks, he was hit by fire of a tank machine gun and embraced shahadat
Beriwala bridge stayed with Pakistan till ceasefire
In numerous counter attack attempts 3 Assam & 4 Jat lost a number of gallant soldiers
An estimated count of over 200 officers & jawans were cremated in a collective ceremony in village of Asafwala around 7 kms from Fazilka
This included the body of Maj Narain Singh of 4 Jat Regiment who lost his life in the hands of Major Shabbir Sharif in a daring counter attack
The body of the gallant officer was returned with due respect and military honour by Pakistan
Maj Narain Singh was awarded Vir Chakra
Col (R) Vijay Singh then adjutant of 4 JAT had received the body of Major Narain Singh on 18 Dec 1971
Anil Paba tells us, "He recounted proudly that Pakistani side treated Maj Singh with respect
They picked up the unconscious Major and were taking him for treatment when he died
Observation Tower at Sulemanki has stories to tell
Somewhere in the distance is Sabauna DCB and Beriwala Bridge that witnessed the heroics of Maj Shabbir Sharif
Not very far from Sabauna would be Village Noor Muhammad where Naib Subedar Arif of 6 FF laid down his life fighting
Some 7 Kms inside Indian border people of Asafwala maintain 'Shaheedon ki Samadhi'
A war memorial to commemorate the sacrifices made by the gallant 226 soldiers fondly recalled as “Saviours of Fazilka"
This monument is also a shrine to mortal remains of 82 out of 226 soldiers
My readers interested in the full story might find this article at MANI JUNCTION of interest ... meemainseen.com/2015/09/sulema…
Last year when this thread was first posted my friend from India @GurkieMaan had promised to do a few pictures from the other side of the border
These pictures are included in this thread with due credit and a feeling of gratitude
Thank you Sir!
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December Shards
(reader discretion is advised)
___ 1. The Civil Servant of Kushtia
It was on the cover of Newsweek or was it Time?
Smiling faces
'Bengali rebels displaying severed head of a federal soldier'
'He wasn't a soldier', years later Lt Ataullah of 27 Baloch would reveal
He was Waqar Naseem Butt a Civil Servant from West Pakistan posted to Kushtia
A company of 27 Baloch owing to rebels' attack on Ni 29/30 Mar had to retreat to Jessore
Waqar refused to evacuate with them
He thought he belonged to the place
He thought he belonged to his countrymen
2. Mymensingh
Brothers in Arms
___
A cantonment 60 miles north of Dhaka, housed East Bengal Regiment & elements of East Pakistan Rifles
Liberation War Museum of Dhaka would deny that there ever was a cantonment in Mymensingh
Residents do recall soldiers taking on their brothers
The Gentlemen Gorkhas
The Balochi Sultan
___ 2/5 Gorkha Rifles (FF) a decorated Indian Unit fought at Pir Ganj and Bogra in Dec of 71
They built a road block at Pir Ganj and in a daring move crossed Karatoa River almost capturing Pak divisional and brigade commanders in an ambush
Gen Tajammul, who then commanded the famed Hilli Brigade tells us an interesting tale
On 7 Dec GOC had asked Tajammul to accompany him to Rangpur
"He told me it was only a short visit and we would be back by evening"
As they drove to Pirganj they came across a tank within 400 yds
Tajammul was first to ask, "whose tanks are these"
Gen Nazar replied, "the enemy's"
Tajammul says as per their assessment Karatoa river was considered impassable
In crossing the river and laying the daring ambush the valiant Gorkhas had achieved complete surprise
"I had so far turned down any suggestion to recommend names for the gallantry awards…
The only exception I had made was that of Major Akram Shaheed Nishan-i-Haider of 4FF"
writes Gen Tajammul in The Story of My Struggle
He commanded the Hilli Brigade
The officer goes on to write
It was with this background that when after finishing his briefing Lt Col Mumtaz put up Maj Akram's (Shaheed) citation for Hilal-i-Jurrat for my approval, I was so much swayed by emotions that I upgraded it to Nishan-i-Haider because his company had really put up a heroic fight
The only Nishan e Haider on Eastern Front was originally recommended for Hilal-e-Jurrat by 4 FF (a.k.a Bawanja Sikh a.k.a Tunpur Bawanja)
It was upgraded by a commander who had a reputation of discouraging even downgrading the wartime gallantry awards
Wa To'izzo Mann Tashaa'o
یارڑے دا سانوں ستھرچنگا بھٹھ کھیڑیاں دا رہنا
متر پیارے نوں حال مریداں دا کہنا
many are the reasons of my love for this wonderful community called Sikhs
their simple & carefree manners
hilarious Sardar jokes and the way they laugh on their own jests
simple beats & suchal vocals causing my blood to stir
and their melodious & stunningly insightful Gurbanis
Our journey, dear reader starts at Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib
the site of the parental home of Guru Nanak at a place that once was known as Rai Bhoi Ki Talvandi
on-site attractions include a well that has been preserved from the days of the founding Guru
بانوقدسیہ سےملاقات
ایک پرانی یاد ـ ان کی سالگرہ پر
ــــــ
۱۹۸۴میں پاکستان ٹیلیویژن کی بیسویں سالگرہ کی تقریب میں غزالہ قریشی کےسوال کےجواب میں بانوآپانےکہاتھا
’میں اب تصوف کےبھی زیادہ قریب ہوں اورقبرستان کےبھی اب مجھے اسی کےمتعلق لکھناہے‘
اس میں انہوں نے آدھی بات درست کہی تھی
بہت بعد کا ذکرہے غالباً ایک انفرادی انٹرویو میں سوال کےجواب میں ان کاکہنا تھا کہ مجھ سےدنیا کےبارےمیں سوال کریں تو جواب دوں، مرد کی ذات عارفِ مولاہےوہ آپکواللہ تک پہنچنےکاکوئ راستہ بتائےتوبتائے
ایک بظاہر سادہ لوح خاتون لکھاری سے جب وہ عارفِ دنیا ہونےکانعرہ لگارہی ہواحتیاط لازم ہے
ہمارےکمانڈنگ آفیسر لیفٹیننٹ کرنل ریٹائرڈ ارشد بھٹی کوگلہ تھاکہ میں لوگوں سےملنےکےلیےان کےمرنےکاانتظارکرتاہوں
اس سنہری دوپہرماڈل ٹاؤن کےقبرستان میں اشفاق احمدسےملاقات ادھوری رہنی تھی جب تک اشفاق احمد کوبیا اورخودکوبئے کا گھونسلا کہنےوالی بانوآپا سے داستان سرائےمیں ملاقات نہ ہوجاتی
A Short Story from Sialkot
___
Kaun ho?
Musalman hun
Woh mujhey pata hey, Unit konsi hey?
Mein Pakistan ka Sipahi hun
Apna hathyar neechay daal dou aur apnay saathyon se bhi kaho hathyar daal dein
Jab tak jaan hey, Pakistan ke liey larunga!
then he sprinted and a gunshot fired
It was 0600 on 8 Sep of 1965 when Indian 1st Armoured Division had crossed the border advancing towards Bhagowal-Philoura homing on to Chawinda
At 0800, 17 Poona Horse advancing on the eastern axis met the first Pakistani elements
The soldiers of D Company of 2 Punjab Regiment
Regimental History of Poona Horse records Maj N S Cheema's conversation with the exuberant Pakistani soldier with an innate admiration
It records the location as Shadipur and the soldier as a Havildar
As he sprinted to join his mates he was promptly shot & the location shelled