Nishan-E-Haider

Nishan-E-Haider
The Highest Military Award of
Pakistan Has Been Awarded to Soldiers Who Have Shown Bravery And
Courage in Times Of War & Border Battles(1948,1956,1965,1971,1999)




Captain Muhammad Sarwar Shaheed






Born: 1910, Singhori Village, District of Rawalpindi
Commissioned: 1944, Punjab Regiment
During
the Kashmir Operations soon after the birth of Pakistan, as Company
Commander of the 2nd Battalion of the Punjab Regiment, Captain Sarwar
launched an attack causing heavy casualties against a strongly
fortified enemy position in the Uri Sector under heavy machine gun,
grenade and mortar fire. But on the 27th July 1948, as he moved forward
with six of his men to cut their way through a barbed wire barrier, he
died when his chest was riddled by a burst of heavy machine gun fire.

[center]Major Tufail Muhammad Shaheed







Born: 1914, Hoshiarpur
Commissioned: 1943, 16th Punjab Regiment
Early in
August 1958, Major Tufail, a Company Commander in the East Pakistan
Rifles, encircled an illegal Indian post, which violated the
internationally recognized boundary between the two countries, in the
Lakshmipur area. And, though mortally wounded in the hand-to-hand
encounter that followed, Major Tufail continued to lead his troops till
the Indians were driven out, leaving four dead and three prisoners. He
died the same day on the 7th August 1958.


[size=24]Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed

[/size]







Born: 1928, Hong Kong
Commissioned: 1950, Punjab Regiment
On 6th
September 1965, as Company Commander in the Burki Area of the Lahore
Sector, Major Bhatti chose to move with his forward platoon under
incessant artillery and tank attacks for five days and nights in
Defence of the strategically vital BRB Canal. Throughout, undaunghted
by constant fire from enemy small arms, tanks and artillery, he
organized the Defence of the canal, directing his men to answer the
fire until he was hit by an enemy tank shell which killed him on 10th
September 1965.


[size=24][size=24]Major Muhammad Akram Shaheed[/size][/size]






Born: 1938, Dingha Village, District of Gujrat
Commissioned: 1963, Frontier Force Regiment
Major
Muhammad Akram and a company of the 4th FF Regiment which he commanded
in the forward area of the Hilli district, in East Pakistan in 1971,
came under continuous and heavy air, artillery and Armour attacks. But
for an entire fortnight, despite enemy superiority in both numbers and
fire power, he and his men, in near super human ability, repulsed every
attack, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. Major Akram died
during this epic battle in 1971.


Major Shabir Sharif Shaheed







Born: 1943, Kunjah Village, District of Gujrat
Commissioned: 1964, Frontier Force Regiment
Major
Shabir Sharif as commander of 6 FF Regiment, was ordered in December
1971 to capture high ground near Sulemanki headwork defended by more
than a company of the Assam Regiment supported by a squadron of tanks.
In a well nigh super human action, for the next three days and nights
after crossing a minefield and massive obstacles and killing forty
three soldiers and destroying four tanks, Major Sharif and his men held
two enemy battalions at bay. But after he took over an anti-tank gun
from his gunner in an attack he was killed by a direct hit on the
afternoon of 6th December.


Jawan Sowar Muhammad Hussain Shaheed








Born: 1949, Dhok Pir Bakhsh (now Dhok Muhammad Hussain Janjua)
Enlisted: 1966, Driver
Although
only a driver in the 20th Lancers, when war broke out in 1971 Sowar
Muhammad Hussain took an active part in every battle in which his unit
was engaged unmindful of any danger, no matter how grave. When he
spotted the enemy digging in along a minefield near the village of
Harar Khurd in December 1971 on his own initiative he directed accurate
fire at the enemy resulting in the destruction of sixteen of their
tanks. But while directing fire from recoilless rifles, he was hit in
the chest by a burst of machine gun fire and died on 10th December 1971.


Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas Shaheed







Born: 17th February 1951
Commissioned: 1971, Pilot, P.A.F.
Pilot
Officer Minhas was taxiing for take-off on a routine training flight
when an Instructor Pilot forced his way into the rear cockpit, seized
control of the aircraft and took off. When Minhas realized that the
absconding pilot was heading towards India, he tried to regain control
of the plane was unable to do so. Knowing that it meant certain death,
he damaged the controls and forced the aircraft to crash thirty two
miles short of the border on 20th August 1971.


[b]Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz Shaheed






Born: 1944, Pind Malikan (now Mahfuzabad) District of Rawalpindi
Enlisted: 1962, Sipahi
Serving
in the 'A' Company of the 15th Punjab Regiment, when the war started in
1971, Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz was deployed on the Wagah-Attari
Sector in East Pakistan where his company was pinned down by unceasing
frontal and cross fire from automatic weapons. Although his machine gun
was destroyed by an enemy shell, Mahfuz advanced towards an enemy
bunker whose automatic fire had inflicted heavy casualties. Even though
wounded in both legs by shell splinters, when he reached the bunker he
stood up and pounced on the enemy, but was hit. Although unarmed and
amidst the enemy, he caught hold of one of the enemy and was strangling
him when another bayoneted him to death during the night of 17th
December 1971.

[/b]
Havaldaar Lalak Jan Shaheed







Hav.
Lalak Jan of the Northern Light Infantry (NLI) was one of those many
who as a junior leader fought from the forefront to thwart heavy Indian
attacks. He volunteered himself to be deployed on the front positions
located at the jagged peak in May 1999. Hav. Lalak driven back many
aggressive ventures by the enemy and imposed colossal losses on them.
On July 7, Hav. Lalak sustained serious injuries as enemies pounded the
area with heavy mortar shelling. But despite being injured, he retained
his position and frustrated the Indian assault. He, however, succumbed
to his injuries at the same post he was defending. Hav. Lalak was
awarded with the Nishan-i-Haider for his dauntless courage and devotion.




Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed







Enlisted: 1990, Second Lt.
Captain
Karnal Sher and Hav. Lalak Jan joined those eight legendary heroes who
received the highest military award of Nishan-i-Haider for laying down
their lives in defence of the beloved motherland. Captain Karnal Sher
Khan emerged as the symbol of mettle and courage during the Kargil
conflict on the Line of Control (LoC). He set personal examples of
bravery and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. He defended the five
strategic posts, which he established with his jawans at the height of
some 17,000 feet at Gultary, and repulsed many Indian attacks. After
many abortive attempts, the enemy on July 5 ringed the post of Capt.
Sher Khan with the help of two battalion and unleashed heavy mortar
firing and managed to capture some part of the post. Despite facing all
odds, he lead a counter-attack and re- captured the lost parts. But
during the course he was hit by the machine-gun fire and embraced
Shahadat at the same post. He is the first officer from the NWFP
province to be awarded with Nishan-i-Haider.