PESHAWAR   -   From Khyber to Karachi and Chitral to Gwadar, the nation will celebrate the 59th Defense and Martyrs Day with fervent patriotism on Friday. People from all walks of life will honor the martyrs and veterans of Pakistan, who sacrificed their lives and endured injuries to defend the homeland.

In addition to military and civilian officials, citizens, senior citizens, academics, civil society members, human rights activists, farmers, laborers, and media professionals will offer heartfelt tributes to the martyrs and heroes of Pakistan’s armed forces, who made unparalleled sacrifices during the 1948, 1965, and 1971 wars, the 1999 Kargil Conflict, and fight against terrorism.

“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 cowardly enemy and showed unmatched valour in1965 War,” said Brigadier (Retd) Mehmood Shah, senior defense analyst and former secretary law, FATA while talking to APP.

Brig Mahmood Shah said Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Artillery had broken the back of the enemy in 65 War. “Pakistan had occupied about 1,617 square miles of Indian territory in 65 war and was in a strong position to occupy Delhi if war continued for a few more days as the morale of enemy troops had completely shattered.”

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, he added.

Great tributes would be paid to Major Aziz Bhatti Shaheed (Nishan-i-Haider), who successfully defended the strategic BRB canal near Lahore for five days before embracing shahadat after being hit by an enemy’s tank shell on September 10, 1965.

Squadron Leader Muhammad Mahmood Alam popularly known as M.M. Alam had shot down two enemy hunter aircrafts and damaged three others on 6th September 1965 besides destroying five more enemy hunter aircrafts in less than a minute on September 7th, which is unprecedented in the history of PAF.

Flight Lieutenant Imtiaz Ahmad Bhatti and Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Ahmad Rafiqui 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 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 Captain Raja Muhammad Sarwar Shaheed (NH) in 1948 Kashmir War, was carried forward by Major Aziz Bhatti Shaheed (NH) in 1965 war, Maj Shabbir Sharif Shaheed (NH) in 1971 War and Capt Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed (NH) and Havaldar Lalak Jan Shaheed (NH) during Kargil conflict in 1999.

Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed (Nishan-e-Haider) was one of those celebrated officers of the Pakistan Army whose indomitable courage and heroic battlefield performance during Kargil conflict has been 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 (NH) who fought like a lion against both enemy and harsh weather on an altitude of 17,000 feet on Line of Control (LoC) at Gultary sector at Tiger Hills near Kargil and inflicted heavy human and material losses to the enemy,” said Brigadier Mehmood Shah.

“On July 5, 1999, Indians forces with the help of two battalions, attacked these posts at Tigar Hills and managed to capture some portion of one of his posts. Despite facing all odds, Capt. Sher Khan led a counter-attack and re-captured the lost portion,” he said.

“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, the lion of Kargil 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 MPS Bajwa out rightly impressed by his indomitable courage and splendid battlefield performance and wrote a citation letter, requesting Pakistan that Capt Sher Khan Shaheed had fought bravely and deserved the highest 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. Capt Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed was the first army officer from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who was awarded Nishan-e-Haider.

“The shooting down of two Indian warplanes inside LOC one fell in Azad Kashmir and the other in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir besides the capturing of an Indian Pilot on February 27, 2019, had proved the highest professionalism, courage and outstanding fighting skills of the PAF,” he said. The unity exhibited by the nation after the Indian air strike on Balakot on February 27, 2019, was almost the same as that of the 65 War, he reiterated.

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 the national songs of Melody Queen, Noor Jehan had infused a new spirit of patriotism in the nation during the 1965 war. He said from generals to soldiers, the armed forces of Pakistan had sacrificed their lives for the defence of their motherland, adding that Pakistani forces rendered matchless sacrifices whether it was war against terrorism or natural calamities.

The veteran officer said Pakistan had been created after a lot of sacrifices by our forefathers under the dynamic leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, adding that “we all need to work hard in our respective professions to make it one of the greatest countries of the world”.