BUREWALA/BAHAWALPUR - A special ceremony to commemorate Defence Day of Pakistan was held at the mausoleum of Major Tufail Muhammad Shaheed, Nishan-e-Haider, at Chak 253/EB Tufailabad, Burewala.
General Officer Commanding (GOC) 26 Division Major General Muhammad Zaffar Iqbal along with Brigadier Muhammad Azeem, Lt. Colonel Mujtaba, Major Sabihuddin, Captain Abresh laid floral wreaths at the grave on the behalf of the Chief of Army Staff.
A contingent of Pakistan Army presented guard of honour to the martyr. MNA Chaudhry Nazir Ahmad Arain, MPA Khalid Mehmood Dogar, DSP, Burewala Hafiz Khizar-uz-Zaman, Assistant Commissioner Burewala Muhammad Azeem Rabbani, Ex. UC Nazim Ch Zia Akhtar also laid floral wreaths to pay homage to the sacrifice of the national hero who embraced martyrdom for the defence and sovereignty of his country. A police contingent also presented guard of honour.
A large number of students from schools and college also attended the ceremony and offered Fateha and paid homage to their national hero. Children of Special Education School also paid tribute to the martyr.
Meanwhile, a special ceremony was held under the aegis of the Major Tufail Welfare Society where students of different schools and colleges presented speeches, tableaux and skits to mark the day where General Officer Commanding Major General Muhammad Zaffar Iqbal was the chief guest.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief guest said that on this day in 1965 the people from all over Pakistan and representing all shades of opinion joined hands in standing behind the armed forces in thwarting aggression.
“The commemoration of September 6 revives our spirits and strengthens our resolve to defend the country against all kinds of threats and to be always prepared for any sacrifice for its integrity and honour,” he added. Major General Muhammad Zaffar Iqbal said we have zero tolerance against the terrorists and their desires. In the end, he distributed shields to the prominent students of different schools for showing excellent results.
In another event related to the occasion, floral wreath was laid by General Officer Commanding Muhammad Zafar Iqbal on the grave of Major Tufail Shaheed, Nishan-e-Haider at village Tufailabad, Vehari on behalf of Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and Corps Commander Bhawalpur Lt Gen Javed Mehmood Bukhari.
Maj Tufail Shaheed was born in 1914 in Hoshiarpur. He was commissioned into the 16th Punjab Regiment in 1943. In August 1958, Major Tufail Muhammad, who was a company commander in the East Pakistan Rifles, encircled an Indian post in the Lakshmipur area.
Though mortally wounded in the hand-to-hand encounter that followed, Major Tufail Muhammad continued to lead his troops till the Indians were driven out, leaving four dead and three prisoners. He embraced martyrdom the same day [7 August 1958].
Punjab Rangers also paid tribute to the martyrs of Punjab Rangers and in this regard a graceful ceremony was held at Uch Sharif on the grave of Shaheed Naik Iqbal Hussain Tamgha Bisalat where Wing Commander Lt. Col. Afzaal Ahmed Ch laid wreath on the grave and offered Fateha. He also met the family of Shaheed Iqbal Hussain and gave them gifts. Shaheed Naik Iqbal Hussain Tamgha Bisalat was martyred on 2001 on the working Boundry of Khanoor Sector Sialkot.