SWABI: Taj Nawab, who had remained a colleague of Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed in the year 1999 when Kargil war was fought, said on Wednesday that the only winner of the highest military award for gallantry, Nishan-i-Haider, from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was a truly religious, motivated, devoted and energetic personnel of the Pakistan Army.

Talking to Dawn on the eve of Defence Day, Mr Nawab spoke about Karnal Sher Khan’s gallantry, habits and desire that he really wanted. Both Karnal Sher and Mr Nawab hailed from Swabi district.

It has been announced that the elected representatives would visit the homes of the martyred personnel on behalf of the nation to observe the Defence Day in a unique manner today (Thursday).

About 19 years ago, Pakistan withdrew its forces on the intervention of then US president Bill Clinton which negated the Indian policy that Kashmir was only a bilateral issue and third party mediation would not be allowed after the Simla Accord.

Mr Nawab said that Karnal Sher Khan was his senior, but would always deal him in a friendly way like in their village in Swabi. He recalled that whenever Captain Karnal Sher Khan would be free and in a mood to take tea in the sub-zero temperature he would loudly call him in Pashto: ‘O pa ma grana kali wala, laga chai kho tayara ka’ (Oh my dear co-villager, prepare a cup of tea for me).

“We enjoyed his company in the snow-capped mountains because he always kept us busy and happy,” recalled Mr Nawab. He said that one day they both were sitting while exchanging views about Kashmir issue with each other and he found him really motivated.

“I want to wrest the occupied Kashmir from the Indian forces,” he said while quoting Karnal Sher Khan.

Mr Nawab said that he told him that it meant he wanted to become Shaheed (martyr) and that was the reason that he talked in such a way. Again quoting Captain Karnal Sher Khan, he said: “I am not so lucky to become martyr like Major Aziz Bhatti and other heroes of the Pakistan Army. They were having great luck.”

Mr Nawab recalled that before the Kargil war, he reached home on leave, but soon was called back and the circumstances forced him to rush to the Kargil region.

The retried personnel of Pakistan Army said that when he reached Kargil he was told by his colleagues that Karnal Sher Khan had made great advancement and entered the Indian forces camp.

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2018