A strong army of a country is indispensable to ensure defence against internal and external aggression, maintenance of sovereignty, and provision of relief during all kinds of disasters. We are lucky enough that our armed forces are loyal, professionally sound, well-disciplined, and possess high spirits with the will of Shahadat in active service to Pakistan.
Thousands of Pakistani soldiers have embraced Shahadat for the integrity, peace, prosperity, and defence of their motherland. The name of Major Wasif Hussain Shah SBt is also present among these Shaheeds as an everlasting shining star and as a symbol of bravery, gallantry, courage, and valour. The extraordinary legacy of Major Wasif Hussain Shah Shaheed SBt is spelled out below.
Major Wasif Hussain Shah SBt passed his F.Sc. from F.C. College, Mangla Cantt, and joined the 106th Pakistan Military Academy Long Course after completing all the requirements. After graduating from PMA Kakul in 2002, he joined the 32 Baloch Regiment. He served in different regions, i.e., Haji Pir (Bagh, AJK), Balakot (Mansehra), Kharian, Gujranwala, Chaman (Quetta), and Swat under Operation Rah-e-Nijat, and earned praise from his senior officers. Major Wasif also served in Congo (Central Africa) under the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission. For his outstanding service, he was called the “King of Mwanga”. Mwanga was the duty headquarters of Major Wasif in Congo.Major Wasif Hussain Shah returned to Pakistan from Congo in 2014 and was attached to the Azad Kashmir Regimental Centre in Attock for a period of two years. However, after about 10 months, he was directed to report to North Waziristan under Operation Zarb-e-Azb. He reported for duty without any hesitation on July 21, 2014, in North Waziristan. He conducted a number of operations very successfully.
Zarm Sar Ridge in North Waziristan, located about nine kilometres from the Afghan border, was a safe haven for terrorists in the Datta Khel area. The mission to recapture this area was assigned to Major Wasif Hussain Shah and his company. Major Wasif recaptured the area on Oct 24-25, 2014. As such, he is honoured as the “Conqueror of Zarm Sar”.
On Nov 15, 2014, at around 17:00 hrs, about 400 well-equipped and well-trained terrorists launched a sudden attack on one of the posts. This post was about three kilometres from Major Wasif’s command post and about seven kilometres from Battalion Headquarters. Major Wasif, along with four soldiers, very promptly reached the besieged post. He defended the post and compelled the outnumbering terrorists to retreat by inflicting heavy losses on them.
When Major Wasif ran out of ammunition, he took the gun of an injured soldier and continued firing without any reinforcement. During this fight, he was hit by two bullets, one in his shoulder and the other in his clavicle. At about 19:30 hrs, he was struck by a splinter from a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) fired by the terrorists from a nearby location, which pierced through his upper jaw and neck, resulting in his Shahadat.
During this fierce fight, Subedar Jahangir Ahmed fought very bravely and embraced Shahadat along with Naik Muhammad Javed Akhtar, Sepoy Nazir Ahmed, Sepoy Muhammad Nawaz, and Sepoy Ejaz.
ہمارا خون بھی شامل ہے تزین گلستاں میں
ہمیں بھی یاد رکھنا چمن میں جب بہار آئے۔
