Nishan-e-Haider - Pakistan's
Highest Military Award for Bravery
We salute the Soldiers of Pakistan Army who fought and gave their lives for our
great country, Pakistan. The Highest Military Award of Pakistan Has Been Awarded
to Shaheed Soldiers Who Have Shown Bravery And Courage in Times Of War & Border
Battles (1948, 1956, 1965, 1971, 1999)
There are 10 recipients of Nishan-e-Haider.
1. Captain Muhammad Sarwar
2. Major Tufail Muhammad
3. Major Raja Aziz Bhatti
4. Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas
5. Jawan Sowar Muhammad Hussain
6. Major Mohammad Karma
7. Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfooz
8. Major Shabbir Sharif
9. Captain Karnal Sher Khan
10. Havaldaar Lalak Jan
Captain Muhammad Sarwer Shaheed
Captain Muhammad Sarwer Shaheed Born 1910, Village Sanghori
Commissioned into the Punjab Regiment, 1944.
During the Kashmir Operations soon after the birth of Pakistan, as Company
Commander in 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 27 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
automatic fire. He was 38 years old.
Major Tufail Muhammad Shaheed
Major Muhammad Tufail Shaheed Major Tufail Muhammad Shaheed
Born 1914 in Hoshiarpur.
Commissioned into the 16th Punjab Regiment, 1943.
Early in August, 1958, Major Tufail, a Company Commander in the East Pakistan
Rifles, and his patrol encircled an Indian post 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 7 August 1958 at the age of 44
Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed
Born 1928 in Hong Kong.
Commissioned into the Punjab Regiment, 1950.
On 6 September 1965, as Company Commander in the Burki area of the Lahore
sector, Major Bhatti chose to move with his forward platton under incessant
artillery and tank attacks for five days and nights in the defence of the
strategic BRB canal.
Throughout, undaunted by constant fire from enemy shell 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 10
September 1965. He was 37 years old.
Pilot Office Rashid Minhas Shaheed
Pilot Office Rashid Minhas Shaheed Born 17 February 1951
Ccommissioned as a pilot in the Pakistan Air Force.
Pilot Officer Minhas was taxiing for take-off on a routine traning 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 but was unable to
do so.
Knowing that it meant certin death, he damaged tha controls and forced the
aircraft to crash thirty two miles short of the border on 20 August 1971. He
died at the age of 20.
Jawan Sawar Muhammad Hussain Shaheed
Jawan Sowar Muhammad Hussain Shaheed Born 18th June 1949 in Dhok Pir Baksh (now
Dhok Mohammad Husain Janjua).
Enlisted as a driver on 3 September 1966.
Although only a driver in the 20th Lancers, when war broke out in 1971, Sowar
Mohammad Hussein 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 enemy tanks.
But while directing fire from recoilless rifles, he was hit in the chest by a
burst of machine-gun fire and died on 10 December 1971 at the age of 22.
Major Muhammad Akram Shaheed
Major Muhammad Akram Shaheed Born 4 April 1938 in Dingha, Gujrat District.
Commissioned in the Frontier Force Regiment on 13 October 1963.
Major Mohammad Akram and a company of 4 FF Regiment which he commanded in the
forward area in Hilli district, in East Pakistan in 1971, came under incessant
air, artillery and armour attacks.
But for an entire fortnight, despite enemy superiority in both numbers and fire
power, he and his men repulsed every attack, inflicting heavy casualties on the
enemy.
Major Akram died during this epic battle in 1971 at the age of 33.
Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfooz Shaheed
Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfooz Shaheed Born 25 October 1944 in Pind Malikan (now
Mahfuzabad), Rawalpindi district.
Enlisted in the Army on 25 October 1962.
Serving in 'A' Company of 15 Punjab Regiment when war broke out in 1971, Lance
Naik Mohammad Mahfuz was deployed on the Wagha-Attari Sector in East Pakistan
where his company was pinned down by unceasing frontal and crossfire 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, he caught hold of one enemy was slowly strangling him when
another bayoneted him to death during the night on 17 December 1971. He was 27
years old.
Major Shabbir Sharif Shaheed
Major Shabbir Sharif Shaheed Born 28 April 1943 in Kunjah, Gujrat District.
Commissioned into the Frontier Force Regiment on 19 April 1964.
Major Shabbir Shariff as commander of a company of 6 FF Regiment, was ordered in
December 1971 to capture high ground near Sulemanki than a company of the Assam
Regiment supported by a squardon of tanks.
In a wellnigh superhuman 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 was killed
by a direct hit in the afternoon of 6 December. He was 28 years old.
Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed
Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed Enlisted: 1990, Second Lt.
Captain Karnal Sher 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.
Havaldaar Lalak Jan Shaheed
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.