ISLAMABAD – Nishan-e-Haider, literally meaning “Mark of the Lion” isPakistan’s highest military gallantry award. The supreme military awardbestow to those only who while displaying a great gallantry, heroism andzeal lay their lives for their motherland.
The prestigious reward was given the name ‘Nishan-e-Haider’ (The Badge ofHaider) in 1957 in reference with the epithet ‘Haider’ of the bravest amongbravest and the fountain of valor and the courage Hazrat Ali A.S. who isalso known as Asadullah – ‘The Lion of Allah’ and Yadullah – ‘The Hand ofAllah’.
The Nishan-e-Haider can only be awarded to members of the Pakistan ArmedForces for the highest acts of extraordinary gallantry against the enemy inair, land or sea.
Nishan-e-Haider is forged from captured enemy equipment and consists of 88%copper, 10% tin and 2% zinc. Studded with the five cornered star andgarland with the green ribbon, the supreme award of Pakistan is theultimate desire of brave men of the Pak armed forces.
Its exclusivity can be gauged by the fact that, since Pakistan sindependence in 1947, Pakistan s highest award that takes precedence overall military and civil awards, he has been awarded to the ten recipients todate; nine have been from the Army and one from the Air Force.
*Captain Raja Muhammad Sarwar*
Date of martyrdom: 27 July 1948Battle: Indo-Pakistani War of 1947Regiment: 2/1 Punjab Regiment
In July 1948 with war in Kashmir with India, Captain Sarwar launched anattack causing heavy casualties against a strongly fortified enemy positionin the Uri Sector under heavy machine gun, grenade and mortar fire. On 27thJuly 1948, he volunteered to cut the enemy’s barbed wire barrier to paveway for the move forward of his follow up comrades. However, while doing sohe received a direct burst of enemy’s heavy machine gun fire, and embracedshahadat at the spot.
*Major Tufail Mohammad*
Date of martyrdom: 7 August 1958Battle: Indo-Pak Border skirmish 1958Regiment: 16th Punjab Regiment Border Guards East Pakistan Rifles
During 1958, with border skirmishes with India in East Pakistan, MajorTufail Muhammad was commanding a company of the East Pakistan Rifles nearthe town of Lakshmipur. The company encircled an illegal Indian post, whichwas erected by the Indians in violation of the internationally recognizedboundary between the two countries. During the enemy action, Major Tufailwas mortally wounded, but did not stop fighting even at close quarters. Inthe hand-to-hand encounter that followed, Major Tufail continued to leadhis troops till the Indians were driven out, leaving four dead and threeprisoners. However, Major Tufail himself succumbed to his wounds andembraced Shahadat on the 7th August 1958.
*Major Raja Aziz Bhatti*
Date of martyrdom: 10 September 1965Battle: Indo-Pakistani War of 1965Regiment: 17 Punjab Regiment
During the 1965 Indo-Pak war, he was commanding a company in general areaBurki of the Lahore Sector. Major Bhatti’s defences on the famous BRB(Banmban Wali Ravian Bedian) Link Canal was subjected to heavy Indianrepeated attacks coupled with incessant artillery and tank fire for fivedays and nights. But Major Bhatti and his men stood like a rock. On 10September 1965, while he was directing the artillery fire, he was hit by anenemy tank shell and embraced Shahadat.
*Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas*
Date of martyrdom: 20 August 1971Battle: Indo-Pakistani War of 1971Regiment: No. 2 Fighter Conversion Unit
On 20 August 1971, while he was taxiing his aircraft towards to runway, aBengali dissident Instructor Pilot (IP) forced his way into the rearcockpit of the two-seat jet trainer and in the process hurt Rashid Minhas.The IP seized control of the aircraft and headed toward India. When Minhasregained consciousness, he realized that the absconding pilot was headingtowards India, so he tried to regain control of the plane. But beinginjured, he was not able to take power on the controls, so he forced theaircraft to crash some thirty two miles short of the border. By losaing hisown life, he not only saved the aircraft from getting in to the hands ofthe Indians, but also jeopardized the malafide intentions of his IP. FirstPAF officer to recieve Nishan-e-Haider.
*Major Muhammad Akram*
Date of martyrdom: 5 December 1971Battle: Indo-Pakistani War of 1971Regiment: 4 Frontier Force Regiment
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During 1971 Indo – Pak war, Major Akram was commanding a rifle company ofthe 4th FF Regiment in the forward localities of the Hilli district. Theposition held by Major Akram and his company was very vital and had blockedenemy’s route of advance. Therefore it came under continuous and heavy air,artillery and tank attacks. But for almost two weeks, despite enemysuperiority in both numbers and fire power, Major Akram and his menremained entrenched and repulsed every attack, inflicting heavy casualtieson the enemy. The Indians many a time asked him to surrender but MajorAkram refused. Finally, overpowered and fatigued, Major Akram embracedShahadat fighting at close quarter battle in the famous “Battle of Hilli”.
*Major Shabbir Sharif*
Date of martyrdom: 6 December 1971Battle: Indo-Pakistani War of 1971Regiment: 6 Frontier Force Regiment
In December 1971, Major Shabir’s 6 FF Regiment was ordered to capture highground near Sulemanki Headwork defended by more than a company of theIndian Assam Regiment supported by a squadron of tanks. After crossing aminefield, massive obstacles, killing forty three soldiers and destroyingfour tanks, Major Sharif and his men held two enemy battalions at bay fordays. However, on 6 december, the Indians mounted a fierce attack supportedby tanks. Assessing the situation to be critical and not taking any chanceswith the enemy, Major Shabbir himself took over an anti-tank gun from hisgunner and fired on the enemy tanks. While doing so, the enemy tank firedits main gun on Major Shabir’s location, killing him in the afternoon of6th December.
*Muhammad Hussain Janjua*
Date of martyrdom: 10 December 1971Battle: Indo-Pakistani War of 1971Regiment: 20 Lancers (Armoured Corps)
Hussain was always eager to perform jobs that were not normally meant fordrivers and was always in fore fronts to help the others. During the 1971war, he spotted the enemy digging along a minefield near the village ofHarar Khurd. Daring as he was, on his own initiative he called and directedaccurate fire at the enemy resulting in the destruction of sixteen of theirtanks. However, while he was still directing fire from a recoil-lessrifles, he was hit in the chest by a burst of machine gun fire and embracedShahadat on 10th December 1971.
*Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz*
Date of martyrdom: 17 December 1971Battle: Indo-Pakistani War of 1971Regiment: 15 Punjab Regiment
In 1971 Indo Pak war, he was serving in the ‘A’ Company and his unit wasdeployed on the Wagah-Attari Sector near Lahore. The enemy advancingelements pinned down his company positions by unceasing frontal and crossfire from automatic weapons. In the process, his machine gun was destroyedby an enemy shell, but it did not dishearten the spirited Lance Naik, whoadvanced bare handed towards an enemy bunker whose automatic fire hadinflicted heavy casualties. Even though wounded in both legs by shellsplinters, when he reached the bunker he stood up and pounced on the enemy,but was hit. Although unarmed and amidst the enemy, he got hold of one ofthe enemy and was strangling him when another bayoneted him to death duringthe night of 17th December 1971.
*Captain Karnal Sher Khan*
Date of martyrdom: 5 July 1999Battle: Kargil WarRegiment: 27 Sindh Regiment/12 Northern Light Infantry
Captain Karnal Sher Khan rose to the heights of glory when he emerged asthe symbol of mettle and courage during the Kargil conflict on the Line ofControl. He set personal examples of bravery and inflicted heavy losses onthe enemy. He defended the five strategic posts, which he established withhis jawans at the height of some 17,000 feet at Gultari, and repulsed manyIndian attacks. After many abortive attempts, on July 5 1998, enemy’s twobattalion ringed the post of Kernal Sher Khan with the help and unleashedheavy mortar firing and managed to capture some part of the post. Despitefacing 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 embracedShahadat at the same post
*Havaldar Lalak Jan*
Date of martyrdom: 7 July 1999Battle: Kargil WarRegiment: 12 Northern Light Infantry
Although an appointment holder, whose task is to look after his men andprovide administrative support, Havildar Lalak Jan volunteered himself tobe deployed on the front positions located at the jagged peak in May 1999.Havildar Lalak Jan repulsed many aggressive ventures and imposed colossallosses on the enemy. On July 7, Havildar Lalak Jan sustained seriousinjuries as enemy pounded the area with heavy mortar fire. But despitebeing injured, he retained his position and frustrated the Indian assault.He, however, succumbed to his injuries at the same post he was defending.
