Wednesday, July 01, 2009
On the afternoon of June 13, I left Islamabad for the village of Maghal in Chakwal district's Tehsil Choa Saidan Shah -- about 35 kilometres from the Kallar Kahar motorway exit. As the vehicle approached the Maghal village I could feel a sense of festivity. I noticed people dressed nicely, walking towards the house of Subedar (r) Malik Sahib Khan Awan. There is hardly any house in Maghal and the surrounding villages from where someone hasn't served in the armed forces of Pakistan. The local residents had gathered to receive the body of Lieutenant Malik Faiz Sultan Awan Shaheed, son of Subedar Khan Awan, a proud son of the soil who laid down his life and embraced shahadat in the line of duty while fighting terrorists from their well-defended position at the top of Zaray Sir in Mohmand Agency on June 11.
His father was present among a huge gathering receiving and greeting guests pouring in from all over the places. The moment I came across Subedar Sahib Khan he greeted me with a glitter in his eyes and said: "Sir, thank God that Allah has accepted our sacrifice, I am really proud of my son. He received twenty-two bullets in his chest and none in his back". His statement left me stunned for a while but I could now understand the reason of festivity and pride that I noticed among all the proud villagers.
Lieutenant Awan Shaheed was born on Sept 3, 1985. He was the eldest among five brothers and sisters and received his early education from F G Public School, Kharian, and later from Military College, Jhelum. He joined the PMA in 2005 and passed out with flying colours in April 2007. He was commissioned in the elite Bawanja battalion of the Piffer Regiment which is one of the finest infantry battalions of the Pakistan army. He knew very well about the fate of the hazardous operation and he knew that he might have to lay down his life while accomplishing the insurmountable task in the difficult terrain. He left a note in his diary and a telephone message to his mother: "I left home in khaki and will come back in sabz hilali -- I have lost nothing but got everything that I desired". Faiz had packed his backpack with eight additional magazines of ammunition and six hand grenades. He led his men with exemplary courage, eliminating more than 30 battle-hardened and well-trained terrorists before a volley of bullets, including one from a 12.7 calibre heavy machinegun, hit his chest. Faiz embraced shahadat on the spot.
May Allah rest his soul in eternal abode and grant strength to his family members and friends to withstand his untimely departure from this mortal world. Faiz, we are proud of you and we salute your sacrifice and dedication and promise you that we will not let the enemies of your and our motherland succeed in achieving their sinister designs. Long live the martyrs of the Operation Rah-e-Haq.
Major (r) Aamir Bilal
The Frontier Force Regiment,
Islamabad
Link Click The News
