The grave of Sawar Muhammad Hussain Shaheed, Nishan-e-Haider in Dhok Sawar Muhammad Hussain near Mandra, Punjab, Pakistan. Sawar Muhammad Hussain has the distinction of being the first (and only) Sepoy (the first rank of soldier in Pakistan Army) to be awarded Nishan-e-Haider for his gallantry.

The month was Ramadan and it was a Sunday afternoon at Rawalpindi. In Officers’ Mess, we two were dozing off the afternoon effects of Ramadan fast. We had Sawar Muhammad Hussain in mind but no clue as to the whereabouts of his resting place, less the reference of Gujar Khan. Something urged us out (what was that I don’t know), the Third One joined from Chaklala Garrison (the sole reason for adding on the company was that the Third One had a good resolution camera) and we were on road. Catching the trail from a seasoned Patwari from Gujar Khan, following the remote routes into the rural heart of Potohar, refuelling our car from an unorthodox gas station with quite an unorthodox filling mechanism, we eventually knocked at the doorsteps of Sawar Muhammad Hussain Shaheed around Iftar. What followed the Fateha at the tomb was yet another unorthodox Iftar sitting on the roadside. It was some soul searching, had some memories to linger on and it officially added the Third One in the group. Welcome to the party…. “KABOOM KABOOM!!!, TIGER TIGER!!!”

Sawar Muhammad Hussain Shaheed - Battle Account Muhammad Hussain was born in Dhok Pir Bakhsh, Rawalpindi on 18 January, 1929. He was recruited in Pakistan Army on September 3, 1966, trained as a driver in the Armoured Corps and got posted to 20 Lancers as Sawar (a rank equivalent of Sepoy in Armoured Corps). During 1971 India Pakistan War, 20 Lancers was engaged on the (then) West Pakistan front in the area of Zafarwal-Shakargarh. Though a driver by military trade, Sawar Muhammad Hussain never missed an opportunity of taking over an automatic and returning fire on the enemy, on occasions risking his life. 5 December 1971 was spent by him in transporting the ammunition to the forward troops in the heat of the battle. On 8 and 9 December, he voluntarily joined four different Fighting Patrols on some challenging and risky tasks. On 10 December 1971, Sawar Muhammad Hussain was the first one to spot enemy digging on the parameter minefield near Village “Harar Khurd” and informed the Second in Command of his regiment about the situation. He then took initiative and became the front man in guiding the fire of the available anti-tank guns. This swift action resulted in destruction of 16 enemy tanks. On same day, around 4:00 PM, when Sawar Muhammad Hussain was directing the fire of one of his detachment’s Jeep Mounted Recoilless Rifle, he was hit by an enemy tank’s machine gun fire in his chest and embraced shahadat at the battlefield. Due to his unmatched valour and total disregard to personal safety right under the nose of enemy, he was posthumously awarded “Nishan-e-Haider”, the highest gallantry award of Pakistan Armed Forces. Sawar Muhammad Hussain Shaheed’s native village, Dhok Pir Bakhsh was renamed “Dhok Sawar Muhammad Hussain” after him.

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