75th Birthday of Great Solider, Nishan-e-Haider and Sitara-e-Jurat, Major Shabir Shaheed is being celebrated today. He is the only person ever who received both the Nishan-e-Haider and Sitara-e-Jurat for his bravery.
Sharif was born on 28 April 1943, he attended St. Anthony’s High School, Lahore. While at Government College Lahore, he received a call to join Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Kakul.
In 1971 Indo-Pak War, he was posted to the 6th Battalion of the Frontier Force Regiment. In the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, the Pakistan Army launched an offensive on the Western front against the enemy. Sharif, as commander of a company of 6 Frontier Force Regiment, was ordered to capture high ground overlooking Grumukhi Khera and Beri, a village in the Sulemanki Sector.On 3rd December, his troops repelled over 15 Indian attempts to recapture the high ground. He and his men destroyed four enemy tanks and held two Indian battalions at bay by killing 43 soldiers.
During an attack on the night of 5 December, he jumped out of his trench on the call of an Indian Company Commander who dared him for a hand-to-hand combat.
He soon snatched the sten gun out of the Indian major’s hand and mortally wounded him. The act demoralized the Indian troops allowing his men to consolidate their hard earned gains in the captured area.On the afternoon of 6 December, the enemy launched another counterattack preceded by air strikes and heavy artillery shelling. After casualties amongst the crew, he took over as a gunner on an anti-tank gun and started firing on the enemy tanks. While this fight was on, one of the enemy tanks fired at him thus killing him.
His last words were quoted as: “Don’t lose the bridge.” It was the same bridge he died defending from the enemy’s attack.
He was only 28 when he was martyred, he was laid to rest in Miani Sahb lahore.
