Pakistan Army pays tribute to Major Tufail on martyrdom anniversary

RAWALPINDI: Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major-General Babar Iftikhar has paid tribute to Major Tufail Mohammad on the anniversary of his martyrdom.

“Tribute to bravery and resilience of Major Tufail Mohammad Shaheed Nishan- E- Haider. Despite being mortally wounded during combat, he completed the mission and embraced martyrdom setting a noble precedence of valour and determination,” said a statement by the ISPR

Tribute to bravery and resilience of Major Tufail Mohammad Shaheed Nishan – E – Haider. Despite being mortally wounded during combat, he completed the mission and embraced martyrdom setting a noble precedence of valour and determination.#OurMartyrsOurHeroes

— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) August 7, 2020

The martyrdom anniversary of legendary soldier of Pakistan Army Major Tufail Muhammad, the second recipient of Nishan-e-Haider, the highest military award, is being observed today.

Major Tufail was born in Hoshiarpur in 1914 and commissioned in the 16th Punjab regiment in 1943. After a distinguished career, which included several instructional and command appointments in his own battalion, and also in the Civil Armed Forces, he was posted to the East Pakistan Rifles in 1958 as a Company Commander.

In August 1958, Indian troops captured a village in East Pakistan. Major Tufail divided his men in three groups and it was decided that they would launch the assault during the dark hours of 7th August.

He encircled an illegal Indian post, which violated the boundary between the two countries in Lakshmipur area. When Major Tufail’s group was about fifteen yards from enemy, they came under heavy fire, but he kept moving forward and silenced the machinegun with a grenade.

Major Tufail was fatally wounded but crawled towards an enemy commander coming to attack his men. Major continued directing the operation until the enemy was driven. He was taken to hospital but later died the next day.