Their sacrifice, our legacy: The stories of Pakistan’s defenders behind Defence & Martyrs Day
PESHAWAR (APP): From the rugged mountains along Pakistan’s western frontier to the snow-covered heights of Siachen and the lofty positions along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, the defenders of Pakistan have written chapters of courage, sacrifice and devotion that continue to inspire generations.
Whether confronting conventional threats during wartime or taking part in intelligence-based operations against terrorism, Pakistan’s armed forces have remained at the forefront of the country’s defence, confronting formidable challenges under some of the most difficult conditions imaginable.
From the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) bordering Afghanistan to the high-altitude battlefields of Kashmir, Pakistani soldiers have guarded the country’s territorial integrity, often at the cost of their own lives and left great examples of gallantry for others.
September 6, celebrated as Defence and Martyrs’ Day, provides an opportunity to remember those brave soldiers of Pakistan who made the ultimate sacrifice for the motherland and to reflect on the legacy they left behind.
Across Pakistan, from Karachi to Peshawar and from Gilgit-Baltistan to Gwadar, the nation pays tribute to its martyrs and heroes, including Captain Muhammad Sarwar Shaheed (NH), Major Muhammad Tufail Shaheed (NH), Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas Shaheed (NH), Major Aziz Bhatti Shaheed (NH), Havaldar Lalak Jan Shaheed (NH) and Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed (NH), along with countless other soldiers whose names may not be as widely known but whose sacrifices remain an integral part of the country’s history.
Among these courageous defenders was Captain Muhammad Iqbal Khan Shaheed (Hilal-e-Jurat), who embraced martyrdom on September 25, 1987, in one of the most inhospitable battle environments at Siachen Glacier.
“Captain Iqbal Shaheed was a warrior who refused to fear death,” said Brigadier Retd Mehmood Shah while talking to APP.
“He lived for Pakistan and laid down life for it,” he said. Only 27 years old and unmarried, Captain Iqbal had already developed a profound understanding of duty, sacrifice and mortality.
Just two months before his martyrdom, he told his friends and relatives: “Death is inevitable. One can die in a road accident or endure the last agonizing moments on a charpoy (bed), but I want to face death and look it in the eye like a true warrior.”
Those words, remembered by his family and friends, offer a glimpse into the mindset of a young officer who had consciously accepted the risks associated with his profession.
Born on November 15, 1960, at Pashtoon Garhi in Nowshera district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, at the residence of Haji Mir Ahmad Khan, Captain Iqbal was commissioned into the Pakistan Army’s Army Service Corps (ASC) in 1982.
His military career took him to some of the most challenging terrain in the world. At Siachen, at an altitude exceeding 21,000 feet above sea level, he faced not only the enemy forces but also freezing temperatures, thin air, treacherous terrain and the constant danger posed by the unforgiving environment.
“For a soldier deployed there, the battlefield was not limited to the enemy across the line. Nature itself presented an equally formidable challenge. Captain Iqbal confronted both with strong determination,” Brigadier Mahmood said.
His gallantry and steadfastness during operations earned him the Hilal-e-Jurat, the second Pakistan’s highest military awards, which was conferred upon him posthumously.
Captain Iqbal’s legacy, according to his family, extended well beyond the battlefield. His younger brother, Shams Khan, recalled a man whose character was shaped by kindness, compassion and respect for others.
“He was pious and a man of excellent moral values,” Shams recalled. “Whenever he came home, he would hug Shabbar, our servant, without any regard for his attire or financial status. To him, every person was equal and highly respected.”
For his family, this simple act said much about the man behind the uniform.
The gallant officer who was prepared to confront an enemy at one of the world’s highest battlefields was equally committed to treating ordinary people with dignity.
That combination of courage and humility remains one of the most enduring aspects of his memory.
Perhaps the most remarkable insight into Captain Iqbal’s personality comes from the will he wrote only two months before his martyrdom.
He handed the document to his childhood friend, Ghayasuddin, with instructions that it should not be disclosed until after his shahadat.
Written in simple but deeply reflective words, the will dealt not with possessions or personal comforts but with responsibilities he wished to settle and principles he wanted his family to follow after his death.
He acknowledged that he owed 16 days of fasting and mentioned a bank loan of Rs. 900 borrowed from a fund reserved for science students. He directed that the amount be repaid, providing details available at the administration block of Peshawar University.
He requested that his grave remain unplastered and as modest as Islamic law permitted. He asked that no flowers or elaborate ceremonial items be placed on his grave and discouraged extravagant gatherings and rituals.
Instead, he urged his family to use any money received after his death for practical and lasting public benefit such as paving a street, constructing a drain or contributing towards a mosque. For him, such acts represented a form of continuing charity.
Captain Iqbal also directed that if the amount received from the government after his death exceeded Rs. 50,000, Rs. 40,000 should be distributed among the poor.
His final wishes were not about how people should remember him through ceremony, but how they could honour his memory through prayer, charity and service to others.
He requested his family and friends to recite Darood Sharif frequently and pray for his soul.
In his final letter to Ghayasuddin, written on August 23, 1987, Captain Iqbal sought prayers for his health, courage to serve Islam and the strength to face death with dignity whether he returned as a victorious Ghazi or achieved the status of a martyr.
It was a remarkable expression of composure from a young officer serving thousands of feet above sea level in an environment where every movement carried risk.
For those who knew him, his words were not an expression of recklessness but of a deeply rooted sense of duty.
His brother remembers him as a “true Momin” for whom death was not a fearful end but an honourable passage.
Captain Iqbal ultimately embraced martyrdom after coming under artillery fire at Siachen. His body could not be immediately recovered and remained in the glacier for several months before it was eventually retrieved.
He was later brought back to his native Pashtoon Garhi and laid to rest with full military honours.
Today, his grave offers a quiet reflection of the values he expressed in his will.
Visitors travelling through Pashtoon Garhi towards Nowshera can see the resting place of the brave officer who once stood guard in one of the world’s highest battle zones.
There are no elaborate displays or extravagant ceremonies at his grave.
Instead, visitors offer Fateha and remember a soldier whose life was defined by duty and whose final wishes emphasised simplicity, prayer and service to humanity.
The stories of Pakistan’s martyrs are not confined to dates, military operations or awards. Behind every name is a family, a childhood, friendships, aspirations and a life interrupted by the call of duty.
Defence and martyrs’ day therefore serves not merely as a day of remembrance but as a reminder of the human cost of defending a country.
Captain Iqbal’s story is one among many.
The names of highly decorated heroes are remembered in textbooks, memorials and national ceremonies, while countless others remain known primarily to their families, comrades and communities.
Yet each sacrifice forms part of the same national story. From the battlefields of 1948, 1965, 1971 and 1999 to the prolonged struggle against terrorism, Pakistan’s security personnel have faced extraordinary circumstances in the line of duty.
Their stories demonstrated that the defence of a country is ultimately carried out by individuals, young men and women who leave behind families and personal dreams to fulfil a larger responsibility.
Captain Muhammad Iqbal Khan’s life and death capture that spirit in a particularly poignant way.
He entered the Army as a young officer, served in one of the harshest environments on earth, confronted danger with courage and left behind a will that reflected compassion, humility and faith.
Decades after his martyrdom, his grave remains modest, just as he wished.
But the legacy of his sacrifice is anything but modest.
For a nation, remembrance is more than placing wreaths or observing ceremonies. It is about preserving the values for which its defenders gave their lives—courage in adversity, loyalty to duty, compassion for others and an unwavering commitment to the country.
As defence and martyrs’ Day is observed today, the nation once again remembers its fallen heroes. Their graves may be silent, but their sacrifices continue to speak.
Their lives ended on the battlefield, but their legacy lives on in the freedom, security and collective memory of the nation they chose to defend.
