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Friday, December 06, 2013
December 6 – anniversary of Major Shabbir Sharif’s martyrdom
In 1971, during the Indo-Pak war, Pakistan Army decided to launch an offensive on the Western front against the enemy. Major Shabbir Sharif, as commander of a company of 6 Frontier Force Regiment, was ordered to capture high ground overlooking Gumukhi Khera and village Beri at Sulemanki Sector. The objective was defended by more than a company of the Assam Regiment supported by a squadron of tanks. On December 3, 1971 in a well organised superhuman action, he and his men fought valiantly and held two Indian battalions at bay by killing 43 soldiers and destroying four enemy tanks. Major Shabbir Sharif cleared the Jhangar post with utmost courage by fearlessly passing through the minefield laid by enemy and swimming across the 100 feet wide and 18 feet deep canal ‘Sabuna distributary’, under heavy enemy fire and led his company on high bund. On the bund, hand to hand fighting ensued and he succeed in clearing the enemy from their fortified trenches. The enemy launched several counter attacks to take back their position but he proudly stood the ground and repulsed all attacks and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. On the night between December 5 and 6, he repulsed nearly 15 counter attacks and during one of the attacks Major Shabbir Sharif jumped out of his trench, got hold of Indian Company Commander Major Narain Singh of 4 Jat Regiment and killed him single-handedly in a hand-to-hand fight. Valuable information was obtained from the documents recovered from the pockets of the Indian major. On the afternoon of December 6, 1971, enemy launched yet another counter attack preceded by air strike and heavy artillery shelling; Major Shabbir Sharif took over the duty of the gunner from his crew and started firing on the enemy tanks. While this fight was on, one of the enemy tanks fired which proved fatal and resulted into Shahadat of Major Shabbir Sharif. Thus Pakistan Army lost one of its outstanding young officers who fondly came to be known as ‘Superman’ by his colleagues and superiors alike.
He was posthumously awarded ‘Nishan-e-Haider’. He is the only person who has been awarded both highest gallantry awards – Sitara-e-Jurat (1965 war) and Nishan-e-Haider (1971 war) – which makes him the highest decorated soldier of Pakistan armed forces.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk