Line of fire: Soldier killed in LoC firing buried

Captain Taimoor Khan’s funeral was attended by senior civil and military officials

GILGIT: Captain Taimoor Ali Khan, who was one of three Pakistani soldiers killed on Tuesday in the unprovoked firing by Indian troops on the Line of Control (LoC), was laid to rest in Gilgit on Thursday.

The 26-year-old captain was from Doyan, a village in the scenic Astore valley. His 92-year-old grandfather, Amanullah, was a hero of Gilgit-Baltistan’s war of liberation. The captain was from the 123 PMA Long Course which was completed in April 2011. His battalion/unit was the 8 NLI (Northern Light infantry).

Force Commander Northern Areas (FCNA) Major General Saqib Mehmood, G-B Governor Ghazanfar Ali, Chief Minister Hafeezur Rehman as well as other senior military and civil officials attended the funeral. He was laid to rest with full military honour.

“Taimoor was among my best friends,” said Hassan Abdur Rehman, a resident of Harcho village of Astore. “He was an extraordinarily brave person and would often tell us about unprovoked firing by Indian forces,” Rehman told The Express Tribune soon after the burial. The captain had two brothers and three sisters.

The young officer recently got engaged and was all set to tie the knot.

Rehman, who studied with Captain Taimoor at Public School, Jutial till Grade 12, says his time spent with the young captain was unforgettable. “There are so many things that will always keep him alive in our memory.”

Another relative said Taimoor was a great student and a courageous youngster who decided to join the army. “We are proud of our son who sacrificed his life for the country.”

Besides Captain Taimoor, Hawaldar Mushtaq and Lance Naik Ghulam Hussain were among those who became victims of Indian shelling in the Kotli sector on the Line of Control. Naik Ghulam Hussain belonged to Ghanche district of Baltistan. According to ISPR, seven Indian soldiers were confirmed dead in retaliatory fire.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 25^th, 2016.