The Hero of Siachin War 1987

“Death is certain, inevitable, undeniable, and inescapable. You must have seen that some die in an accident, some die at a hospital, and some meet death on their deathbed. In short, when the time comes, one must embrace the reality of death. The time, place and cause are pre-determined. Similarly, war may become such a cause, and, in my opinion, there is no better way for a person to go than to fight the enemy and die for his country. It is not death but the way one dies that matters and only a fortunate person goes in such a noble way.”

These lines were addressed by Captain Muhammad Iqbal Khan to his mother in a letter that he sent from Siachin, in 1987. Born on 15^th November 1960 in Pushtoon Garhi village of Nowshera, Iqbal was the eldest of his siblings. He initially wanted to become a doctor, but by the time he passed the FSc in 1978, his objectives had changed to living a life in the service of the country and rendering the ultimate sacrifice for its honour.

Iqbal’s newfound purpose made him join the Pakistan Army by getting a commission as Second Lieutenant in 1982. He began with the Army Service Corps (ASC) and served there until 1986. The same year, he joined the Special Service Group (SSG) after completing its extraordinary and difficult training.

In September 1987, an operation was planned to counter the advancement of Indian troops in Siachin. It was named Operation Qiadat. Captain Iqbal and his team volunteered to join the assault troops. On 25^th September 1987, Captain Iqbal started advancement along with his men toward his target. He destroyed several enemy bunkers but, in the process, he was shot in the leg. With his companions either martyred or seriously wounded, he kept the enemy engaged singlehandedly. As he was about to launch an attack on the final defence of the enemy, he was hit by a burst of bullets in the chest and embraced martyrdom. He was awarded the second-highest military award Hilal-e-Jur’at by the Government of Pakistan.

Recently, I along with my mother (Capt Iqbal’s sister) had the honour to participate in the graceful reunion of his Long Course, 65^th L/C, at PMA. Forty-one years after his passing out from PMA, this was a rather special reunion; and for me who was born after his martyrdom, it was an experience full of great realisations. I haven’t seen him, but I grew up learning about him from my family and his friends. My attachment to him is not merely emotional, but rather a very conscious one. Fully aware of what his life and sacrifice meant, I was particularly interested in learning more about his life at PMA.

His room in PMA, the roads, the grounds and the drill square all provided a reminiscence of where he lived and trained. As we put the wreath at the Martyrs Monument, the Bugle Call, ‘The Last Post’ started playing. I have heard this call several times but this time as I stood still, its solemn sound hit differently. I could imagine how, four decades ago, my uncle trained as a young cadet at PMA, how he fought so bravely in Siachin, and how his sacrifice was so pure and genuine that his name still lives.

Thanks to his coursemate, Major General (retd) Inam Ul Haque, who had so cordially invited us and introduced us to a chapter of his life that we — those of us who didn’t get to see him — couldn’t have otherwise gathered. A chapter that made him the person he was meant to be to achieve the greatness of destiny at the highest battle point in the world and leave a legacy of devotion, courage and selflessness. The 65^th L/C honoured their beloved coursemate by naming the course as Captain Iqbal’s own. Forever Young! Forever Alive!

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18^th, 2023.

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