A week ago, on Defence Day, when the nation was celebrating the armed forces, Lal Rehman was sitting in his hujra receiving condolences on the death of his son, a young captain in the Pakistan Army.
But Rehman was not looking inconsolable; his sorrow was mitigated by his son’s death at the Line of Control in Keller Sector of Bagh, Azad Kashmir. Himself a veteran of the wars in 1965 and 1971, Rehman told The Express Tribune, “I am happy to be the father of a martyr, someone who died guarding his motherland.”
His son Capt Dr Fazal Wadood had died at midnight on September 3 in a landslide which resulted in the deaths of two other soldiers.
To die for your country
There’s a certain type of person who wants to lay their life in the service of their country. Some become soldiers to ensure a steady pay check, even in retirement. Others are forced to follow in their father or mother’s footsteps. And then there are those who want to defend the nation; love for one’s nation takes various manifestations.
Rehman comes from a line of soldiers. “Three of my brothers are in the military and paramilitary while the other three are educationists,” said Rehman. “I was a prisoner of war for three years in 1971 and my younger brother Abdul Ghafoor was injured in battle.”
He says Fazal was inspired by his father and uncles, and decided to join the army in May 2013 after he completed his veterinary degree. As a member of a “family of soldiers”, perhaps Fazal felt like he had to prove something or perhaps he just thought it was his calling but, “He got two appointment letters; one from the government to become a veterinarian and one from the army and Fazal chose the army.”
Fazal’s brother Ameer Hamza works as an assistant director in the livestock and fisheries department told The Express Tribune his brother was the smart one. “When he joined the army as a doctor, he lived more like a soldier—he wanted to fight for his motherland.”
His family proudly showed off Fazal’s picture; dressed in his fatigues, the captain does look more the weapon-wielding fighter than a doctor.
Fazal’s cousin Shah Nawaz Khan was also there at the hujra. “He was not just my cousin but my friend—he was the only one who would play badminton with me as the rest are into cricket.” Fazal was many things for many people, and they were all waiting for his remains to reach from Azad Kashmir where he had died in a landslide caused by heavy rain. He was buried there three days later.
“His junoon took him to the army and then he became a martyr. We’re just happy that he got what he dreamed of,” said Hamza.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 12th, 2014.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ