Singer and actor Hadiqa Kiani marked Pakistan’s annual Defense Day on Sep. 6 with a tribute to her late paternal uncle Major Masood Akhtar Kiani who was martyred during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war.
Kiani shared the story of her uncle’s sacrifice on Instagram late on Monday, with a picture of the valiant man alongside the caption: “The story of my paternal uncle, Major Masood Akhtar Kiani. A fighter, a hero, a martyr for our country.”
She also shared a screenshot from the Instagram account Military Chronicles (@milchronicles47 on Instagram) with details about Major Masood Akhtar Kiani who served as a part of the OC ‘B’ Squadron of the 19ᵗʰ Lancers during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
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He was mortally wounded by an Indian Air Force strike and subsequently martyred in Sep. 1965 at Chawinda during what is remembered as the biggest tank battle in history after the Battle of Kursk during the Second World War.
“As enemy air strike began, he (Major Kiani) came out of his tank and engaged enemy aircraft with tank’s machine gun. The Indian aircraft fired a rocket at Kiani’s tank. The tank caught fire and Kiani sustained serious burns and was evacuated to Kharian burn centre,” the Military Chronicles post shared.
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Major Kiani was posthumously awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat for leading his troops from the front and engaging the enemy head-on.
Hadiqa Kiani not only presented her tribute to her paternal uncle but also to all those who fight for the country. “I salute all men and women who have fought for our country, our prayers are always with you,” she concluded in her post.
