RAWALPINDI: The 52nd martyrdom anniversary of Major Shabbir Sharif Shaheed, Nishan-e-Haider (NH) is being observed on Wednesday (today).
On the afternoon of 6 December, the enemy launched an offensive preceded by air strikes and heavy artillery shelling. After casualties among the crew, he took over as a gunner on an anti-tank gun and started firing on the enemy tanks. While this fight was on, one of the enemy tanks fired at him thus killing him.
Major Shabbir Shaheed’s last words were quoted as: “Don’t lose the bridge.” It was the same bridge he died defending from the Indian Army’s attack.
He and his men destroyed four enemy tanks and held two Indian battalions at bay by killing 43 soldiers.
Read more: Major Akram Shaheed paid tribute on martyrdom anniversary: ISPR
Major Shabbir Shaheed was posthumously awarded the Nishan-e-Haider during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
Major Shabbir Sharif was born on 28 April 1943 in Kunjah, Gujrat District.
He was commissioned into the Frontier Force Regiment on 19 April 1964. He embraced martyrdom by a direct hit in the afternoon of 6 December 1971.