Pakistan Army and the nation Saturday paid tributes to brave Major Tufail Shaheed (Nishan-e-Haider) on his 52nd anniversary, a private news channel reported. Major Tufail was an honest and brave soldier who always strived to defend his motherland at all costs.
When the time came to test his determination and devotion, he presented his life to defend his beloved country and proved that integrity and honour is more important than life for every true and patriotic soldier. Major Tufail was born in Hoshiarpur in 1914 and commissioned in the 16 Punjab Regiment in 1943. After a distinguished career, which included several instructional and command appointments in his own battalion and in the Civil Armed Forces, he was posted to East Pakistan Rifles in 1958 as Company Commander.
In August that year, Indian troops captured a village in East Pakistan. Major Tufail divided his men in three groups and it was decided that they would launch an assault during the dark hours of August 7th. When the Major's group was about 15 yards away from the enemy, it came under heavy fire and three bullets entered the major's stomach. Despite his injury, he kept moving forward and silenced the machine gun with a grenade.
When another enemy soldier opened fire with a machine gun killing Major Tufail's second in command, he silenced that gun too, with a well aimed grenade. During the hand-to-hand combat that followed, he noticed the commander of the Indian post moving silently to attack one of his men. Though fatally wounded, Major Tufail crawled towards the enemy commander. He stretched out one of his legs and as the enemy stumbled, he hit him in the face with his steel helmet, saving his troop.
Major Tufail continued directing the operation until the enemy was driven out, leaving behind four dead and three prisoners. Due to loss of blood, the major fell to the ground and then got up and said to his officer, "I have completed my duty, the enemy is on the run."