Daily Times

Captain Colonel Sher Khan, receiver of the highest military gallantry award was remembered on his 19th martyrdom anniversary on Thursday.

While successfully defending five strategic posts at the height of 17,000 feet on the Line of Control (LoC), Captain Col Sher Khan embraced martyrdom on July 5, 1999.

The Indian army had tried to attack the strategic posts of Gultary at Kargil eight times but every time, Col Sher Khan was there to defend the snow hidden peaks. He defended the snowy peaks during Kargil Operation and got his name written in golden words in history. He was awarded Nishan-e-Haider (Emblem of the Lion) posthumously.

Khan’s grandfather also took part in Kashmir Jihad in 1948 and valiantly liberated a large area of Kashmir valley which is now Azad Kashmir.

His grandfather had wished someone from his family would accomplish the liberation of Kashmir. His grandfather gave Khan the title of ‘karnal’ (a localised version of colonel).

Khan was born on January 1, 1970. He was commissioned in the Army on October 14, 1994.

He defended the five strategic posts, which he established with his jawans at the height of 17,000 feet at Gultary and repulsed many Indian attacks.

Published in Daily Times, July 6^th 2018.