Remember the name. On 5 July 1999, at a height of 17,000 feet in Kargil, Capt Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed stood between the enemy and his country, and he did not step back. He was a Nishan-e-Haider, the highest military honour of Pakistan, and his story still makes the nation stand a little taller.
Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed, born on 1 January 1970, earned his commission in the Pakistan Army on 14 October 1994. He belonged to the 90th Long Course, ex 27 Sind Regiment and 12 Northern Light Infantry. From the very start, he led from the front, and he displayed courage of the highest order in every field.
Capt Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed: The Symbol of Mettle and Courage
During the Kargil conflict on the Line of Control, Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed emerged as the symbol of mettle and courage. For example, he set personal examples of bravery, and he inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. He defended the five strategic posts which he had established with his jawans at the height of 17,000 feet at Gultary, and he repulsed many Indian attacks.
At the same time, a post at 17,000 feet is not ordinary ground. The air is thin, the cold bites through the uniform, and every movement is a battle of its own. Yet Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed held those heights with his men, and he refused to give them up.
The Day Capt Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed Embraced Shahadat
After many abortive attempts, the Indians on 5 July 1999 ringed the posts of Captain Karnal Sher Khan with the help of two battalions, and they unleashed heavy mortar fire. As a result, they managed to capture some part of one of his posts. Despite facing all odds, he led a counter-attack, and he re-captured the lost parts of his post. But during the course of that counter-attack, machine-gun fire hit him, and he embraced shahadat at the same post.
Later, the nation honoured him with the Nishan-e-Haider, the highest military award for valour. His name now stands among the few who gave everything, and his courage is taught to young officers as an example of what leading from the front truly means.
The Original Tribute
The tribute posted in his honour reads as follows:
Remember the Name – Capt Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed. 90 Long Course ex 27 Sind Regiment / 12 Northern Light Infantry. Nishan-e-Haider.
Led from the front and displayed courage of the highest order in every field.
He was born on 1 January 1970. He was commissioned in the Army on 14 October 1994. Captain Karnal Sher Khan emerged as the symbol of mettle and courage during the Kargil conflict on the Line of Control. He set personal examples of bravery and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. 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.
After many abortive attempts, the Indians on 5 July 1999 ringed the posts of Captain Karnal Sher Khan with the help of two battalions and unleashed heavy mortar fire and managed to capture some part of one of his posts. Despite facing all odds, he led a counter-attack and re-captured the lost parts of his post. But during the course, he was hit by the machine-gun fire and embraced shahadat at the same post.
His Sacrifice, Our Future
The soldiers who guard this country stand day and night like a wall before the nation. They take the enemy’s bullet on their own chests so that it never reaches the people behind them. Their sacrifices guarantee the bright future the rest of us walk into every morning.
Above all, remember this: he was brave, he was ours, and his name must never fade. Will you keep his memory alive? Share his story, and tell the next generation who Captain Karnal Sher Khan was. Pakistan will never forget him.
Read also: Lt Tariq Niaz Shaheed: A Life Cut Short on Duty and Sepoy Taseer Ahmed Shaheed: Son of Talagang.
