He commanded 1 Azad Kashmir Regiment until his very last breath. Colonel Muhammad Islam did not retire from duty. He died in it.
He was an officer of the 92nd Long Course who proudly commanded 1 Azad Kashmir Regiment. On 24 July 2019, he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while performing his duties and embraced shahadat in harness — a soldier who served until the final day of his life.
Seven years later, in 2026, the nation marked his 7th shahadat anniversary. The tributes thank him for his services and promise he will be remembered forever — the pride of the nation, and the pride of the 92nd Long Course.
A Commander to the End
To command a battalion is among the highest responsibilities an officer of the Pakistan Army can hold, and Colonel Muhammad Islam held it with distinction — as the commanding officer of 1 Azad Kashmir Regiment (CO 1AK). On the day he died, he was at his post, faithfully performing the same duties he had carried out for decades. There is a particular honour in a soldier who serves until his very last breath, and Colonel Islam earned it.
A career in the Pakistan Army spans decades of postings, commands, and responsibilities, each one shaping the officer into the leader his men need. Colonel Muhammad Islam’s journey from a young cadet of the 92nd Long Course to the command of 1 Azad Kashmir Regiment was the journey of a professional soldier, built patiently over the years on dedication, competence, and the respect of all who served with him.
The Battalion He Led
The officers and men of 1 Azad Kashmir Regiment, the battalion he commanded, remember a commanding officer who led with fairness and quiet strength. A CO shapes the character of his battalion long after he has moved on, and Colonel Islam’s influence lives on in the officers he mentored and the soldiers he led.
There is a quiet dignity in a soldier who serves until his final day. Colonel Islam did not ease into retirement or step away from duty; he was at his post, performing the responsibilities entrusted to him, when his heart gave out. The Army honours such men especially, for they embody the ideal of service without end, and their example guides the officers who follow.
A commanding officer’s influence is measured not in orders given but in officers shaped. The young lieutenants and captains who served under Colonel Muhammad Islam learned from his example what steady, honourable leadership looks like — and they carry those lessons into their own commands today. In that sense, his service continues: in every officer he mentored, in every standard he set, in the quiet professionalism of the battalion he led.
The Original Tribute
The anniversary tribute posted in his honour reads as follows:
Today is 7th death anniversary of Col Muhammad Islam
On 24July2019, he embraced shahadat due to sudden cardiac arrest while performing his duties.
Pride of Nation
Pride of 92L/C ex CO 1AK
Thank you for your services, you’ll be remembered forever!!!
Remembered With Gratitude
Every year on 24 July, his shahadat anniversary is observed with deep and sincere gratitude. The nation thanks him for a lifetime of service given without reservation — for the decades of command, the long years away from home, and the final day, given faithfully at his post like all the days before it.
There is something profoundly fitting about a commanding officer who dies in command. Colonel Muhammad Islam never laid down his burden; it was lifted from him only when his heart stopped. The men of 1 AK know what that means. They served under a commander who asked of himself everything he asked of them — and then, on the last day, asked no less.
Colonel Muhammad Islam Shaheed gave Pakistan his entire working life and his final day. May Allah grant him the highest place in Jannah and give his family comfort in a legacy of honourable service. We salute him, and all the shuhada of Pakistan, with eternal, abiding, and heartfelt gratitude.
