Ten years have passed, and the motorway near Hazro still holds his memory. On 29 October 2016, Lt Col Shahid Sabir Shaheed embraced shahadat in a tragic accident on the motorway, while travelling with his convoy from Rawalpindi to Nowshera. Today, on his 10th shahadat anniversary, Pakistan remembers an officer who died while leading from the front, even on foot.
Lt Col Shahid Sabir Shaheed was an officer of the 90th Long Course, ex AAQMG ASC centre. The photograph shows him in uniform, wearing the blue beret, with “Shahid” and “Pak Army” on his chest. He looks straight at the camera, calm and proud, as soldiers do.
Lt Col Shahid Sabir Shaheed: A Fall on the Motorway
In fact, the evening of 29 October 2016 turned dark in a cruel way. The convoy was on its way back to Nowshera from Rawalpindi. At around 8 in the evening, the route was blocked with containers. Both officers got down from their vehicles and walked on foot to find another route for the convoy. In the dark of the night, they fell from the edge of the road into a ditch along the motorway near Hazro.
At the same time, the accident left a second officer fighting for his life. Maj Jalal, ex ASPT and an instructor of para and hand gliding, was severely injured in the same fall. Lt Col Shahid Sabir, however, embraced shahadat. One officer came home injured, and one never came home at all.
The Original Tribute
The tribute posted in his honour reads as follows:
Today is 10th shahadat anniversary of Lt Col Shahid Sabir Shaheed, 90 L/C ex AAQMG ASC centre. On 29 Oct 2016, they met a horrible accident on Peshawar Motorway, along with Maj Jalal. Maj Jalal ex ASPT (Instructor Para and Hand gliding) got severely injured while Lt Col Shahid embraced shahadat.
Lt Col Shahid Sabir Shaheed Will Not Be Forgotten
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.
As a result, every year on 29 October, his shahadat anniversary will return. Tributes will honour a life given in the service of the nation. Above all, remember this: he was brave, he was ours, and his course still speaks his name with pride. Will you keep his memory alive? Share his story, and let Nowshera know that Pakistan has not forgotten its son. Pakistan will never forget him.
Read also: Capt Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed: Remember the Name and Subedar Maj Sajid Islam Butt Shaheed: A Valiant Son.
