In October 2007, the Pakistan Army was engaged in Operation Al Mizan, one of the early major campaigns against militancy in the tribal areas. On 9 October 2007, Major Muhammad Qamar Nawaz Shaheed embraced martyrdom in that operation, leaving behind a widow, a young daughter and a son, and a legacy of courage that his coursemates still speak of.
An Officer of 16 Frontier Force
Major Muhammad Qamar Nawaz, 90 Long Course ex 16 Frontier Force Regiment and 7 Northern Light Infantry, was a thorough professional. He shared a special bond with history: he was a coursemate of Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed, the Nishan-e-Haider recipient. Both men had served as battalion quarter master sergeants at the Pakistan Military Academy, and both belonged to the Northern Light Infantry tradition. Great soldiers, it seems, are often forged in the same fires.
The Day of Shahadat
On 9 October 2007, during Operation Al Mizan, Major Qamar Nawaz embraced shahadat in the line of duty. He left behind a widow, a daughter and a son, a family that has carried his memory with dignity ever since. Every year on 9 October, his shahadat anniversary is observed, and his family, his regiment and the nation remember him.
Operation Al Mizan was among the Pakistan Army’s earliest major campaigns against militancy in the tribal belt, fought in harsh terrain against a determined enemy. The officers who led those early operations were writing the doctrine as they went, learning lessons that would shape every campaign after. Major Qamar Nawaz was one of those pioneers, and his sacrifice helped light the way for those who followed.
A Legacy of Honour
To have been the coursemate of a Nishan-e-Haider hero is a mark of the company Major Qamar Nawaz kept; to have given his own life for Pakistan is a mark of the man he was. The early operations against militancy were fought by officers like him, at tremendous personal cost, so that Pakistan could be safe. The nation honours Major Muhammad Qamar Nawaz Shaheed and will never forget his sacrifice.
