He
belonged to the Wazir tribe from North Waziristan. Currently, his family lives
in Wah Cantonment, but they often visit North Waziristan, where Captain Naveed
Khan Wazir is buried.
In his childhood, he was not like most
other children of his times. He was a polite and solemn boy with a habit of
deep thinking. As a responsible child of his parents, he took care of his
mother and younger siblings, and voluntarily performed the household chores. He
had not many outdoor activities. Having few friends, he mostly used to stay at
home and reading was his only hobby, sometimes accompanied with watching TV. He
was never seen in a temper. He kept his patience and composure and had a firm
hold over his temper, often at times when others would find it difficult.
His sister, describing his loving
personality, said, “He was a loving brother and a loving son. I remember that
one particular day, he was lovingly looking at mother’s face. He continued to
look at her until he was asked why he was constantly looking at her face. He
replied that he had read that looking at the parents with love is equal to an
accepted Hajj, so he was trying to get this reward.
He wanted to become a doctor by
profession, because his father did not wanted him to join Pakistan Army, since
most parents wish their children to join a profession with no risk to life; so
his plans were very different initially.
He had proved himself a hard working, passionate student – passionate to do something that has not been done before. His sleepless nights and his negligence of his own health and diet gave a glimpse of the fire that was ablaze in his heart and was meant to illuminate all around him. He did not speak much and was naturally quiet, which was perhaps a result of the realisation that life was not a mere enjoyment but a responsibility.
He had proved himself a hard working, passionate student – passionate to do something that has not been done before. His sleepless nights and his negligence of his own health and diet gave a glimpse of the fire that was ablaze in his heart and was meant to illuminate all around him. He did not speak much and was naturally quiet, which was perhaps a result of the realisation that life was not a mere enjoyment but a responsibility.
At the age of 19, after completing his
intermediate education, he appeared in the ISSB test and was selected to serve
his land and to be among the fortunate defenders of this land. His duty was
decided and his fate was destined, so he joined the 67 Punjab Regiment whose
slogan is ‘Fakhr-e-Sehra’. At the age of 21, he started his duty from
Bahawalpur, and then, he was transferred to Quetta where he stayed for some
time. Now he was 25, and he had to spend two years in hard areas; but his
courage was harder than these areas. He had completed almost two years of duty
in hard areas; and when he embraced martyrdom, he was only a month short of
completing two years; and a month later, his unit shifted from the area.
After joining the Army, another change
appeared in his personality. Now he was more patriotic, more concerned with the
matters of his beloved country, more desirous to do something to prove his love
for it – the overwhelming love which was evident from most of his conversations
with his family and friends. His sister narrated that he described to her the
war Pakistan is facing from an undisclosed enemy, the involvement of foreign
handlers in this game and that most of the terrorists they come across are
neither Muslims nor locals; all these expressions showing his keen observation
and resolute in the eradication of terrorism from Pakistan.
He passed most of his time in the Tirah
valley of Khyber agency where he and most of his colleagues embraced martyrdom.
Tirah valley, as indicated by its name, is a valley, where the top positions
were already occupied by the terrorists, so when the Army proceeded with its
troops, they had to face huge damage due to the firing from the terrorists
holding the positions at the top.
Captain Naveed Khan Wazir had another
innate quality – his bravery. He was an extraordinarily brave son of the soil.
His sister, quoting him as he used to say most of the time, said, “Always remember
one thing in your life; some people die before death, while there are others
who never die, not even after their death. Never be one of those who die before
death due to fear or lack of hope or courage. Never lose your will and your
courage.” And he proved it at the time when he was chosen to be a martyr, when
the people witnessed his bravery, courage and his iron nerves. He was shot in
his head on the evening of Thursday, March 13. Two bullets were enough to take
his life from him, but he kept smiling to boost the morale of his comrades who
were getting impatient to see him in pain while bad weather prevented from
shifting him to Peshawar. He had to spend one day and one night without any
medical assistance, with his head bleeding, while his very desire of martyrdom
was about to be fulfilled, which kept him steadfast and patient. All the time
that that he was conscious, he insisted that he was doing fine, that there was
nothing to worry about and that everything would be alright. His NCB said that
he bled continuously through the night that he spent at Tirah valley, but he
did not lose his courage or patience, he instead kept his calm and insisted
that he was alright and that there was nothing to worry about. On the next
morning, i.e., Friday, March 14, he was shifted to Peshawar by a helicopter,
but by then, he had bled so much that it caused him to embrace martyrdom.
When he embraced martyrdom, he had been
in the Pakistan Army for five years. He was a captain, and only two days ago,
he had appeared in an exam for the post of a major; when he returned to his
unit, he was called for the operation in Tirah valley.
The last time that he visited home, he
seemed to be having the feeling that it was his last visit perhaps. He advised
his mother to observe patience if he comes back a martyr, and he told her of
his strong desire to attain the status of a martyr and serve his country with
his life. He had been worried about the ongoing situation and the terrorism in
Pakistan. He asked his mother to pray for him that his sacrifice would not go
in vain if he could sacrifice his life for his country.
He was shot on March 13, and he was
admitted to CMH Peshawar on March 14. He survived the first operation, but
after the second one, he did not regain his consciousness and embraced
martyrdom on April 8. His strongest desire was fulfilled. The news was a great
shock for his parents and family who were unable to accept the reality, that
they had seen their brave son for the last time. His sister, expressing the
feelings of those moments, said:
“Initially, we were unable to believe
the news. The doctors operating on him had already informed my father that
there were very few chances of his survival, but my mother was not able to
accept the fact until she got the news. She was feeling sure that her son would
soon be standing with his smiling face before her eyes. But when Allah blesses
someone with a grade, He first makes him capable of it. We were broken with
pain, but there was also a pride that our brother has been raised to the
highest status a believer can hope for, it was a pride for us that we are the
family of a shaheed, and that we have sacrificed the most precious thing in the
way of Allah and for this beloved motherland.
Captain Naveed Khan Wazir embraced
martyrdom at the age of 25, and he was not married or engaged at the time. He
was not only his father’s son but his right hand. He was like a friend for his
father; and his father, who had lost the hope of his life, was standing calm,
with pride on his face, while receiving the body of his brave son. His sister
said that her father had not a single tear in his eyes, and till date, she
never saw her father crying before anyone.
To a question about her feelings when
people say something negative against Pakistan Army or its operation against
its own people, his sister replied:
“When someone has sacrificed all the
assets of his/her life, and despite this, he/she sees no acknowledgement from
the people they sacrificed it for, it really hurts, and it hurts a lot. People
raise questions today whether the Pakistan Army personnel giving their
lives for the country are shaheed or not. I believe that reality and the truth
is the one that your heart acknowledges, and my heart says that my brother is a
shaheed because he laid his life in the way of Allah while protecting the land
known as the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, with the slogan of ‘la ilaha
illa-Allah, Muhammad-ur-rasool-Allah’. How can he not be a shaheed when he gave
his life for such a sacred land?”
“This sacrifice is not the sacrifice of
a single person. It is the sacrifice of the whole family; all the people
directly related to the person sacrifice with him. Do not consider it the
sacrifice of a single person; an elder son is the supporter of his family, the
right hand of his father. In old age, parents need the support of their strong
sons, they need to hand over their responsibilities to them; they need
financial, emotional and social support. All these are sacrificed along with
that person; but people do not value or acknowledge this sacrifice, instead,
they debate whether it is a shahadat or not.” Her voice trembled; it made my
heart swell and tears of heartfelt respect rolled down my eyes. My questions
were over, but the love and respect – respect for Pakistan Army and the
families that sacrifice their sons and their future for the homeland, for
peace, for the protection of our lives and for the future of our coming
generations – was overwhelmingly increased. Yes, these sacrifices are worth
being acknowledged by everybody with their heart and soul. May Allah bless
Pakistan.
