Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

Raja Muhammad Sarwar Bhatti ( ur, ; 10 November 1910 – 27 July 1948) , best known as Muhammad Sarwar, was an officer in the

Pakistan Army The Pakistan Army (, ) is the land service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. The roots of its modern existence trace back to the British Indian Army that ceased to exist following the Partition of British India, which occurred as a result ...

who was cited with the first

Nishan-i-Haider Nishan-e-Haider (NH; ), is the highest military gallantry award of Pakistan. The Nishan-e-Haider is awarded posthumously and only to members of the Pakistan Armed Forces. It recognises the highest acts of extraordinary bravery in the face of ...

for his gallantry and actions of valor during the first war between India and Pakistan in 1947–48.Captain Sarwar Shaheed, Pakistan's first ever Nishan-e-Haider award recipient remembered
Pakistan Today (newspaper), Published 27 July 2016, Retrieved 4 November 2018

Biography

Raja Muhammad Sarwar Bhatti was born in a small village, Singhori, that was located in the vicinity of the

Gujar Khan Tehsil Gujar may refer to: *Gurjar, Gujjar or Gujar, an fighting group of people in Afghanistan, India and Pakistan ** *Gojari language or Gujjar, a language spoken by the Gujjar people of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India * Gujar, Iran (disambiguation) * Gu ...

Rawalpindi District Rawalpindi District (Punjabi and ur, ) is a district located in the northernmost part of the Punjab province of Pakistan. Parts of the district form part of the Islamabad Rawalpindi metropolitan area. Rawalpindi city is the district capita ...

Punjab, British India Punjab was a province of British India. Most of the Punjab region was annexed by the East India Company in 2 April 1849, and declared a province of British Rule, it was one of the last areas of the Indian subcontinent to fall under British ...

British Indian Empire The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was himse ...

on 10 November 1910, according to his tombstone. He was a

military brat A military brat (colloquial or military slang) is a child of serving or retired military personnel. Military brats are associated with a unique subcultureDavid C. Pollock, Ruth E. van Reken. ''Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds'', Revis ...

whose father, Raja Muhammad Hayat Khan Bhatti, was an

enlist Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job (volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription). Some nations (e.g., Mexico) require ...

in the

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which cou ...

, retiring at rank of '' Havildar''. His family hailed from a Muslim-caste of the

Punjabi Punjabi, or Panjabi, most often refers to: * Something of, from, or related to Punjab, a region in India and Pakistan * Punjabi language * Punjabi people * Punjabi dialects and languages Punjabi may also refer to: * Punjabi (horse), a British Th ...

Rajput Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...

tribe. He was educated in government-run schools in

and secured his

matriculation Matriculation is the formal process of entering a university, or of becoming eligible to enter by fulfilling certain academic requirements such as a matriculation examination. Australia In Australia, the term "matriculation" is seldom used now ...

from a local school in

Faisalabad Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur (Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pakis ...

in 1928. After graduation, he followed his father, Havildar Muhammad Hyatt, path and enlisted in the

in 1929 as a

Sepoy ''Sepoy'' () was the Persian-derived designation originally given to a professional Indian infantryman, traditionally armed with a musket, in the armies of the Mughal Empire. In the 18th century, the French East India Company and its ot ...

, where he was posted with the 2nd Battalion of the 10th Baloch Regiment (2/10th Baloch Regiment) of the Baloch Regiment (present 7th Battalion The Baloch Regiment (Steadfast Battalion)). From 1929 until 1939, he worked hard towards reacting the one of the highest enlisted ranks and was eventually promoted as the

Naib Subedar Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) is a term used for a group of military ranks which is higher than havildar ( non commissioned officer) and lower than lieutenant (commissioned officer). The term is only used by Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. Sen ...

and posted in supply and ammunition with the Pakistan Army Service Corps in 1939. In 1939, Sarwar was invited to attend the

Indian Military Academy The Indian Military Academy (IMA) is one of the oldest military academies in India, and trains officers for the Indian Army. Located in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, it was established in 1932 following a recommendation by a military committee set up ...

Dehradun Dehradun () is the capital and the List of cities in Uttarakhand by population, most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous Dehradun district, district and is governed by the Dehr ...

and completed his

military training Military education and training is a process which intends to establish and improve the capabilities of military personnel in their respective roles. Military training may be voluntary or compulsory duty. It begins with recruit training, procee ...

before gaining commission in the 2nd Battalion of the

1st Punjab Regiment The 1st Punjab Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Indian Army from 1922 to 1947. Upon the Partition of India, it was transferred to the newly-raised Pakistan Army. It ceased to exist in this form in 1956, when it was amalgamated w ...

(2/1st Punjab Regiment) of the

in 1943. In 1944, 2nd-Lt. Sarwar briefly served in the

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John C. Wells, Joh ...

, serving with distinction in the military operations in 1944–45 that earned him the

Burma Star The Burma Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to British and Commonwealth forces who served in the Burma Campaign from 1941 to 1945, during the Second World War. One clasp, Pacific, was ...

by the British administrations in Delhi in India. In 1944, 2nd-Lt. Sarwar was posted in an administrative position in the Punjab Regiment — he was promoted as

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

in 1945–46. In the British Indian Army personnel accounts, Lt. Sarwar was known to be "a serious man with no nonsense and deeply religious who would practice his religion,

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

, devotedly and offered five prayers everyday, first offering the prayer before sunrise and concluding with the very last midnight prayer." In 1946–47, Lt. Sarwar was promoted as

army captain The army rank of captain (from the French ) is a commissioned officer rank historically corresponding to the command of a company of soldiers. The rank is also used by some air forces and marine forces. Today, a captain is typically either the ...

and decided to attend the signal course before Capt. Sarwar was recommissioned in the

Pakistan Army Corps of Signals The Corps of Signals (Urdu: ﺁرمى سگنل كور; ''Army Signal Corps'', is an administrative corps and a major intelligence, science and technology formation of the Pakistan Army. The core objectives include research and development, te ...

in 1947, and directed towards attending the Military College of Signals. After hearing the news of the first war between India and Pakistan over

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...

, Capt. Sarwar immediately wanted volunteered but refrained due to his officers wanted him to complete his schooling on the

military signals Military communications or military signals involve all aspects of communications, or conveyance of information, by armed forces. Military communications span from pre-history to the present. The earliest military communications were delivered b ...

, which he completed after a year. In 1948, Capt. Sarwar took over the command of the 2nd Battalion of the Punjab Regiment of the Pakistan Army as its commanding officer and was deployed on frontline. A

march March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March ...

towards the Uri town of the

was commenced under Capt. Sarwar, and led an attack on the organized Indian Army's troops, forcing them to retreat from the

Gilgit-Baltistan Gilgit-Baltistan (; ), formerly known as the Northern Areas, is a region administered by Pakistan as an administrative territory, and constituting the northern portion of the larger Kashmir region which has been the subject of a dispute bet ...

Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory which constitutes a part of the larger Kashmir region and has been the subject of dispute between India, Pakistan, and China since 1947. (subscription required) Quote: "Jammu a ...

on 26 July 1948. Capt. Sarwar's company followed the retreated Indian Army's troops to the Uri region where his unit faced off the strongly fortified enemy position located in the Uri sector. His company was only 50 yards away from the fortified enemy position as the Indian Army's soldiers begin their mortar shelling at his positions, and received instructions on leading the attack on the left side of the bunker where the shelling was taking place. Moving towards the new position, his passage was blocked due to the

barbed wire A close-up view of a barbed wire Roll of modern agricultural barbed wire Barbed wire, also known as barb wire, is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strands. Its primary use is ...

s and decided to move to cut the wires with only taking six men alongside. During the firefight, Capt. Sarwar used the

bolt cutter A bolt cutter, sometimes called bolt cropper, is a tool used for cutting bolts, chains, padlocks, rebar and wire mesh. It typically has long handles and short blades, with compound hinges to maximize leverage and cutting force. A typical bolt ...

to cut their

s and due to the downpour of shelling, taking a bullet with a machine gun fire. On 27 July 1948, Capt. Sarwar was killed while clearing the passage– he was 38 years old at the time of his death.

Family background and personal life

Muhammad Sarwar's father, Raja Muhammad Hayat Khan, had served in the

and was decorated with the British war medal for his services in the

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...

– Muhammad Hayat retired as a '' Havildar''

Sergeant Sergeant ( abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other ...

and died on 23 November 1932. Muhammad Sarwar had three brothers and one sister. Raja Muhammad Sarwar married in arranged marriage in 1936 and had a son and a daughter from that marriage.

Nishan-e-Haider

The body of Capt. Sarwar is buried at the Hill of Tilpatra which is near the Uri in Indian Kashmir where he was buried on 27 July 1948. It was on 23 March 1956 when the

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=hakúmat-e pákistán) abbreviated as GoP, is a federal government established by the Constitution of Pakistan as a constituted governing authority of the four provinces, two autonomous territorie ...

recognized his services as the

Parliament of Pakistan The Parliament of Pakistan ( ur, , , "Pakistan Advisory Council" or "Pakistan Consultative Assembly") is the federal and supreme legislative body of Pakistan. It is a bicameral federal legislature that consists of the Senate as the upper ...

authorized to posthumously award the Nishan-E-Haider (Eng. lit. ''Emblem of the Lion'') for his meritorious services, which was awarded to him by the

President of Pakistan The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.Captain Sarwar Shaheed remembered
The News International (newspaper), Published 11 December 2017, Retrieved 4 November 2018 The Presidential Nishan-e-Haider citation on his grave is written in

Urdu Urdu (;"Urdu"
'' Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (, ; born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the ...

declared ''Jihad'' in Kashmir and ordered Pakistan Army to participate in it. Captain Sarwar were participating in a course in GHQ's School of Signals. His unit 2 Punjab Regiment entered Kashmir to face the enemy. As soon as the course ended he persisted to take permission to participate in Jihad of Kashmir, with his unit which was granted. He was appointed as the signals officer. He offered to fight the enemy at Tilpatra hill. On 27 July 1948, he took his men with him and attacked the enemy. The enemy opened fire with machine guns, artillery and mortars. He kept on advancing. His machine gunner got killed. He took hold of his gun and attacked. When a second gunner arrived he handed over the machine gun to him. He, along with some soldiers, advanced from another side and destroyed a machine gun of the enemy and advanced There was barbed wire, which he cut himself and let the soldiers pass through it and led the assault on the enemy. During this time, a burst from the automatic machine gun of the enemy injured him. His actions in the battle of Tipatra led him to be posthumously presented with the Nishan-e-Haider. In 1967, the

federal government A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-gover ...

later established the marble tomb in his memory to offer remembrance of his career highlights in the military and martyrdom to the

civil society Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.MP on the platform of the

Pakistan Muslim League (N) The Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) ( ur, , translit=Pākistān Muslim Līg (Nūn) PML(N) or PML-N) is a Centre-right politics, centre-right and Liberal conservatism, liberal conservative political party in Pakistan. Alongside the Pakistan Teh ...

to expand the facility in his memory in 1990— the marble tomb is located near his locality.

In memory

In 1968, a paintings exhibition was inaugurated in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th List of largest cities, most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is th ...

, Pakistan depicting Pakistani war heroes including the first sketched portrait of Capt. Muhammad Sarwar. In 1991, he was subjected a biographical war telefilm, "''Captain Muhammad Sarwar Shaheed''" produced and directed by the Qasim Jilali of the PTV. In addition, the federal government established the community college, the Sarwar Shaheed College, in his honor near his birthplace in the Gujar Khan.

Biography

Family background and personal life

Nishan-e-Haider

In memory

Galleries

Awards and Decorations

Foreign Decorations

See also

References

External links