Major Safdar Jahanzeb was not only a dashing personality both as an officer and gentleman, but was also an ace pilot of Pakistan Army Aviation. Son of Brigadier Bangash, who at the entry of the course in PMA was the FF Centre Commandant. I know him very intimately since he was my first term platoon and roommate (Khalid - 4). Right from day one I found him very friendly, forthright, honest, dedicated and mature. He always helped me in day to day routine of the first term and brought back deliciously cooked roasted drum sticks and other eatables on weekends after visiting his home. After the second term when the company system was brought back, he went to the Second Pakistan Battalion. Upon commissioning he joined his father's FF regiment - but always wanted to explore the vast sky like a bird. So he joined Army Aviation and sexcelled to the zenith (Rauf and Safdar smiling above - photo provided by Rauf) . For his exceptional flying skills, he was taken as instructor at the Pakistan Air Force Academy, Risalpur. He would have risen to still higher glories had his life allowed him. We lost this wonderful officer in an air crash. May Allah bless his soul. Ameen.

Safdar Jahanzeb sitting in the centre with GCs ex Khalid-4 during Ex Yarmuk

Lieutenant Colonel Saleem Akhtar was a quiet officer by nature - but very loyal and courteous. His love for his family was fathomless. In late 90s, while he was enjoying holidays up in the north along the KKH and was sitting beside a gushing river, his daughter fell in to the river. Not knowing how to save his drowning daughter, and disregarding the consequences, he jumped into the river. But the river water was too strong for even the best of the swimmers. In seconds, both the father and daughter were swept away and vanished into the fuming foamy water. Another friend, course mate and a brave man was lost.  May Allah bless the departed soul. Ameen

Lieutenant Colonel Agha Hussain was one of the brilliant officers of our course - a CSUO in PMA joined the corps of Signals. For quite sometime, he was suffering from cancer and finally he parted with us for his heavenly abode a few years ago. May Allah bless the departed soul. Ameen

Mr Khurshid Ahmed, a towering figure of around 6 feet 3 inches,  joined us in PMA but later withdrawn - which is why most of us have a blurred memory of him. Thereafter, he went to Saudi Arabia and stayed there for good about 15-20 years. On his return, he opened his own oil tanker company in Karachi and was operating a number of oil tankers throughout Pakistan. Once I met him in Karachi and he seemed in high spirits and talked good of his life and thriving business. We lost him too awhile ago. May Allah bless his soul. Ameen.

Lieutenant Colonel Ishraque Ahmed Mubashir was quiet, simple and extremely loyal officer. A few years back he suffered from speech paralysis. One could not make out till one really found out of his disability which he managed with great guts and determination. Last year was the last year of his life when his heart didn't support him anymore and he passed away quietly, leaving us really mourned and sad. We sincerely pray that his soul rests in peace. Ameen.

 We have lost another friend, Maj Ijaz (ASC) on Sat last. He was found dead in a hospital at Lahore. Burial has been done on Tuesday (22 July 2008) at Sailkot.  Details of his death are still unknown.  I for myself knew him since we both got posted to Karachi on commissioning and met on a number of occasions. I met him last in Lahore in March in Zahir's office and I told him that it has been ages since I met him. I never knew I shall never meet him again. Maj Ijaz Ahmad was an active member of the 55th Club in Lahore and participated wholeheartedly in all the planned gatherings. May departed soul rest in peace, Ameen.

24 May 2009 robbed from us yet another comrade - this time it was Mumtaz - who battled for his life for years very bravely with a smile on his face. He was buried in his ancestral village near Jhelum on 25th May around 4 pm. To pay homage to the lost friend, Jamaz-e-Jinaza was offered at Malir and Rawalpindi, and a lot of course mates attended. His personality was so dynamic and lively that he would be remembered till the last of us lasts. Read More about him in a separate section about Mumtaz.

I never knew about the demise of Arshad Aziz till as late as day before yesterday when the course secretary Asif informed me about it. I recall this simple, sober gentleman in PMA but then lost sight of him after he was relegated. Muhammad Asif remembers him in these words as he was his platoon mate in first term.  Arshad Aziz was in our platoon (Tariq-I) and relegated in ist term on physical grounds as he was very week in PT (A CASUALTY CAUSED DUE TO ------ATTITUDE OF Gen G. M Malik, the then Bn Comd). After relegation he became part of 56 PMA L/C. A group of about 40 to 50 cadets went to Murree on excursion trip on one of the week end and on their way back they met an accident and in which many cadets were killed and Arshad was one of those. Arshad was very humble, quite by nature and through gentle man, in short span of 6 months which he spent with Tariq-I, he became friend of almost all platoon mates. This is what I know about him.

A Memorable photo shared by Muhammad Asif that pictures (L to R) late Javed Sultan and Arshad Aziz and Asif

Asif Alvi in his mail remembers Arshad: What a sweet person he was and being his side room mate i have vivid memories of him. I feel he was the most sophisticated prospective office, full of wit and equally mature. He was in deep love with one of his cousins and was planning a wonderful life but God has his own ways and directions of destiny for humans. When i reflect about his, barring his running capabilities, probably he should have ended amongst to cadets. Even in the hard days of PMA he was a veracious reader. He had intimate friend ship with Gen Zahir, and you may fine more insights into his personality from him. God may bless his soul. Ameen

14 September 2011: Today we lost yet another course mate and a a hearty comrade - Major Syed Sibtan Raza. He was suffering was heart disease and went through open heart surgery and was on ventilator for almost eight hours. Sibtain later expired  late at night.
He joined us from 54 PMA Long Course and was always a friend, cooperating hand and spreading smiles whenever around. Baqir Ali Zaidi in his e-mail remembers Sibtain and says, "Maj Sibtain was a person with very pleasant disposition. He was always the centre of attraction in any gathering that he attended. It is indeed a great loss, not only for his family, but also for the entire PACHWENJA community."
Nauman Siddiqui writes in his e-mail, "A sad day indeed Sibtain had a loving nature and always tried to smile even in adversity, witty and a good friend. May ALLAH grant him peace and succor to his family."
Tariq Fazal writes, "Sibtain will be remembered among other things for his extraordinary courage to be able to smile in the face of most trying of circumstances and thus often infuse courage and confidence amongst his comrades as well. God may grant his family the courage to bear this irreparable loss with fortitude and rest his noble soul in eternal peace. Ameen."

Sibtain seen here with other course mates on the eve of marriage of
Khalid Perve'z son wedding at Lahore

Another memorable and hearty group photo - all smile - now he leaves us to mourn

A special get-together was arranged at Rawalpindi on 16 February to pay homage to Major General Javed Sultan and all other course mates who have left us earlier. It was a well attended event. Some of the photos taken on the occasion are as under (courtesy Shahid Maqbool).

 Chehlum Coverage - 24 March 08

The chehlum of late Major General Javed Sultan was held on 24 march 08 at Signals Officers Mess, Rawalpindi, in which beside a large gathering of senior officers including the COAS,  a sizeable number of own course mates were also present. Father of late Javed was also present on the occasion and we had two group photos with him to accommodate all course mates to preserve the special occasion. Prominent among the course mates were Zaheer, Solehria, Farooq, Bajwa, Raja, Asif, AD, Munir, Shahid, The Lion King (Tariq Sher), Noor, Mehdi, Naeem, Iqbal Badar, Farooq Ahmed, Ikram, Shahid Ashraf, Jahangir, Farooq (the Poet), Janjua and Naseer. I am sorry if I missed someone.

This section would remain incomplete unless we contribute to the memories of these fine officers who were once by our side, enjoying the colours of life. May we request everyone who were close to them to share their memories and photographs.

Sunday the 5th of December 2010 was yet another sad day for all of as on this day today we lost another comrade: Major Ghulam Mustafa Maan in Lahore. Maan was just very happy last week when he married off his son. But it did not take him long to survive the happiness. Let us all pray for his blessings and for the family to sustain his parting with fortitude. May God bless his soul. Ameen Those who knew him and were close to him may send details about him to me so that I add how he is remembered by all of us here in this section (Thank you - Jalal) Zahir Khan remembers Maan and says, "Major Maan had always been an active member of the 55th Family at Lahore and perhaps most participative colleague in the social activities held during my stay there. He would always be known for his seemingly over simplistic but direct (rather head on) and persistent approach to the issues of life. He was always a lovely company and source of some light moments for the friends and had great heart to take on all humorous remarks on him. He had a great confidence in himself and nothing was impossible to him. He was looking for a great deal of aspirations in his children and tried to facilitate their career progression. He took a great effort to get the best match for his son and must have been a very happy father on his wedding last week. Alas, he could hardly enjoy the happy moments of family's addition and left all his loving family members and friends in a state of shock. May Allah grant eternal peace for the departed soul and grant strength to his family members to meet the challenges of this irreparable loss." Baqir Zaidi writes in his mail,"Untill last year Maj Mustafa Maan has been visiting me quite regularly. But for last few months we had not been in touch. As rightly mentioned by Brig Zahir, he had great passions for his children, their career and their life in time to come. He once discussed this with me too. On Sunday, in the morning, he suddenly had an attack of asthma (he was asthmatic since quite long) which did not spare him enough opportunity to take necessary medication. Those who could make to his funeral (thanks to timely email Brig Jalal and sms from Maj Abbas and Col Ateeq) were Shirazi, Ateeque, Mehmood Tariq, Qadri (Bait ul Maal), Arshad Khokhar, Abbas, Tariq (54 PMA), Khalid Javed, Nauman Siddiqui, Ashraf, Tariq Fazal and Najam Butt (pardon me if any one is missed). A floral wreath was by us on behalf of the 55th L/C." INNA LILAHE WA INNA ILLIYHE RAJEOUN. May Allah Karim in His Infinite Mercy Grant Peace to Mustafa MAAN and JANNAT-UL-FIRDOUS be his permanent abode. He was one of us and shall remain so for ever, each one of us is grieved and praying for the departed brother like his family is doing. May ALLAH KARIM Grant fortitude and Istiqamat to his family and may they always indulge in pious deeds to be a persistent SADQA-E-JARIA for him. ALLAH KARIM HM SB KO APNE KRME KHUSOOSI SE AISA BANA DE JAISA TUO CHAHTA HAI AUR HMEIN PROPER TAYARI KI TAUFIQ BHI ATAA FRMA. Aameen. AKHTAR N JANJUA & family I just heard the sad demise of Mustafa Maan. Maan was a great friend and a very simple soul. He was my Platoon mate, I and Allahdad will always share jokes with him and Maan will always make funny comments in his own style. What a time and how quickly it passes. This was a very painful news. May Almighty Allah rest Mustafa Maan's soul in peace and grant strength and saber-e-jameel to the family to bear this irreparable loss, Aameen!  Jamil Canada It is, with very heavy heart, announced that our dear comrade, colleague and course mate Asif Amin has passed away at Karachi, Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ. Asif  has long been suffering from ailment and had recently been found by Wasif and was invited to attended the course get together of the Karachi Chapter on 20th April 2011. The year 2012 has not brought any good news for us so far. Right on the first day, we saw Asif Amin departing from us. Now today in the morning, one of the most noblest, humble and decent colleague of ours Shahid Aslam bid farewell and left for the heavenly abode. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un    إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ. Shahid has been suffering from prostate cancer for quite sometime, but he had improved a lot in recent past. It was lately that it was discovered that cancer has attacked other parts of his body and was in critical condition for quite sometime now. All colleagues in Canada took very good care of him, but could not stop him from boarding the heavenly flight. In the photograph on the left, Shahid stands smiling with his typical smile on extreme left with Naveed, Jamil and Tahir. May Allh bless the departed soul in peace up in the heavens and give strength to his family to bear this irreparable loss. Ameen