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 Captain
Saleem Bari was a very well read, intelligent and thriving officer. Once
when myself and Khalid Javed were going to Abbottabad, he had requested
for Mag magazine and was very happy when we delivered it to him on our
return. He was
commissioned in 27C and was seconded to Saudi Arabia as one of the chosen
young bright and intelligent officer. He was stationed in Tabuk and was
enjoying his life when he met a serious car accident which crippled him
beyond any hope. He remained admitted in a military hospital in Saudi Arabia
for over a year but was finally repatriated to Pakistan. Unfortunately no
one looked after him from his family and it was his unit which looked
tendered
him till this beautiful young man finally
lost his life to his death. A superb officer and a gentleman lost forever. May Allah bless his soul. Ameen.
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 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. |
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Safdar
Jahanzeb sitting in the centre with GCs ex Khalid-4 during Ex Yarmuk |
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 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
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 Lieutenant
Colonel Zahid Rasul was yet another fine officer of the course. We
regret that he too left us too early - leaving us sad and mourned.
May Allah bless his soul. Ameen. |
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 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 |
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 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. |
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 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. |
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 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.
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 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. |
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 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
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 We had just
started off writing memories of those who left us awhile ago when very
recently we lost another brilliant comrade - Major General Javed Sultan Khan On 6 February, he along with two brigadiers and a number of other
officers and men embraced shahadat when his helicopter crashed minutes after
take off from Kohat. This was not only an irreparable loss to Pakistan Army
but for all of us since in his departure we lost a exceptionally brilliant
comrade.
President Pervez Musharraf and
Prime Minister Muhammad Mian Soomro offered Nimaz-e-Jinaza of eight personnel
killed in a helicopter crash at PAF Base Chaklala on Friday 8 February. The
funeral prayer was also attended by Chief of the Army Staff General Ashfaq
Pervaiz Kayani, services chiefs and a large number of retired and serving
officers. Later the bodies were flown/taken to ancestral grave yards of
respective shaheeds.
As for Major General Javed Sultan Khan, he was buried
in the Army Graveyard, Race Course ground, Rawalpindi.
The Army
Graveyard at Rawalpindi must have gone through many emotional moments in
its history, but the last rituals of a 55thPMA member witnessed altogether a
different sentimental send off. Other than huge number of friends,
relatives, general admirers and colleagues, the place was full of course
mates who had turned in from all over the country. These fellows had flown
from Karachi and driven from Bahawalpur, Lahore, Gujranwala, Murree and
Peshawar to pay their last respect to their long time associate. Asif just
managed to reach from abroad where he had gone for an official trip. There
were some touchy scenes as most of us could not control the emotions while
few tried in vain to console each other. May Allah bless the
departed soul. Ameen
(The portion in yellow is
contributed by Muhammad Zahir Khan, who was also present on the occasion and
speaks out the agony of losing a friend and a comrade).
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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.
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