Shaheed Shaheed Muhammad Mahfuz NH |
|
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Born | 25 October 1944 Pind Malkan, Rawalpindi District, British India |
Died | 17 December 1971 Pul Kanjri, Amritsar district, India |
(aged 27)
Buried at | Pind Malikan (now Mehfoozabad), Islamabad, Pakistan |
Allegiance |
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Service/branch |
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Years of service | 1962–1971 |
Rank | Lance Naik |
Unit | 15 Punjab Regiment |
Battles/wars |
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 |
Awards | Nishan-e-Haider |
Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz (born 25 October 1944) was a Pakistani soldier, who was awarded the Nishan-i-Haider, the highest military award of Pakistan, he was killed during the Bangladesh-Pakistani War of 1971.
Muhammad Mahfuz was born in Pind Malikan (now renamed Mahfuzabad in his honour) in a Jatt family in Rawalpindi district [Punjab]. He joined the Pakistan Army on 25 October 1962 as an infantry soldier.
During the Bangladesh-Pakistani War of 1971, 15th Punjab Regiment was deployed in the Wagah-Attari sector along the Indian border. Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz was the operator of a light machine-gun in "A" Company of the regiment.
Mahfuz's machine-gun was destroyed by an Indian shell as "A" Company came under heavy fire from automatic weapons on the night of 17 December 1971. Wounded in his legs by shrapnel and unarmed, he single-handedly attacked an enemy bunker from which fire had caused many Pakistani deaths. There he strangled one of the enemy soldiers and was killed by another with a bayonet.
On 23 March 1972, Mahfooz was posthumously awarded the Nishan-e-Haider, the highest gallantry award of Pakistan.
Template:1971 Bangladesh-Pakistan War