Forgotten Heroes
 

Our Forgotten National Heroes: Let us pay tribute to those heroes of Pakistan,whom we have forgotten. forgotten I mean our New Generation doesn't know "who they are", for experiment, ask these names to student of O/A level. Few names are enlisted below, members are requested to add more names here.

1. Shaikh Ahmed Serhandi [Mujadid alf Sani]
2. Sayed Ahmed Shaheed
3. Shah Wali ullah
4. Molana Qasim Nanatwi
5. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan
6. Ubaid ullah Sindhi
7. Shibli Noumani
8. Allama Muhammad Iqbal
9. Muhammad Ali Jinnah
10. Mohammad Ali Johar

Sharing few stories too (links).
[url]http://www.storyofpakistan.com/[/url]
[url]http://www.storyofpakistan.com/person.asp?perid=P057[/url]
[url]http://www.defence.pk/forums/general-military-history/11035-saga-intrepid-paf-pilot-who-humbled-israelis.html[/url]
[url]http://www.chowk.com/articles/7432[/url]

Forgotten: Sir Zafrullah Khan (1893-1985)
 

Sir Zafrullah Khan (1893-1985)

February 6 marked the 114th Birthday of one of Pakistan’s greatest unsung heroes. Once again, there was no mention of commemoration of his remarkable like. No sense of gratitude from a nation for which he did so much.

Forgotten Heroes holy shit
 

with appolgy dear you are not in reality life we have forgetten our current heros and you are talking about past we are not giving the respect to our current hero life Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan and many more here i want to share some thing

in Balcohistan a person has given 30 years service in education and one day he has been shot on Sariyab Road and killed that person was Pro vice chancelor of Baalochistan uni that person was dam good in his subject and he has thought more than 30 to 35 years and what we did him so what you think we think about past hero....................


Shame fulll for us and the person who does that many more example like this

FIGHTING SPIRIT: A forgotten hero
 

For Air Commodore (retd) Nazir Latif, life had always been something of a party. A low-key, easygoing and gracious man who had served his country proudly in both wars as an ace bomber (earning a Sitara-i-Jurat along the way), he was not prepared for the cruel twist of fate in store for him just short of his eightieth birthday. Having moved to Islamabad from Bahrain (where he had been flying for a commercial liner well into his 70s!) Bill Latif (as his friends call him), was planning to settle down and enjoy a retired life in his hometown of Rawalpindi. Instead, he was struck by a stray bullet, hitting him in the face while he was out for a walk near the rest house he was staying at in Islamabad.

It was dusk — and there were other people on the walking track in F-8, but no one stopped to help him as he lay on the ground, bleeding in the face and not at all sure what had happened to him. For 45 minutes he lay there — until the fighter pilot in him realised that he would have to save himself. He walked up to the road and stopped a car, asking the driver to take him back to the rest house. There he told the security guard outside to bring him his mobile from his room and dial his friend Jamal’s number.

Air Marshal (retd) Jamal Khan immediately notified the CMH and asked them to send an ambulance. But before it could arrive, the guard, alarmed at the swelling of Latif’s face, took him to PIMS hospital in Islamabad. Of course, they would not treat him since it was a bullet wound which required a FIR, etc. In the meantime, the air force people located him and transferred him to CMH.

His friend, Air Commodore (retd) Sajad Haider (another Air force hero) had by now come looking for him. Bill Latif was actually supposed go to his friend’s house to edit a book that Haider was writing on his life. Bill Latif had originally planned to return to Bahrain to sell his flat and move back to Pakistan for good but had delayed the trip in order to help out his friend. Appalled at the condition of the room in which he was being kept, Sajad Haider got in touch with Air Marshals (retd) Asghar Khan and Nur Khan who had been Bill Latif’s contemporaries. Their influence got Bill Latif was moved to the VIP block, but they could not operate on him immediately since they had to wait for the considerable swelling to go down. An air force protocol officer was assigned to look after him. Bill Latif’s wife had passed away some years ago, and his only child, an adopted daughter, currently lives in the United States, so he really had no one to look after him aside from his air force buddies.

Amazingly, Bill Latif was conscious throughout his ordeal and apparently no damage was done to his brain, although he lost one eye. The bullet, however, was still lodged in his face. But not once did he complain.

“No one else could have survived this. He has a will power made of steel. He has always been an optimist,” says his friend, Sajad Haider, who visits him every week. Even today, a year later (the bullet was eventually removed, but he suffered a mild stroke), he sits uncomplaining in his little room that his friends have found for him at yet another guest house in Islamabad.

“What else could I do?” he says smiling quietly, as he sits in neat trousers and shirt, his hair combed carefully. The stroke has slowed his speech slightly and sometimes he forgets things, but he has not lost his charm and grace. When asked whether he ever tried to find out who did this to him, he replied “One has to accept these things… it would have been a wild goose chase anyhow.”

Bill Latif grew up in a Christian family living in Rawalpindi, where his father was a well-known professor of psychology and had done his doctorate at Princeton University. His father later taught at FC College in Lahore. Bill Latif had always wanted to be a pilot and joined the air force soon after the Partition. “The air force was excellent then. It was the life we wanted. There were no jealousies, no intrigues. The British were still instructing us back then,” he recalls in his soft voice, that stops every now and then to remember the past more clearly. The British officers eventually left in 1958 when Air Marshal Asghar Khan took over command of the air force. “Those were wonderful days of flying,” he recalls.

The Pakistan Air Force was, at the time, one of the best in the world and Bill Latif was an outstanding pilot from the start. He eventually ended up commanding an entire bomber squad and fought with valour in both the wars with India. He left the air force in the 1970s, and moved to Iran and then Jordan, where he was to spend 18 years. Up until 2004, he was the captain of an airline based in Bahrain and then flying a private jet for an Arab businessman. His wife had passed away in Jordan many years ago, and upon retiring, he decided to return to Pakistan in 2007. That was when he was shot in Islamabad. When asked whether he had any regrets, his reply: “One last romance would have been nice!”

After the operation at CMH, Bill Latif was moved to the Pakistan Air force hospital to recuperate. Unfortunately, the air force chief at the time purportedly decided that Latif should vacate the room (of a near empty hospital)! His shocked friends asked for reconsideration but were denied. This was certainly unfair, considering that Bill Latif’s stature and record in the Pakistan Air force is unmatched. It is interesting to note that out of a total of 70 Sitara-i-Jurat awarded to PAF officers in both the wars against India, seven were won by Christian officers. Bill Latif was one of them. His achievements were recently highlighted in the Pakistani Defence Journal:

“Just prior to the 1965 War, as a Wing Commander, Nazir Latif commanded a Bomber Wing. Wing Commander Nazir Latif led the most challenging raids including the successful attack on Ambala deep inside the Indian territory. On two occasions, his aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft guns but he flew his aircraft back and landed safely after pressing home his attacks accurately. For his exceptional flying skill and valour, the Government of Pakistan conferred the Sitara-i-Jurat on him. In 1971 too, while commanding PAF Base at Masroor, he actively participated in the war and flew numerous daring bombing missions. During the course of his service, he commanded three different fighter and bomber wings and two bases. He also served as Director of Operations and Plans at the air headquarters. After a long and meritorious service, he retired in 1972.”

This is an exceptional history — the man’s record clearly speaks for itself. There is no denying his determination and courage — both in the cockpit and on the ground. And not only has he been a fine officer, but a gentleman too. “He’s been a damn good human being — very humble and extremely generous. He gave everything away to friends and family. He was always admired and well-respected,” say his friends.

Bill Latif is now 80-years-old and should not have to live out the rest of his life in dingy guest houses. This graceful war hero should be given a respectable place to live. It is the least the Pakistan air force can do for him.


source: [url]http://www.dawn.com/weekly/review/review3.htm[/url]

[QUOTE=Faraz_1984]____we have forgetten our current heros and you are talking about past we are not giving the respect to our current hero life Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan and many more here i want to share some thing

in Balcohistan a person has given 30 years service in education and one day he has been shot on Sariyab Road and killed that person was Pro vice chancelor of Baalochistan uni that person was dam good in his subject and he has thought more than 30 to 35 years and what we did him so what you think we think about past hero....................


Shame fulll for us and the person who does that many more example like this[/QUOTE]





Agree with you, FARAZ_1984. The thing is that we should think about the current heroes as well as the Forgoten ones, or rather than they would also be the part of past and one of us(or over generations) would write about about them in future and we woulnt be able to give tribute to them in their life just like we did with Vice Chancellor and are doing with [B]Sir[/B] Dr. Abdul Qadeer.

We should slute our current heros as well as to the forgotten heroes.



.

I wonder if you know about Dr Hameedullah. Though, he wasn't a Pakistani but a great Islamic scholar. You can read about him here:

[url]http://www.dawn.com/weekly/dmag/archive/031228/dmag3.htm[/url]

Here are the last lines of this article:

[I]It is ironic that on the news of his death, not a single person from the Government of Pakistan or political and religious leaders issued condolence messages. The news of his death was not announced from the radio and TV in Pakistan. It was proposed that to recognize the services of such a great scholar, the Government of Pakistan should give the highest civil award to him. Such award may not have increased the honour of Dr Mohammad Hameedullah, but the honour of the award could have been increased by giving it to him.[/I]

Recently, there's a girl (not mentioning her name) who got awarded by Cambridge for securing 6th position world wide and 1st position in the Middle East in Cambridge A-Levels for the highest marks in Physics. She is a Pakistani. MashAllah, we do have talented people in our country and they are the assets of Pakistan but the problem is that there's no one to pay heed towards such people and encourage them. Only very few, lucky one's, get recognized.

@ Princess Royal

With an excuse, May I say....??

We are here talking about Pakistani Heroes, or at least those who made efforts for Pakistan(sub-continent separation etc.) although He deserves for the appreciation for efforts of his life, for Muslims but its not the point we are discussing.


As for as appreciation by government is concerns, our Govt. appericiated him by awarding him (i am [B]not[/B] talking about the Amount of money, as he was a great person taht he says that [I]what would he take there [/I]), its another issue(a Shamless act, as well) that none of our political leaders, scholers and Govt. didnt condole his death.

[QUOTE]The amount of Rs one million which was given to him by the Government of Pakistan with the Hijrah Award was donated by him to the International Islamic University in Islamabad. He lived a very simple and modest life, spending very little for his own self.[/QUOTE]


And what about Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan?

Han?

He received the award of putting him "Under Surveillance" with a great strictness so that he cant even breathe properly and has been blamed that he is got mad and this and that....
Isn't it more than a Heck? Does he deserve for it, for the effort of his life for his couontry?

visit this thread: [url]http://www.cssforum.com.pk/general/discussion/13204-dr-abdul-qadeer-khan.html[/url]

This is what I think about Dr. Qadeer!

@ Princess Royal

I am glad to know the way you feel about Dr. Abul Qadeer, but I was pointing to the TOPIC-OF-THE-DISCUSSION.

Anyways.

Investigation of nuclear 'heroes' divides Pakistan
 

[B]Investigation of nuclear 'heroes' divides Pakistan[/B]

The president admitted Friday that Pakistani scientists may have sold nuclear information to other countries.
By Owais Tohid | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor

KARACHI, PAKISTAN – Street protests and heated debate erupted this weekend in Pakistan, following the president's admission Friday that some of the nation's scientists may have sold nuclear technologies to other countries. The official credence given to the allegations, long denied by the government, is dividing national loyalties between President Pervez Musharraf and the so-called father of the Islamic bomb, Abdul Qadeer Khan.

Dubbed as "national heroes" after Pakistan conducted nuclear tests in 1998, Mr. Khan and his close aides have been the subject of an ongoing government investigation into possible dealings with Iran and Libya. Sensitive to the scientists' popular status, the government had moved forward gingerly with the probe.

Once again risking domestic upheaval to satisfy the international community, Mr. Musharraf distanced the state from the alleged proliferation deals, which he said were done by the scientists for their own financial gain.

"There is no evidence that any government personality or military personality was involved in this at all," Musharraf told CNN Friday. He vowed to take stern action against those who passed along nuclear information. He said the ongoing investigation would be completed within a few week and "based on the result of the investigation we will move against violators because they are enemies of the state."

While analysts see the pinning of blame on the scientists alone as a bid by Pakistan to minimize concerns abroad, the acknowledgement is bound to invite greater scrutiny of its nuclear program.

"Whether the transfer of technology took place by the state or by individuals, in either case, harm will come to Pakistan's nuclear program," says physicist, A. H. Nayyar, a physicist at Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad. "Now the international community will try to check and monitor every aspect of it," he says. "Otherwise they can impose sanctions. They would want to make sure Pakistan's nuclear program is in safe hands and the technology cannot be passed onto rogue states in future."

Pakistan's three decades old "covert" nuclear program generated serious controversies in November last year when the United Nation's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found evidence that some Pakistani scientists might have aided the neighboring country of Iran in developing its nuclear program

Western intelligence sources say Pakistani scientists also traded uranium enrichment technology with North Korea and Libya, apart from Iran.

Independent scientists say the international nuclear body provided the list of at least five people involved in the alleged transfer, including scientists associated with the Kahuta Research Laboratories (KRL), a uranium enrichment plant just outside the capital city of Islamabad.

As head of the lab, Khan is facing questioning but has not been arrested. Last week, his residence on the foothills of Margalla Hills in Islamabad was raided to detain his close associates.

Officials say nine scientists are now in custody. Included among them are Khan's former confidant at KRL, Mohammad Farooq, his personal staff officer, retired Maj. Islam-ul Haq, and retired Brigadier Tajawar.

Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and other investigating agencies are probing the allegations against the "suspected scientists and individuals" for their role in transferring technology to Iran.

Also forced into the limelight is Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg, who held the post of Pakistan's army chief of staff during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and is alleged to have played role in the transfer of technology to Iran. He is reported to have suggested to the former prime minister of Pakistan, Mian Nawaz Sharif, that Iran was willing to pay a hefty price in the trade.

But General Beg denied the allegations telling reporters, "It is a pack of lies. These are elements conspiring against our nuclear program, and we should not bow down to the pressure. We should not humiliate our scientists under any pressure."

Sources say the investigators are screening the foreign bank accounts of Khan and other individuals, their relatives and "close friends" in the Gulf States, and looking for evidence that the transactions made through these accounts were for transfer of technology.

The nuclear controversy has taken on political implications. The main opposition parties are against the screening of suspected nuclear scientists, while the religious extremist parties alliance, the Muttahida Majlis Amal (MMA) are carrying out protest rallies. The siblings of detained scientists are holding press conferences in an attempt to further pressure Musharraf.

"It is humiliation of our national heroes," says a religious leader, Mairaj-ul Huda Siddiqui. "The government has declared our heroes as foes to appease the US, forced us to come into the streets. We will die but will not let our country's nuclear program be rolled back."

If proved guilty, some of the scientists would face disciplinary action, and could be tried in open courts. Some analysts see the turmoil in the nuclear program as an opportunity to bring in a more accountable group of scientists.

Mr. Nayar suggests that scientists not involved with the program could be assembled to "evolve a system in which even a kilo of enriched uranium is accounted for and the [oversight] committee is certified by the IAEA." He adds that such moves would "regain the lost credibility of the nuclear program in the eyes of the international community."