The Hindu : National : 'Unclaimed, unhonoured'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 26, 2004

National

National

'Unclaimed, unhonoured'

By Sandeep Dikshit

NEW DELHI, JULY 25. The Kargil War ended exactly five years ago to this day after the Indian Army claimed to have evicted the last Pakistani intruder who had attempted to change the contour of the Line of Control.

However, not all of them have gone home. The bodies of over 100 Pakistani soldiers lie buried in Indian soil, unclaimed and unhonoured in and around the heights of Tiger Hill, Tololing and other sectors that had become household names when hostilities broke out in mid-1999 and raged for three months.

The Indian Army, which had arranged for Moulvis to perform their last rites according to Muslim customs, would like these soldiers "who fought bravely" to be recognised by their home country and their close relatives to pay them their last respects.

The names of some of the dead soldiers were known from their identity cards and pay books.

A few were identified later.

"We know who is buried where. We would like to convey this message to their relatives in case they want to come and visit their graves. Despite the manner in which they intruded, those who fought and died against us were `gallant men' and the Indian Army never disowns the dead even if they were ranged against us," says a senior officer who was in the thick of the action in Kargil.

Only 5 bodies claimed

After protracted negotiations, the Pakistani army took back the bodies of just five soldiers, all from the plains. The others, mostly from the mountains of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, were disclaimed and the Indian Army took it upon itself to bring most of the bodies down from the heights and give them the respect due to fallen heroes.

Most of the men it has identified and buried come from PoK districts such as Skardu and Gilgit. As proof, the Army has released the names, units and home addresses of some of them: 12 Northern Light Infantry's (NLI) Havildar Syed Hussain Shah of village Shigar, Skardu; his unit mate Lance Naik Ismael Shah of Astone village, Diormon district; Lance Naik Mir Baaz Khan of 4 NLI from

village Dahima, Gilgit; Sipahi Mehboob Ali of 3 NLI from village Gopas, Gilgit and Sipahi Fida Hussain of 6 NLI from village Bangobashi, Skardu.

"Even if the Pakistan Army does not want them, their relatives can come to their graves after getting the necessary clearances from the Government," said the official.

A few of the dead soldiers, including two officers, are from the Pakistan heartland. They include Captain Imtiaz Ali of the 165 Mortar Regiment who was from Islamabad and 8 NLI's Lt. Maazullah Khan Sumbal from Lahore. "We want to tell them that the bodies were given due respect. Now that the war is five years behind us, the Pakistan army should come forward and claim them as their men," he added.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National