Saif Ali Janjua

Saif Ali Janjua was a Pakistani soldier who was born in Nakyal, Kashmir & Jammu, on 25 April 1922. He joined the British Indian Army as a sepoy in 1941 and served overseas for four years during World War II. After the partition of India in 1947, he opted to join the Pakistan Army and was assigned to the Azad Kashmir Regiment. He fought in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-1948 and defended the Pir Kalewa Ridge against repeated Indian attacks. He was the platoon commander of the Sher-e-Riasti Battalion, also known as the 18th Azad Kashmir Regiment. He inflicted heavy casualties on the enemy and repulsed their advances with his small force. On the night of 25-26 October 1948, he was martyred in action when an enemy shell hit his bunker. He was 26 years old. He was awarded the Hilal-e-Kashmir by the government of Azad Kashmir, which was later declared equivalent to the Nishan-e-Haider, the highest military award of Pakistan. He is regarded as one of the national heroes of Pakistan and Kashmir.