Saif Ali Janjua
Encyclopedia
Naik
Saif Ali Janjua Pakistan Army
Azad Kashmir Regiment
(Sher-e-Riasti Battalion) was a platoon commander during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
. He received the Hilal-e-Kashmir from the government of Azad Kashmir
, which is equal to Nishan-e-Haider
, the highest military award given by Pakistan
. He fought in the Kashmir
sector during the 1948 War
and was killed there. Janjua hailed from Kashmir, and belonged to the Janjua Rajput clan.
on 18 March 1941. He received his B.Sc. in combat engineering
in 1945 from Royal School of Military Engineering
.
After completing his service in the British Indian Army
in 1947, he came back to his native town and started establishing Haidri Force with the support of Sardar Fateh Muhammad Karailvi. After the creation of Pakistan, he was inherited into the Pakistan Army
. Due to his engineering background, he was inducted in Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers where he was stationed in the Kashmir region. Before starting the war, he served in the Pakistan Army's civil projects that were started in Kashmir region.
and was made platoon commander. He set personal examples of gallantry and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy at Bhudha Khanna where his platoon
was given the responsibility to defend Budha Khanna where he faced never-ending frontal and crossfire
from machine guns.
s defended his post and repulsed many aggressive ventures by the Indians and imposed colossal losses on them. The enemy used every mean to capture the post with two companies attack and heavy artillery
bombardment, but was unsuccessful. During the course of action, despite being hit in the chest by artillery fire, Janjua retained his position and frustrated the Indian assault. Due to severe injuries he died on 26 October 1948.
.
Naik (military rank)
Naik is the equivalent rank to Corporal in the Indian Army and Pakistan Army, and previously in the British Indian Army and the Camel Corps, ranking between Lance Naik and Havildar. In cavalry units the equivalent is Lance Daffadar. Like a British Corporal, a Naik wears two rank chevrons....
Saif Ali Janjua Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
Azad Kashmir Regiment
Azad Kashmir Regiment
The Azad Kashmir Regiment is one of the six infantry regiments of Pakistan Army. Its Regimental Centre is located at Mansar, Attock District, Punjab.The Azad Kashmir Regular Forces, established in 1947, were armed and supported by Pakistani government...
(Sher-e-Riasti Battalion) was a platoon commander during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
The India-Pakistan War of 1947-48, sometimes known as the First Kashmir War, was fought between India and Pakistan over the princely state of Kashmir and Jammu from 1947 to 1948. It was the first of four wars fought between the two newly independent nations...
. He received the Hilal-e-Kashmir from the government of Azad Kashmir
Azad Kashmir
Azad Jammu and Kashmir or Azad Kashmir for short, is the southernmost political entity within the Pakistani-administered part of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir...
, which is equal to Nishan-e-Haider
Nishan-e-Haider
Nishan-e-Haider or Nishan-e-Hyder is the highest military decoration given by Pakistan . It was established in 1957 after Pakistan became a Republic, however, it was instituted retrospectively from Independence in 1947...
, the highest military award given by Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. He fought in the Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
sector during the 1948 War
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947
The India-Pakistan War of 1947-48, sometimes known as the First Kashmir War, was fought between India and Pakistan over the princely state of Kashmir and Jammu from 1947 to 1948. It was the first of four wars fought between the two newly independent nations...
and was killed there. Janjua hailed from Kashmir, and belonged to the Janjua Rajput clan.
Early life and military career
Naik Saif Ali Khan was born on 25 April 1922 in Khandbaz Tehsil Nakial (Azad Jammu and Kashmir). He was enlisted in the Royal Corps of Engineers in British Indian ArmyBritish Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
on 18 March 1941. He received his B.Sc. in combat engineering
Combat engineering
A combat engineer, also called pioneer or sapper in many armies, is a soldier who performs a variety of construction and demolition tasks under combat conditions...
in 1945 from Royal School of Military Engineering
Royal School of Military Engineering
The Royal School of Military Engineering is the main training establishment for the British Army's Royal Engineers. After they have successfully completed their Phase 1 - Basic Soldier Training, members of the Corps of Royal Engineers attend 3 RSME, at Minley for Phase 2a - Combat Engineering...
.
After completing his service in the British Indian Army
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, officially simply the Indian Army, was the principal army of the British Raj in India before the partition of India in 1947...
in 1947, he came back to his native town and started establishing Haidri Force with the support of Sardar Fateh Muhammad Karailvi. After the creation of Pakistan, he was inherited into the Pakistan Army
Pakistan Army
The Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
. Due to his engineering background, he was inducted in Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers where he was stationed in the Kashmir region. Before starting the war, he served in the Pakistan Army's civil projects that were started in Kashmir region.
Indo-Pakistani War of 1947-1948
On 1 January 1948, Pakistan Army was raised as “Sher-e-Riasti Battalion” under the command of Lt. Col. Muhammad Sher Khan. Due to his courage and commitment, he was given the rank of naikNaik
Naik is an administrative title and surname derived from the Sanskrit word "vash" means to control. Naik is a surname attributed to the Anavil Brahmin caste.Naik may refer to:...
and was made platoon commander. He set personal examples of gallantry and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy at Bhudha Khanna where his platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
was given the responsibility to defend Budha Khanna where he faced never-ending frontal and crossfire
Crossfire
A crossfire is a military term for the siting of weapons so that their arcs of fire overlap. This tactic came to prominence in World War I....
from machine guns.
Final Phase of War
Janjua and his few jawanJawan
Jawan refers to a young man in Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, and Punjabi. It can also refer to a "donkey" in the Bengali language. In the Indian subcontinent, it has additionally taken on the reference to an infantryman, and is used in much the same meaning as soldier in English...
s defended his post and repulsed many aggressive ventures by the Indians and imposed colossal losses on them. The enemy used every mean to capture the post with two companies attack and heavy artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
bombardment, but was unsuccessful. During the course of action, despite being hit in the chest by artillery fire, Janjua retained his position and frustrated the Indian assault. Due to severe injuries he died on 26 October 1948.
Honors and Recognitions
On 14 March 1949, the Defence Council of Azad Jammu and Kashmir adorned him with Hilal-e-Kashmir (posthumous) and on 30 November 1995, the Government of Pakistan initiated the gazette notification to declare his Hilal-e-Kashmir equivalent to Nishan-e-HaiderNishan-e-Haider
Nishan-e-Haider or Nishan-e-Hyder is the highest military decoration given by Pakistan . It was established in 1957 after Pakistan became a Republic, however, it was instituted retrospectively from Independence in 1947...
.