The worthy recipient of Nishan-e-Haider Major Tufail Mohammad Shaheed was sent to this world in 1914 at the place of Hoshiar Pur Punjab. The fortified Major Tufail started his service in the army in 1943 and was commissioned in the 16^th Punjab Regiment. He led a battalion when he was posted to East Pakistan in 1958 to safeguard the borders. During his posting over there the Indian army violated the international border rule and captured a village in the area of Laskhmipur of East Pakistan. Major took the very next step to withdraw the border from Indian troops on the 7^th of August 1958. The strategic Major divided his men into three groups and attacked the enemy in the dark hours of the night.

His group reaches out to the enemies without being detected. There the enemy stands out from their position and the firefight started furiously. The group come under heavy fire and Major was shot with three bullets in his stomach. But the legendary fighter never pushed back himself and continued his fight. The level of his patriotism might have some examples but he was one of the exceptional. He kept on going despite the flow of his blood and became able to stop the fire from the machine gun of the enemy. He destroyed key enemy posts. The exemplary fighter could not effort to see his men sufferings and crawled to the post of the enemy and engaged them in hand-to-hand battle. He successfully killed one of the commanders of Indian troops by hitting him on the face with his steel hamlet. He fought till the withdrawal of the Indian troops.

The selfless protector of this country called his junior officer and said that “I have completed my duty; the enemy is on the run.” He was rushed to the hospital for rescue but lost his breath on the way and that is most heartbreaking. He was the son of this land and the name of his native city was changed and honored with his name as Tufailabad. He was posthumously granted with Nishan-e-Haider and he is known to be the first to receive this award for an action outside the Indo-Pakistani wars.

This piece of poetry defines Major Tufail

           “Lagana Aag Jo Aya Tha Ashiyana ko

            Wo Shohla Apnay Lahu Say Bhuja Diya Tum Nay”