Bilal Omer Khan

Major General Bilal Omer Khan SBt (Pashto, Urdu: بلال عمر خان; 3 February 1954 – 4 December 2009) was a two-star rank general in the Pakistan Army who was killed in a terrorist attack on a mosque in December of 2009 while serving as the director general of the Pakistan Armoured Corps.[6] He posthumously awarded the Sitara-e-Basalat.[2]

Hadj,Shaheed, Major General
Bilal Omer Khan
SI (M) HI (M) SBt
بلال عمر خان
Director General Armoured Corps[1]
In office
? – 4 December 2009
Personal details
Born(1954-02-03)3 February 1954
Died4 December 2009(2009-12-04) (aged 55)
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
Resting placePindi Army Graveyard
Spouse??? – 2009 (his death)
Relations
Children3[2]
Awards
NicknameBilly[5]
Military service
Allegiance Pakistan
Branch/service Pakistan Army
Years of service1973–2009
Rank Major General
Unit19th Lancers
Commands
Battles/wars

Early life

He was born on 3 February 1954 to a Burki[5] Pashtun family. The Burki family has produced several military generals and cricketers such as Zahid Ali Akbar Khan, Wajid Ali Khan Burki, Imran Khan, Javed Burki, Majid Khan, and Shahid Javed Burki.

Military career

In 1973 at the age of 19, he was commissioned into the army in the 19th Lancers.

He served as the commander of the 111th Infantry Brigade in Pakistan[5] and as Director General Joint Staff Headquarters.

Mentorship

He was a mentor to junior army officers and air force polo players at the Rawalpindi Polo Club.[5] Wing Commander Shafiq had said that after maghrib prayers Major General Bilal would guide them on polo and give them tips on how to play better and how to win crucial fixtures.[5]

2009 Parade Lane Mosque attack and death

On 4 December 2009, a terrorist attack occurred at the Parade Lane Mosque while Bilal and other worshippers were praying namaz. During the attack, Bilal tried to disarm one of the terrorists, allowing others to escape. Unfortunately, he was shot at point-blank range and killed in the incident.[2]

His son, Arsalan, later found his body in a peaceful position at the mosque.[2]

Personal life

He was very passionate about the sport of Polo and was known by his friends and family as an excellent Polo player and a good hunter.[9]

Bilal was married and had two sons and a daughter.[5]

Legacy

The Parade Lane by the mosque bears his name.

A tennis championship is named after him at the army polo club, Major General Bilal Omer Shaheed Tennis Championship.[10]

References
  1. "Incident Summary for GTDID: 200912040018".
  2. "Baba, you will always be my hero". The Express Tribune. 17 June 2012.
  3. "Major Gen. Bilal Omer Khan Shaheed | DHA Islamabad Pays Tribute to the Martyrs of Homeland Pakistan". YouTube.
  4. "Army officers awarded Hilal-e-Imtiaz".
  5. "Maj-Gen Bilal showed bravery till his last breath". DAWN.COM. 6 December 2009.
  6. "Terrorists storm mosque". 4 December 2009.
  7. "Suicide bombers assault mosque in Rawalpindi, kill 40 | FDD's Long War Journal". 4 December 2009.
  8. "Taliban strikes heart of the Pakistani army". The Independent. 5 December 2009.
  9. "Major genral Bilal omer khan". Hurlinghumpolo.com.
  10. "Col. Shafqat annexes Major Gen. Bilal Omer Shaheed Tennis Championship 2019 title - Khilari".
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.