Maqbool Hussain

Sepoy Maqbool Hussain (1940 — 28 August 2018) was a Pakistani soldier who was well known for his capture and imprisonment for four decades in Indian military jails when he was wounded during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 and subsequently taken unofficially as a prisoner by Indian troops.[1] Due to the torture inflicted upon him, he was declared mentally unstable.


Sitara-e-Jurat

Maqbool Hussain

Ghazi
Maqbool Hussain in March 2009
Native name
مقبول حسین
Born1940 (1940)
Tarar Khel, Kashmir, British India
(present-day Azad Kashmir, Pakistan)
Died28 August 2018(2018-08-28) (aged 77–78)
Attock, Punjab, Pakistan
AllegiancePakistan Pakistan
Service/branch Pakistan Army
Years of service1960—1965
RankSepoy
Service number335139
Unit4 Azad Kashmir Regiment
Battles/warsIndo-Pakistani War of 1965
Operation Gibraltar
Awards Sitara-e-Jurat

Capture in 1965 and subsequent torture

Following Hussain's capture during the war, the Indians did not register his legal status as a prisoner of war (POW), stripping him of certain rights that he would otherwise be entitled to by international law.[2] While in the custody of Indian forces, Hussain was notoriously subjected to severe torture by interrogators and remained defiant when he was demanded to give up any information he knew to jeopardize Pakistan's security. He was regularly harassed by his captors and put under pressure to insult his nation with various phrases such as "Pākistān Murdābād" (Hindi: पाकिस्तान मुर्दाबाद – lit: "Death to Pakistan"), to which he was known to actively respond with "Pākistān Zindābād" (Urdu: پاکستان زِنده باد – lit: "Long Live Pakistan").[3][4]

His persistent refusal to oblige with his Indian captors angered them, and they proceeded to cut out Hussain's tongue and rip his fingernails off.[5][6] Over the next 40 years, Hussain remained in an Indian prison, where he would regularly write "Long Live Pakistan" on the walls of his cell with his blood.

Return to Pakistan

He was released on 17 September 2005 during a prisoner exchange between India and Pakistan at the Wagah-Attari border crossing.[7][8][9]

Upon his return to Pakistan, Hussain had no family left to go to, and his mental and physical state had reduced to the point where he would only respond with his rank and military service number whenever he was asked any questions by passersby. Hussain managed to find his way to a Pakistan Army garrison in Azad Kashmir and repeatedly wrote down his rank and service number on a piece of paper. After much inquiry, Hussain's service in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 was discovered and full accommodations began to be made by the military for him.[10][11]

Awards

On 23 March 2009, Sepoy Maqbool Hussain of the Azad Kashmir Regiment was awarded the Sitara-e-Jurat for his gallantry during the war.[12][13]

Death

Hussain died on 28 August 2018 in the city of Attock, Punjab.[14][15][16] He was a native of Tarar Khel, Sudhanoti District in Kashmir.[17]

Burial

He was buried in his hometown of Tarar Khel, Azad Kashmir. His mother had waited for his return for as long as she lived and when she died she wrote in her will that the people bury her at the entrance of her village, so when her son would come back home, she'd be the first to welcome him.[18]

The Pakistan Armed Forces media wing, the ISPR and Interflow Communications Limited co-produced a drama series named Sipahi Maqbool Hussain a biopic of him that aired during the month of April 2008.

References
  1. https://www.hilal.gov.pk/eng-article/detail/MTQ3OA==.html
  2. https://www.hilal.gov.pk/eng-article/detail/MTQ3OA==.html
  3. "Sipahi Maqbool Hussain". gramho.com. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  4. "Abhinandan's Release: Has PM Imran Forgotten Sepoy Maqbool Hussain?". UrduPoint. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  5. "Sign of valor and audacity dies: Sepoy Maqbool Hussain to be laid to rest with full honor". Dunya News. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  6. "An Immortal story: Soldier Maqbool Hussain". Daily Parliament Times. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  7. "Where is Sepoy Maqbool Husain now? -". The Express Tribune. 9 September 2012.
  8. "Brave army soldier Maqbool Hussain passes away in Attock". www.pakistantoday.com.pk.
  9. "An Immortal story: Soldier Maqbool Hussain". Daily Parliament Times. 5 September 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  10. Pakistan, S. K. (12 April 2017). "Sipahi Maqbool Hussain Spent 40 Years In India's Prisons|Parhlo.com". Parhlo. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  11. admin (4 September 2018). "An Icon of Patriotism and Bravery: Ghazi Maqbool Hussain". BQ Research and Development. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  12. Dawn.com (29 August 2018). "1965 war veteran Sepoy Maqbool Hussain breathes his last at CMH Attock".
  13. "Sepoy Maqbool Hussain is an epitome of resilience, patriotism and bravery". ARY NEWS. 9 March 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  14. "War veteran Sepoy Maqbool Hussain breathed his last at CMH Attock". Inter Services Public Relations Pakistan.
  15. "Sign of valor and audacity dies: Sepoy Maqbool Hussain to be laid to rest with full honor". Dunya News. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  16. "Icon of Resilience: Sipahi Maqbool Hussain". www.pakistantoday.com.pk. Retrieved 8 May 2020.
  17. "Namaz-e-Janaza (Islamic funeral prayer) of Sepoy Maqbool offered". The News.
  18. https://www.hilal.gov.pk/eng-article/detail/MTQ3OA==.html
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