Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfooz Shaheed

Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfooz was born in 1944 at Pind Malikan (District of Rawalpindi) and was enlisted in the 15th Punjab Regiment as a sepoy in 1962. In 971 Indo Pak war, he was serving in the 'A' Company and his unit was deployed on the Wagah-Attari Sector near Lahore. The enemy advancing elements pinned down his company positions by unceasing frontal and cross fire from automatic weapons. In the process, his machine gun was destroyed by an enemy shell, but it did not dishearten the spirited Lance Naik, who advanced bare handed towards an enemy bunker whose automatic fire had inflicted heavy casualties. Even though wounded in both legs by shell splinters, when he reached the bunker he stood up and pounced on the enemy, but was hit. Although unarmed and amidst the enemy, he got hold of one of the enemy and was strangling him when another bayoneted him to death during the night of 17th December 1971. Living true to the traditions of the Punjab Regiment, whose three officers had already won Nishan-e-Haider, Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfooz also showed no less courage and gallantry in winning the fourth medal for the Punjab Regiment. Pin Malikan has now been renamed as Mahfoozabad.