Remembering Muhammad Salim Bari

(15 February 1957 - 15 January 1995)

Whenever we talk of those of us who were recalled to Heaven, many good faces start to flash by. Many who are remembered and some who are perhaps lost and faded away from our memory lane. The latter category is Mohammad Salim Bari. After the tragic bus accident of Nathia Gali, in which we lost Arshad and Iftikhar, Bari was the first casualty as commissioned officer of our course.

First term memories: Shahid Maqbool, Asif Hussain Qureshi (left the academy in the Third Term), Bari and Qizilbash

A memorable photo of Salim Bari (extreme left) during Assault Course (Third Term)

I did not know him much, but my little interaction with him in PMA showed Bari was a very well read, intelligent and thriving officer. He always had books and magazines by his side and did not waste his time yapping around unnecessarily. Once while myself and Khalid Javed were going to Abbottabad, he had requested for Mag magazine, a widely read English magazine of the time, and was very happy when we delivered it to him on our return.  

He was commissioned in 27 C and was seconded to Saudi Arabia as one of the chosen young bright and intelligent officers.

He was stationed in Tabuk and was enjoying his life when he had a serious car accident which crippled him beyond any hope. He remained admitted in a military hospital in Saudi Arabia for over a year but was finally repatriated to Pakistan. Unfortunately, no one looked after him from his family and it was his unit which tendered him till this beautiful young man finally lost his life to his death. 

The final term group photo of Babur Company - Bari standing in last row third from the left

Baqar remembers Bari:

Salim Bari was a quiet by nature and drawn-to-himself person who very strongly believed in "mind own business". But that did not mean that he remained aloof. He mixed well with his group within the platoon and was very amusing company. Myself, Shahid Qadir and Salim Bari were the Karachi party while in erstwhile Tariq-4. Later, our platoon was shifted to Babur Coy with Shahid Qadir staying back in Tariq Coy.

Unfortunately, he could not do well at PMA, but later in his career he did extremely well, to the extent, that he even made a merit to be selected for secondment to Saudi Arabia at Tabuk with the first brigade contingent. Alas, he could not complete his deputation there and met a very serious accident which paralyses most part of his body. He remained bed ridden for quite some time before parting us to eternity. His later life after the accident was not a very pleasant journey.

May ALLAH SWT rest him in eternal peace.

Shahid Maqbool also remembers Bari:

Thank you, Jalal, for reminding us of our friend Salim Bari. A well-read & very polished soul who sadly left us much too early. Remember visiting him in his good days during our PMA vacation & saw this his plate Dogs & Indians Not Allowed outside his gate. His friends were not very welcome at home. Later, when he was bedridden in Lahore, I visited him a couple of times & found him jolly & cracking jokes, but deep inside he was sensitive & conscious of his poor state. May Allah SWT bless his soul & may he rest in peace. Will try & dig out few of his photos.

There are no photos of him of PMA or of days after that I could lay my hand on. I at my own end tried very hard to get any more photos and information about Bari from his unit. In fact, I requested two consecutive COs of his unit, but I remained empty handed as the unit did not have any information on him. So much for the history keeping in units!!

May be his platoon mates dig out their albums and find photos of Bari to share to keep his memory alive.

A superb officer and a gentleman lost forever. May Allah bless his soul. Aameen.