Ex Yarmuk: Testing the toughness and comradship

The most toughest period of the first time was Exercise Yarmuk - a five days long sojourn up and down the hills around Abbotabad. Our course went to general area Kot Najib Ullah. We were taken in PMA buses up to Havelian and then for five days we were on our own - of course closely monitored by our platoon commanders.

 Dead tried soldiers after reaching Kot Najib Ulla for a night's stay

Scroll down till the end for more photos shared by Jamal Zia

Pitching tent for the night - K-4 

Khalid - 4 at Kot Najibullah RS with Captain Ghulam Nabi

Khalid 4 under Captain Ghulam Nabi scaled mountains around Kot Najib Ullah. At one point, GC Zafar (later withdrawn after first term) fell sick or pretended to and laid down and refused to walk. GC Jalal volunteered to carry his big pack ( in addition to his own) till some pint where he could be off-loaded into transport, while the platoon marched off. We too crumbled forward, specially GC Jalal under heavy load, when suddenly we stopped in our track when we saw Captain Ghulam Nabi sitting on a culvert. When we approached near him, he with a strange smile on his face (which seldom appeared on him) asked GC Jalal, "Would you like to eat hot rice?" The two GCs naturally weren't expecting such a favour from him and thought some cloud gathering. But the two GCs were pleasantly surprised when Captain Ghulam Nabi took them to a nearby house where an ex-serviceman had laid down sizzling rice in a big dish. 

 Its lunch time - don't bother us

 Nothing like drinking water during halts

 Tariq Satti and Salim Nawaz about to pitch tent

Solehria watching over the horizon and seeing two stars shinning above!!

Despite orders, this lot took a swim in the cool water to ward of tiredness of the first day

  Shahid Maqbool and Iqbal Badar: Resting and relaxing and posing too!!

Jamil Brave: Mighty Section Commander in Yarmuk!

Herein under are some of the photos shared by Jamal Zia:

 

Yarmuk affiliations proved to be life lasting as it exposed the hidden qualities of each other and like minded got together - the affiliations have grown stronger since then and have turned into life long friendships. This was our first test of physical endurance to which many fell prey and bade us goodbye and left us to find many avenues available in the non military life.