7th July 1977 - The day we lost two of our comrades

 

During the OW portion of the course, we were to witness to a tragic air crash. It was a bright sunny day and we were happily going to the ranges for MG fire. While walking I heard the noise of jets overhead and as I looked up it was a formation of four MiG-19s of the PAF on a training mission from PAF Base Samungli. While watching and admiring the pilots for their free flights and perhaps the pilots too watching us down below, suddenly there was a bright flash in the air followed by a big bang and debris of the two of the MiGs which had collided started to fall down in hundreds of pieces.

Although it was the first eye witness air crash of my life, it wasn’t any moment of achievement – rather we prayed for the safety of the pilots. Later it was revealed that the pilots perished in the air crash.

Unknown to us, it was the next day of a dreadful accident up in the mountains of Nathia Gali where a bus carrying cadets of PMA fell in a ravine, taking the lives of 15 cadets, including our dear Arshad Aziz and Iftikhar Hussain who were relegated to 56 PMA Long Course.  I will make a mention of this air crash once again when narrating in detail the bus accident at the end.

The day was July the 7th, 1977 when the ill-fated picnic bus en route Murree-Nathiagali, was carrying 44 cadets of the senior term of 56 PMA Long Course along with two of their platoon commanders. Among the cadets, five of our course mates who were relegated to 56 PMA Long Course were also traveling, namely: Arshad Aziz, Iftikhar Hussain, Mushtaq Muhammad, Hamid Naqvi and Vincent Samuel.

The details that will now follow have been penned down by GC (later Lieutenant Colonel) Kaiser Hameed Khan, ex 56 PMA Long Course, who was also onboard the Nathiagali bound bus and the account has been provided to me by our friend Mushtaq, who incidentally was also on the same bus. 

Hamid Naqvi with BSUO Zia 56 LC in Murree. Just 4 hours of this photo, Zia died in the Donga Gali accident. 

Now read the eye witness account of the tragedy:

A picnic was arranged by the senior term cadets of our course at Nathiagali via Murree and Ayubia. As is common with the picnic tours, the picnickers sing and shout to make the best of their fun trip. And with Hamid Naqvi on bus, songs were readily forthcoming. Whether it was a coincidence or something else, Hamid sang his favourite song, the meaning of which we understood a little while later.

Chalte Chalte Meray yeh Geet Yaad Rakhne—Kabhi Alvida na Kehna- Kabi Alwidah Na Kehna.Rootay Hunstay Baas Youn He Tum Guun Gunatay Rehna- Kabhi Al vida Na Kehna.         Beech Raah main Dilbar  Bichar Jayain  Kabi ham Agar Aor Sooni Sooni se Lagay tumhay duniya ki yeh dagar- Hum loot Aiyan Gaay – Tum yuun hi bolatay  Rehna.

All the cadets joined to sing in unison, exactly like the famous song of the Battle of the Bulge, “The Panzerlied”.  

I did not have a comfortable sleep last night as I dreamed of a bus going into a ravine and killing everyone, and was thus dozing – never realizing the moment of the dream to come true was just minutes away. I was suddenly awakened by a loud thud from the rear of the bus. I saw that Cadet Vincent Samuel standing in the rear door and was about to disembark. I felt the bus slipping from the road and falling in to the ravine. I remember reciting the Kalma, and the first impact of the rear of the Bus after having a free fall for a few seconds, everything suddenly went dark.

The place from which the bus skidded and fell down in the ravine near Donga Gali

In the meantime, Cadet Pir Sadiq, who was thrown out along with his seat  on the first impact and was miraculously unhurt, clambered over the rocks and climbed to the road.  Once on the road, he saw a light from a cottage at a little distance and rushed towards the cottage and knocked the doors frantically. The cottage was occupied by a lady doctor who had come to stay at Nathiagali along with her family.  Since her husband was not at the cottage, she was initially reluctant to open the door but when she saw a well-dressed boy standing at her door she asked what the problem was.  Pir Sadiq, overwhelmed by the accident could not explain the whole story, he just exclaimed, “Accident ! Accident! PMA cadets! Help!”

The lady then came out, comforted him  and immediately called Kalabagh PAF Base and asked for help. She then gathered bed sheets and even her Saries to use as ropes. This daring lady then drove her car to the scene of accident and started the first organized rescue efforts. She helped Cadet Rahat to be pulled out of the ravine, but unfortunately this green eyed, tall, smart boy from Kashmir breathed his last in her lap. Then she went and called PMA to inform them about the accident.

Meantime I regained consciousness many times and heard people coming down and evacuating the dead and the wounded. Later it was revealed that they from PAF Base Kalabagh. Initially the wounded were taken to a dispensary at Mochidhara  (a small village between Nathiagali and Dongagali). There I saw a lady in a blue sari who very caringly wiped off blood from my face with her Sari. She seemed very familiar but I could not recognize her. Then she went out and helped injured Hamid Naqvi, supporting his arm over her shoulder Naqvi tried to focus on to the lady and then asked her: “Baji are you Neelo Baji?” To which she replied in the affirmative. Later I learnt that she was the famous Actress Neelo, who had come there for shooting and on hearing of the accident, came to help us.

Later the wounded and the dead were taken to CMH Abbottabad, where I witnessed how sometimes bad luck strikes twice. I saw one of the cadets being taken out of the ward with his family.

I inquired from the sister on duty as to what went wrong; she informed me that cadet’s elder brother (Flight Lieutenant Naseer Haider Malik) who was a fighter pilot had succumbed to the crash near Quetta. (The crash I mentioned in the beginning) 

Now correlate this with the earlier mention of  the air crash I mentioned at the beginning of the post.

 

 Arshad Aziz (left) - Iftikhar Hussain (right)

Arshad Aziz and Iftikhar Hussain were the first casualty of our course. After relegation they became part of 56 PMA L/C. When they were relegated, no one knew that their relegation was in fact a step towards an early meeting with their Creator.

Hamid was in the same ambulance in which Arshad Aziz was also taken to CMH Abbottabad. And just near the hospital, Arshad Aziz breathed his last.

  

The lucky survivors: Hamid, Mushtaq and Vincent

The accident took a heavy toll of the picnickers leaving 15 dead including our dear course mates Arshad Aziz and Iftikhar Hussain. May Allah Bless Arshad Aziz and Iftikhar Hussain and all cadets of 56 PMA Long Course who passed away in the Prime of their life - Ameen ya Rab ul Aallamin.

 

Namaz-e-Janaza of cadets who perished in the bus accident was held at PMA and later their bodies were dispatched to their home stations  by army helicopters (Photo shared by Dr Malik, brother in law of Arshad Aziz).

It has been 43 years since this dreadful accident, but the memories of Arshad and Iftikhar are still afresh. While not many photos of Iftikhar are available, Arshad had lot of friends and lot of photos, some even given to me by Dr Malik, brother in law of Arshad Aziz, who once read the course website and thanked me for remembering Arshad in as many good words as we could. 

Since these two earliest casualties, we have lost a lot many course mates as can bee seen on the header of the blog. May Allah bless them all and grant Jannah tul Firdous. Aameen