Respected Hazrat Hakeem Sahib, Asalam Alaikum! I am a retired soldier of Pakistan Army living on the memories of the pleasant time I spent while on job. In 1982 I was stationed at Neelum valley some two hundred kilometers away from Muzaffarabad. That was a cold place where snow fall would make ten to twelve feet on roads. Roads would close for any traffic afterwards. Everyone had to walk to reach his destination. Helicopters were used only to transmit serious patients to Muzaffarabad or Rawalpindi. Perhaps that were last ten days of December when two soldiers, Salamat Ali and a Christian sweeper set on to walk by foot to go Muzaffarabad from headquarters to spend holidays at home. Due to heavy snow fall roads were closed. They had hardly gone five kilometers away from headquarters when it started landsliding and both of them fell into the Neelum river.
Some soldiers performing their duty at the top of mountain saw both of them falling in river. They immediately informed head office through wireless phones. Officers and staff rushed to the site for rescuing them. I was amongst them. As per the instructions of the officers some soldiers rushed to the other side of the river and started searching for them. Salamat Ali was found as soon as few glaciers were removed. He was all fine and bore even no scratches. God be praised! How Allah kept Salamat Ali safe and sound astonished everyone present there. All wondered that how one can remain safe and untouched after falling into river, being hit by tonnes of ice and remaining in freezing water for an hour or more which gets cold enough to freeze blood even when snow melts.
However our christian brother fell deep under glaciers and was not found. Salamat Ali was taken back to headquarters. Recitation of Holy Quran was organized as a thanksgiving upon his survival. If Allah wills not, no one can harm. I at once say God be praised whenever I recall this incident and wonder that how Allah Amighty helps and guards Pak Army men. May Allah Almighty help and guard our each soldier at every front. May Allah Almighty help institutions of Pak Army progress by leaps and bounds. It is all Almighty Allah’s help alone that despite of less resources we are a nuclear power today and our army is one of the best armies of the world. Long live Pakistan!
