Haroon Islam

{{Short description|Pakistan Army colonel}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = Lieutenant Colonel | name = Haroon Islam | image = | caption = | birth_date = 14 October 1967  | death_date = 8 July 2007  | resting place = | birth_place = Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan | death_place = Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICL) | resting_place_coordinates =  | alma_mater = Pakistan Military Academy<br>Command and Staff College, Quetta | birth_name = | allegiance = {{flag|Pakistan}} | branch = {{army|Pakistan}} | service_years = 1988–2007 | rank = 20px Lieutenant Colonel | service_number = PA-27053 | unit = 3rd Sindh Regiment | commands = Zarrar Anti Terrorist Battalion | battles = {{tree list}} *Siachen Conflict *Kargil Conflict *War in North-West Pakistan **Operation Sunrise {{KIA}} {{tree list/end}} | awards = {{plainlist| *Hilal-e-Shujaat (2009) *Chief of Army Staff Commendation Medal }} | relations = }} '''Haroon Islam''' was a Pakistani military officer, who served in the Special Service Group of the Pakistan Army and was killed in action during Operation Silence.<ref name="BBC32">{{cite news |date=8 July 2007 |title=Pakistani colonel killed in clash |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6281404.stm |access-date=10 May 2008 |publisher=BBC |archive-date=9 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109041023/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6281404.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

He was a commanding officer during Operation Silence and was killed in fierce fighting which took place outside the Red Mosque in Islambad.<ref name="BBC32"/>

On March 23, 2008, he was posthumously awarded the second highest civilian award, Hilal-e-Shujaat (Crescent of Bravery) by the President of Pakistan.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 24, 2008 |title=President confers civil, military awards: See HILAL-I-SHUJA'AT |url=http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=13727 |url-status=dead |publisher=The News International |format=Webcache |accessdate= |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080327181459/http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=13727 |archivedate=March 27, 2008}}</ref>

==Biography== His elder brother is an assistant director in the FIA while another brother, Major Ehtisham-ul-Islam, is a retired Army Officer.<ref>{{Cite web | title =Funeral of Army officer died in Lal Masjid Operation offered, Musharraf attended | publisher =Pakistan Tribute | date =July 9, 2007 | url =https://old.paktribune.com/news/Funeral-of-Army-officer-died-in-Lal-Masjid-Operation-offered-Musharraf-attended-183449.html | doi = }} </ref> He joined and gained commission in the 3rd Battalion of the Sindh Regiment of Pakistan Army in 1988. He was a graduate of Command and Staff College, Quetta in 1993 and joined Pakistan Army's elite special forces branch, the SSG (Special Service Group) in 1993. He had a successful military career. In 1998, his unit was deployed in Kargil, and had participated in the Kargil War.

In recognition of his services, he was awarded the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Medal. During his career with the SSG, he commanded the elite ''Zarrar Company'' (The anti-terrorist unit of the SSG).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://209.41.165.180/important_events/lalmasjid/pages/english_news.asp |title=Musharraf, VCOAS attend funeral of Colonel Haroon-ul-Islam |publisher=The News }}{{dead link|date=January 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==Free fall accident== Previously in his life, he survived a potentially fatal free fall accident when his parachute entangled with another. He not only survived the accident but became fit enough to rejoin the SSG. He was also a graduate of the prestigious Command and Staff College, Quetta. Because of his meritorious services, he was awarded the Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card.<ref>[http://www.paktribune.com/news/index.shtml?183449 Funeral of Army officer died in Lal Masjid Operation offered, Musharraf attended]{{Dead link|date=February 2026 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>

==Death== {{Main|Siege of Lal Masjid}}

In July 2007, the conflict between Lal Masjid and the Government of Pakistan deepened and the government decided to launch a military operation against the fundamentalist militia.<ref name="Dawn1">{{cite news |last=Raza |first=Syed |author2=Munawar Azeem |date=4 July 2007 |title=Fierce gunbattles rock capital |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/254728/fierce-gunbattles-rock-capital |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080105083131/http://www.dawn.com/2007/07/04/top1.htm  |archive-date=5 January 2008 |access-date=10 May 2008 |url-status=live |publisher=Dawn}}</ref> the Pakistan Army assigned the 7th Commando Zarrar Battalion of SSG led by Haroon to takeover the mosque.<ref name="Blasting holes">{{cite news |date=8 July 2007 |title=Pakistan mosque clashes intensify |url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/90C3E815-70D0-4733-A151-E767F599C592.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710140614/http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/90C3E815-70D0-4733-A151-E767F599C592.htm |archive-date=10 July 2007 |access-date=10 May 2008 |publisher=Al Jazeera English}}</ref>

The operation was launched on July 3, 2007, and Haroon was killed on the midnight of 8 July 2007, while entering the mosque.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Walsh |first=Declan |date=2007-07-09 |title=Elite army commander killed in mosque siege |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/jul/09/pakistan.declanwalsh |access-date= |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> reports indicate that he was hit while planting explosives on the outer perimeter wall of the complex.<ref>{{cite news |title=Army commander killed in line of duty at Lal Masjid |url=http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=8908 |publisher=The News |archive-date=2007-09-27 |access-date=2007-08-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927213057/http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=8908 |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== In mourning === On behalf of then Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and the federal cabinet, a two-member delegation consisting of Additional Secretary (Cabinet Division) Saeed Ahmad Khan and Joint Secretary (Cabinet Committee) Muhammad Zahid Khan visited his widow.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C07%5C15%5Cstory_15-7-2007_pg7_41 |title=Daily Times – Leading News Resource of Pakistan |accessdate=2010-08-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020155025/http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C07%5C15%5Cstory_15-7-2007_pg7_41 |archivedate=2012-10-20 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=July 8, 2007 |title=General Musharraf, VCOAS attend funeral of Colonel Haroon-ul-Islam |url=http://www.thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=25622 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070806035607/http://www.thenews.com.pk/updates.asp?id=25622 |archive-date=August 6, 2007 |format=Webcache |accessdate=}}</ref>

The Pakistan Army presented the Guard of honour to Haroon. Later, his body was sent to Lahore for burial. He is buried in a Military cemetery graveyard in Lahore.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 9, 2007 |title=Body of Lt-Col Haroon arrives in Lahore |url=http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=8925 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070709001918/http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=8925 |archivedate=July 9, 2007 |accessdate= |publisher=The News International |format=Webcache}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070714215018/http://lahore.metblogs.com/archives/2007/07/son_of_lahore_l.phtml Lahore Metroblogs] eulogy *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070918070802/http://www.pakistanthinktank.org/default.php/p/articles/pk/316 Pakistan think tank] eulogy

{{DEFAULTSORT:Islam, Haroon}} Category:2007 deaths Category:Pakistani military personnel killed in action Category:Special Services Group officers Category:Military personnel killed in the insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Category:Military personnel from Lahore Category:People murdered in Islamabad Category:1967 births