My son laid down his life for the nation,says father of Kashmiri paratrooper

As the last post was sounded,Naik Altaf Ahmad took slow steps towards the coffin of his brother,paratrooper Imtiyaz Ahmad,and placed a wreath.

As the last post was sounded,Naik Altaf Ahmad took slow steps towards the coffin of his brother,paratrooper Imtiyaz Ahmad,and placed a wreath. Behind him was younger brother Naik Sajjad Ahmad who too saluted the Tricolour-draped coffin. Looking on were hundreds of villagers,both men and women,who had gathered at the local graveyard to bid a final farewell to the village boy who had joined the elite 1 Para three years ago.

Paratrooper Imtiyaz Ahmad Thokar,22,killed in a gunbattle with militants in Sopore,was the third son of farmer Nazir Ahmad to join the Army.

After a brief stint with the CRPF in 2006,Imtiyaz joined the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI). Impressed by his dedication during training,his JAKLI unit sent him for special training. For the past one year,his unit was deployed at Chowkibal Kupwara but it was only on Id last September that he came to meet them,said family members.

On Tuesday afternoon,Imtiyazs friend called me from Sopore and said he had been injured. A few hours later,the Army called and broke the news of his death, said brother Shakeel Ahmad who left his police job a few years ago. Since I was unemployed,he used to take care of my family. He even used to recharge my prepaid mobile. When I called him on Sunday,he promised me a postpaid connection.

Father Nazir Ahmad said his son had done the family proud. Today,I am a proud father. My son laid down his life for the nation. He was a brave boy and fought like a valiant soldier.

The two brothers in the Army one of them is posted in Siachen and another with the Congo peacekeeping force said their only regret was that they couldnt meet Imtiyaz while in Kashmir. I came here two days ago from Siachen on leave for ten days. On Monday,I called Imtiyaz and said I had reached. He said he would try to come home next week. But he didnt keep his promise, said Sajjad.

Altaf boarded a special flight arranged by the Army to attend the funeral. My brother died like a brave soldier. He had joined the Army after seeing us in uniform. When he was selected for the Army,he promised to hold his head high. He kept his word.