Captain Roohullah Shaheed

Captain Roohullah Shaheed

This is Roohullah. He was my senior at Islamia College, Peshawar. He came from a very well off family, his parents were medical doctors while he was the eldest among siblings.

He didn’t throw away his life for useless adventures. He was destined to go away from us at a young age, because he had chosen a life where death was inevitable. His parents wanted him to become a doctor. What he did was join Pakistan Army. After completing training as an officer, he opted for the Special Service Group (SSG - Elite commando faction of Pakistan Army.) In SSG, he was allocated to the Quick Response Group (Again, elite within elite.) His job was to respond within seconds to a terrorist attack in the allocated region.

During his short-span career, he responded to five key terrorist attacks, and the disturbing thing about all these attacks was that the attackers were suicide bombers, while equipped with weapons and ammunition. Their mission was a one-way mission: to kill as many people as possible. These attacks include the 2014 Peshawar school massacre, Bacha Khan University, and the Christian colony attack. Remember, in all of these attacks he was always the first soldier to enter the attacked site. In the case of Bacha Khan University, he was the first soldier who jumped off from the aircraft toward the attacked building.

After, serving in Peshawar for a year, he was transferred to Quetta, Baluchistan.

Just a month went by that the sad day arrived.

It was late in the evening, he had changed uniform and was about to go to bed, when he was approached by his men that Quetta Police Academy is under attack. New police recruits were sleeping in their hostels while totally unarmed. The terrorists have started mass shooting them.

He grabbed his weapon, and ordered his team to get in the vehicle in a second. As his station was in a bit distance from the Academy, it took him a few minutes to reach the site.

Now, the militants had cut off electricity and they were shooting these new recruits in the dark. Captain Rohullah was informed through intelligence briefing that the three attackers are wearing suicide jackets too. It was an extremely difficult operation, as a little mistake can take away life of so many people.

In a while, one of the attackers was shot so he didn’t get a chance to detonate his shit, the other was cornered and he blew himself up. Now, one attacker was missing. The Captain started searching the rooms in the hostel when he came to a large room.

According to eye witnesses:

“We were hiding under beds, we saw a man entered the room while kicking the door with full force. As it was dark, so we didn’t see his face, all we saw his weapon as the light was reflecting on it. We thought a terrorist entered the room and the death is certain.

He uttered loudly: Are you our people?

We were silent and he said again: Are you our people?

Then he identified himself as an SSG soldier. We immediately replied: Yes Sir. We are new police recruits and we are hiding under beds.

He said: Put your hands up and immediately evacuate the room.

When we were leaving the room, captain was standing in door and tapping each one of us on shoulder.

In one corner of the room, he noticed a man hiding under a chorpoy (small bed.) He shouted on him: Who are you? he didn’t reply. He shouted again: Identify yourself or I am going to shoot you? Again, no reply.”

[According to one eye-witness, before the captain entered the room, we noticed a person silently entered the room and got under a bed. We thought of him as our person hiding from terrorists, BUT he actually was a suicide bomber.]

As the police personnel were evacuating the room, he remained silent until the last person left the room.

Now, the captain and the suicide bomber were alone in the room.

Here is the tragic part:

What could possibly be the best strategy at that time?

Of course, to shoot the bomber immediately, either to the head or heart, wouldn’t give him a chance to live for another second.

BUT the Captain wanted something else. He wanted to capture him alive to understand the “behind-the-scenes” of the attack. Now, this is what you call a touch of madness. Normally, no one can even tolerate the risk of being in the same room with a suicide bomber. If they can, his next immediate action would be to shoot the bomber asap. Capturing a suicide bomber alive! MY GOD!! That’s not what normal people do!!!

According to the last person who left the room:

“As I stepped out from the room, Captain jumped over the suicide bomber!!! And it followed by a massive explosion. I fell unconscious and regained consciousness in a hospital with the news that Captain Roohullah didn’t survive injuries.”

He was 26 years old and was going to get married in 3 months. Later, he was awarded Tamgh-e-juraa’t (one of the highest medals of bravery) by then Army Chief, Gen. Raheel Shareef.

Speaking to Media, his brother said:

Roohullah was about to be married and his mother was busy in preparation. But today we are waiting for his dead body at our village, where thousands of people have come to offer funeral prayer.

So, in the end I would say that he didn't throw away his life, but he did it for a greater cause, a cause to defend his country. A cause to protect humanity. His bravery and sacrifices will be remembered for generations to come.

May his soul rest in peace.

Ameen.

(Said Roohullah's friend)