‘I'm proud of you, Papa': Tears, pride as BSF officer laid to rest

Time of India

12-05-2025

Patna/Chhapra: As the coffin carrying BSF sub-inspector
Mohammad Imtiaz
arrived at
Patna
airport on Monday, his young son Imran stood motionless, his face wet with tears. Then, unable to contain his grief, he broke down."I
am proud of you, Papa. I salute all the soldiers martyred in this battle and thank the nation for standing with us," he said.
Then came words that reflected the pain and anger of a family shattered by loss: "I want the govt to give a stern punishment to
Pakistan
. Today, in this attack, I lost my father and a wife lost her husband. No one can understand this pain except those who have lost someone. Pakistan should be taught such a lesson that no son loses the shadow of his father."Back
at Narayanpur village in Saran district, where Imtiaz was laid to rest, his wife, Shaheen Azima, collapsed with grief as her husband's mortal remains reached home. For two days, the family had kept the truth from her.
But when the vehicle carrying the body finally pulled into the village, accompanied by chants of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and 'Pakistan Murdabad', the reality was too overwhelming to bear.A sea of villagers, young and old, had gathered to pay their last respects to a man they remembered not just as a soldier, but as a mentor, brother and friend. Imtiaz had sacrificed his life on May 10 after being hit by a bullet in his leg during intense cross-border shelling in the RS Pura sector of Jammu.He was buried on Monday with full police honours and in accordance with Muslim rites in the village burial ground. His younger brothers, Mohammad Mustafa and Mohammad Aslam, oversaw the funeral arrangements. Both men serve with the BSF – Mustafa as a sub-inspector and Aslam posted at the Bangladesh and Meghalaya frontiers.At Seema Prahari Niwas, the house Imtiaz and Aslam had built together, the air was heavy with sorrow and pride. Villagers spoke in hushed tones about Imtiaz's courage, his devotion to the nation and his plans for the future."He used to say that after retirement, he would return to the village, take up farming and start a business," recalled his maternal uncle, Shamsuddin.His nephew Amjad added that Imtiaz had always dreamt of donning the uniform. "He encouraged his brother to join the BSF too. He wanted the youth of the village to serve the country," he said.Aslam, his brother, spoke through tears but did not hide his anger. "Pakistan should be wiped off the world map," he said, demanding strong action in response to the killing. He added that Imtiaz had spoken to his wife just before the attack, expressing concern over rising tensions in Kashmir.On Tuesday, CM Nitish Kumar will visit the grieving family in Narayanpur. He is expected to present a cheque for Rs 21 lakh, offer his condolences and pay tribute to the fallen soldier.Earlier, the body had been flown from Delhi to Patna on an IndiGo flight. At Patna airport, a tribute was organised and a guard of honour given. Leaders from across the political spectrum were present. Opposition leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, ministers Shravan Kumar and Nitin Nabin all paid their respects."Imtiaz has conveyed the message that the nation is above caste and religion," said Tejashwi, standing beside the tricolour-draped coffin.