RAWALPINDI: Major Syed Muaz Abbas Shah, the Pakistan army officer who took into custody Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman in 2019, was martyred during an operation against terrorists in South Waziristan, ISPR confirmed.
The intelligence-based operation in the Sararogha area targeted militants allegedly backed by India. Eleven terrorists were killed and seven injured.
Major Muaz, 37, from Chakwal, and Lance Naik Jabran Ullah, 27, from Bannu, embraced martyrdom while leading the mission.
Major Muaz gained national acclaim after rescuing and capturing Indian Wing Commander Abhinandan following the 2019 air skirmish with India.
As local civilians surrounded and assaulted the injured pilot, Major Muaz and his team intervened. Speaking in a later interview, he recalled, “When Abhinandan saw our uniforms, he surrendered and requested help. We immediately provided medical assistance and took him into custody.”
The Indian pilot was later released as a goodwill gesture by the government of Pakistan and handed over to India at the Wagah border, an act widely recognized for de-escalating the rising tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.