Lt Ummer Fayaz inspires son of 'dhaba walla' to become army officer

Lieutenant Shah Nawaz's father, Mohd Ashraf is a small 'dhaba walla' in Gandoh area of Doda district in Jammu. Mohd Ashraf has nine children including three sons and six daughters. Lt. Shah Nawaz is his eldest son.

"Most of our family members are running the dhaba business," said Mohd Ashraf whose family didn't talk to India Today fearing that terrorists may target Lt Shah Nawaz the way they targeted Lt Ummer Fayaz.

Lt Shah Nawaz is a resident of Latizar village of Balessa area of Doda district in Jammu. "You have to walk for three kilometres from Gandoh to reach his native village," said Lt Shah Nawaz's close friend Akhtar Hussain. The village has only one government-run primary school since 1980.

"Village children have to travel from Lt Shah Nawaz's village for about 8 kilometres on foot to reach the school from where the terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen operated heavily once," said the lieutenant's father.

Lt Shah Nawaz is a product of the same school which is near his house.

Initially, Shah Nawaz joined as a sepoy in the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers in Sikandrabad where he served for two years but he wanted to work as an army officer. So, he studied further where his seniors noticed his passion for the army.

LT SHAH NAWAZ'S FAMILY AND FRIENDS

Lt Shah Nawaz's mother is a house wife and all his siblings are studying in school. Mohd Ashraf, Shah Nawaz's father says that his son is an army officer today because of his dedication and hard work.

Shah Nawaz's mother, Shaheena Begum says, "he has become a big officer. I am very happy. I want all my other children to become officers."

"I also want to become an officer like my brother. My brother worked very hard," said Shah Nawaz's younger brother, Mansoor Ahmed.

Akhtar Hussain, his childhood friend and now a school teacher in the same primary school says, "He was my classmate. He had the passion to join the Indian army and he has become an officer. He will serve the country."

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