Info Regarding Brig TM
Hello all
this is my first time writing on this forum
and after reading ppl asking bout Brig TM i thought what better than this.
i belong to an army family and my father knew Brig TM since the start of his career as he was about 4 years junior to him.
Although i never had the pleasure of meeting TM personally but i became a fan of him ever since i first heard his name. Hope my little effort will be of some use to the people looking for info regarding TM who was lovingly called "TM Shah or Takkar Marr Shah" by his collegues and friends
Brig. Tariq Mehmood was born in 1938, got most of his education in Rawalpinidi. After his intermediate from Gordan College Rawalpindi he completed his BA from Government college Lahore. He was a member of the Government College cricket team, during that time cricketer Fazal Mehmood wrote an article in the newspaper “Pakistan Times” about future potential international Cricketers and TM’s name was mentioned in it(one of his class fellows at GC Lahore Javed Barki later became Captain of Pakistan Team).After completing his BA from G.C.Lahore he enrolled in University Law College Peshawar, but later joined army and when to PMA Kakul.
He passed out from PMA in 1960 and was commissioned in 2nd Battalion of The Baloch Regiment. He was selected for Special Services Group (SSG) in 1963, on completing his commando training he was posted to the Shaheen Company of 1st commando battalion..
In 1965 when SSG was preparing for Operations in Kashmir Capt T.M. was selected to go to USA for an advance course, but he dropped himself from it to go into battle with his commrades. During the 1965 war he was awarded Sitara-e-Juraat (SJ) for his heroic actions in the Kargil Sector. He was promoted to the rank of Major in 1970 and was posted to Peshawar as the commandant Para Training School.
In 1971 T.M again went into action, this time in East Pakistan. He lead a team of 25 Commandos to captrue a bridge over the river Braham-Putra from the enemy, he was hit by two bullets but continued to fight till the mission was successfully complete. He was awarded his second Sitara-e-Jurat (SJ) in 1971.
1973 he was posted to 3rd commando battalion and in 1974 he was promoted to the rank of Lt.Colonel. He took command of 3rd Commando battalion in March 1977. In the summar of 1977 some tribals blocked the KaraKuram Highway which links Pakistan and China. TM was given the task to get the road opened, he completed the mission with full success, for this he was awarded Sitara-e-Bisalat (S.Bt.). In 1979 he was promoted to Full Colonel and in 1982 he was made a Brigadier and posted as commandant SSG.
In 1983 he led a team to free a PANAM airplane from hijackers at Karachi internation airport, the hijackers opened fire when the plane’s generator failed killing and injuring some passangers but due to SSG’s quick action soon all the hijackers were killed saving many lives. In the later 1987-88 he lead operations against criminals in Sindh.
Brig T.M always lead the team of SSG paratroopers during the 23rd March parade carrying the National Flag, he did this last on 23rd March 1989.
On 29th May 1989 he led the team of SSG paratrooper for a free-fall at Army Aviation School,Raholi near Gujranwala, this jump was part of Army Aviation’s Passing Out parade. His parachute didn’t open.