Valiant crew of PNS Ghazi remembered

December 4 – reminiscent of the unfortunate loss of Pakistan Navy’s revered submarine GHAZI – shall remain marked as the most fateful day in the annals of the Pakistan Navy, said a press release issued on Thursday.

Loss of three ships to enemy action and our mother submarine PNS/M Ghazi, along with its 93-member valiant crew, on this day in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, still grieves our hearts and renews our resolve to remain steadfast in the face of adversities and safeguard our motherland even if it costs our blood.

In a solemn yet a graceful ceremony, the Pakistan Navy History and Archives Centre (PNH&AC), represented the Pakistan Navy in paying a tribute to the daring mission on which PNS/M Ghazi was deployed, and the crew of 93 men who gave a selfless sacrifice for carrying out the assigned mission.

The ceremony was conducted at the PNH&AC on 4 December, 2024. The guests in attendance included the widow of EXO PNS/M Ghazi Shaheed, Begum Pervez Hameed, and Nasir Khan, brother of an EO of PNS Ghazi. Dr. Ghulam Mustafa Bhatti, President Ghazi E Pakistan Foundation, trustees of the foundation and some veteran submariners were among the invited guests.

The ceremony commenced with the recitation from the Holy Quran, followed by a Naat and short address by Director Pakistan Navy History and Archives Centre Capt (retd) Ahmed Zaheer in which he emphasized that though 63 years have passed since the occurrence of the event, the memories are still fresh in the minds of the families of the Shaheed who await closure, through recognition of the ultimate sacrifice that their wards had made.

They desired that the government officially recognize the same and approve a joint award for the valiant 93-member crew of PNS Ghazi who had left no stone unturned in carrying out the mission assigned to them and embraced Shahadat in the line of duty (en-masse).

The Pakistan Navy’s submarine Ghazi sailed for a daring mission with unfaltering courage and resolve on 14th November 1971 (corresponding to 25th Ramazan), never to return home. Despite being old vintage, her crew had ensured a state of material readiness which made the submarine arrive undetected at its destination Visakhapatnam, Indian Navy’s principal port in the Bay of Bengal 3,000 miles away from Karachi, deploying on time at the assigned location to commence its mission of laying a minefield in the approaches to Visakhapatnam. On 4th December 1971, the submarine met an unfortunate accident while carrying out the mission and perished along with its 93-member crew. The potentially fatal nature of the trip was well known to the command, yet the crew’s resolve to carry out the mission for the sake of Pakistan did not falter.

Their sacrifice serves as a poignant reminder of the inherent risks faced by those who serve on the submarines. Despite the lack of definitive answers, the memory of the brave souls who chose the path of ultimate glory but embracing martyrdom shall endure forever.

The remembrance ceremony reached its culmination with the laying of a beautiful floral wreath on the PNS/M Ghazi exhibit, which stands as a permanent reminder of the Pakistan Navy’s prized asset and the ultimate sacrifice of its valiant crew at the main foyer of the Pakistan Navy History and Archives Centre. It concluded with the offering of dua for the eternal peace of the martyrs’ souls, followed by presenting of souvenirs to the guests.