London: A Memorial Ceremony was held at Kingussie Cemetery, Scotland, to pay tribute to nine Muslim soldiers, buried there, belonging to the areas that are now part of Pakistan. Mr. Hamish Johnston named the buried site in his historical account; “A Corner of Pakistan in Scotland.” These soldiers were posted to Scotland in WW2 and had died during that period.
The Memorial Ceremony was arranged by Royal British Legion Scotland, Scottish Ahlul Bait Society and the locals.
Ms. Isobel Harling, who had witnessed the burial as a young girl, had been paying tribute to these Muslim soldiers by laying wreath since 1947 regularly.
Ms. Harling, who is in her nineties, also attended the Memorial Ceremony this year. But this year it was different for her as High Commissioner Nafees Zakaria acknowledged her selfless dedication for those Muslim soldiers.
President of the Royal British Legion Scotland, Lieutenant General Sir Alistair Irwin KCB CBE read out the High Commissioner’s letter of Gratitude for Ms. Isobel.
The High Commissioner’s message read:
“Your affectionate gesture to pay tribute to these brave men every year is a testimony of your sincerity and respect for those who served and sacrificed their precious lives, away from their homes and families in distant lands such as Britain to give the world a safe and better tomorrow. Indeed, their courage and sense of duty did not go in vain, as they are remembered for their services and sacrifices.
“On behalf of the Government and the people of Pakistan, I thank you and wish you happiness and good health. The members of 1.5 million Pakistani Diaspora in the UK are also deeply appreciative of your thoughtful gesture.
“We are proud of the historic role our armed forces played for the world peace. With over 8,000 troops serving in seven UN Peacekeeping Missions across the globe in the most difficult situation, Pakistan is among the highest troops contributor to the UN peace keeping operations.”
The High Commissioner would also visit Ms. Harling in near future to personally pay his respects to the Lady.
