“Good bye to the titanium bird that disappeared soon.

By: Imtiaz Hussain Barcha

Pathetically, Year 2021 has taken a lot of dear and precious lives from their loved ones starting from Ali Sadpara , to the end of year 2021, on December 6 Gilgit Baltistan and Pakistan lost a brave son of soil while just few seconds before the landing for refueling purpose. Since he joined Pakistan Army aviation perhaps he gave a firm shoulder to many coffins of his colleagues one by one martyred in air crashes but this time it was his turn . Major Irfan Bercha (shaheed ) was among top ten pilots of Pakistan Army aviation and glittering star of “The fearless Five squadron” , high altitude squadron and has carried out many rescue operations at country wide including world’s deadliest mountains and glaciers so he breathed his last there at the world’s highest line of control Near to Siachin known as siksah range. I have spent an unprecedented time with Shaheed at different stations including Gujranwala ,Quetta ,Rawalpindi and GB. No doubt, those who are chosen to breath their last while serving in uniform have some exceptional traits and crystal certainty in their lives. Shaheed held an extraordinary charismatic personality coupled with unforgettable zealous voice ,humorous but sharp wit engulfed with truthfulness and fairness .Besides being a vigilant and honest soldier he was a passionate Visionary photographer .He tried to show the world, his perspective of the human life ,our pity disputes ,public good , human sufferings, universal laws of nature ,happiness ,inner peace ,chaos and order of world .Perhaps He has learnt real meaning of the Human life through his intellectual empiricism ,the one who got to know that particular philosophy of life becomes more worthwhile than this material world and soon departs from here . I came across many people including his friends, badge mates, seniors ,acquaintance ,relatives ,family members or anyone who interacted with him at least for once ,has his/her own story to share and met some regretting for missing the chance to not meeting him in person. The brave soldier was so affirm about his own mortality and it was normal course for him to discuss the death, aftermath, aircraft crashes, casualties and low maintenance of aircrafts .He had firmly believed and said in a voice message “The night which is destined in grave can’t be avoided by external ” . Since he was lover of cosmos and constellations so he must be reincarnated into glittering star or into high-altitude bird which faded out too earlier to enlighten the hereafter world by darkening this world with his absence. He made will pertaining to place for his burial and named it “The Last resort” although by that time it was a mysterious name for all of us but now actual meaning has been conveyed on record, that he loved to be eternally surrounded by nature and peaks . He preferred to be buried at high (hilly) place connected by 1.5kms an offroad trek from the main road
. He always preferred humanity ,death with dignity, inner peace and happiness. He often used to say “agr apko peace of mind aur khushi rahda laganay sa hasil hoti ha to woh maza general aur wazir azam bannay pa nahe aya ga” , “nathu khan (sepoy) mujhay samnay salute karay ga lekin pechay galian da to asi izzat nahe chahya balkay respect aur honour dil sa honi chahya aur woh izzat ek imandar mochi ban k bhi mil skti ha”. Shaheed never ran after worldly appraisals, promotional ranks ,protocols and material prizes . Shaheed was a lowkey philanthropist and confidential donor of several welfare organizations which he never revealed to anyone in his life time and done charity from remote areas of Balochistan to marginalized segment of Gilgit Baltistan . I never saw him disclosing/misusing his privileged identity to any security personnel or at check post. He was always lenient towards his juniors, children and colleagues and never saw him distinguishing men on basis of social stratification of society. I have never saw him bragging his officer rank or his photography but always loved to remain low key and humble .I remember him not availing the due facility of official vehicle with security personals and instead riding on his bike to Dhamial airbase from his residence (which is 45kms approx away ) .Since he was a passionate traveler he traveled solo on his normal profiled bike all the way from Quetta Balochistan to Gilgit on a purpose to learn something new ,to observe human sufferings ,cultural differences and liveliness by detaching his comfort zone. He felt the pain for poor especially child labors and orphans for their sufferings and always stood for what is on right, merit ,legit, and always argued for it .it didn’t bother him either this will affect his promotions ,perks and so called social status .I never saw him keeping grudges for any one for a long time but has enough guts to confront with boldness as same inside out. I saw a officer laboring at his construction irrelevant of so called status consciousness .I will be running short of words by enumerating his good deeds, traits and countless memories with him but he had a vision that a person must be valued ,remembered and honored in his/her lifetime, its vain to regret and cry after then.At last i will share some of his last but remarkable words which he inculcated just few days before his martyrdom, “ All i notice is being alive ,our abilities to observing the beauty of life ,everything around us and to live the moment” .It has been forty days since you left us but there is not a single moment in which my eyes didn’t envisage you and not missed you. Indeed shaheed is always alive and he will be always remembered with golden words of honesty ,legacy,integrity,discipline,commitment,humanity and good conscience in course of history.
May Allah give us enough strength to follow his legacy and grant this nation such sons to be the pride for the whole nation and human race as well.
Narrating some verses which he always liked
ایک دن میں اڑھ جاؤں
بہتے ہوۓ بادلوں میں کھوں جاؤں
نیلی وادیوں میں کھوں جاؤں
باندھی ہے دل سے انجھاانی سی ڈور
کھینچتی ہے مجھ کو نہ جانے کس اور کھول کے کھڑکی آج میں اڑھ جاؤں چاہا ہے ,چاہا ہے.
Good bye til now, sadar .