On March 29, 2022, Capt Saad bin Amir and his team were tasked to visit the Polling Station in Ghazwa area of Makeen South Waziristan. As they left, their van was ambushed. Saad got off the van to find signals and inform their battalion of their whereabouts. The driver of their van also got shot and Saad who was taking cover behind the van got exposed and got shot in his arm and abdomen. He could not sustain injuries and left for the heavenly abode.
The tale of Shaheed Capt Saad bin Amir who embraced shahadat during the ambush on his convoy by terrorists highlights two major aspects: the inspiration to join the elite force of Pakistan Army and offer supreme sacrifice whenever called for, through upbringing by his father who happened to be an Army officer and his mother, and motivation that was cultivated into his personality during training at Pakistan Military Academy (PMA).
Inspiration bows to character while motivation draws strength through taming. Capt Saad Shaheed was a lucky son to be raised by the iron lady Mrs Rizwana Amir, who is not only a widow of a retired army officer, but she also sent both her sons to serve in Pakistan Army. 
25-year-old Capt Saad bin Amir Shaheed is survived by his high-spirited mother, his wife Hira Amir, and their beautiful daughter Arwa, who was just 3 months old when Capt Saad embraced martyrdom. The following are excerpts from a conversation with Capt Saad bin Amir Shaheed’s mother and wife. This conversation with the very strong and courageous, Mrs Rizwana Amir and Hira Amir strengthens one’s faith in the will of Allah.
“Muhammad Saad bin Amir was the older of my two sons. Their father was also an army officer and was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2001. He was medically boarded out of the army in 2002. 
“Saad was a very kindhearted soul. He loved playing with cats and was a very active and happy child. His father’s demise when Saad was in Grade 7 shook him. He became very mature; Saad used to be very naughty, but his father’s death matured him too early in life,” recalls his mother.
About his inspiration behind joining the Army, she said: “My husband Amir was Saad’s biggest inspiration behind joining the Army. Even as a child he used to take out his Baba’s uniforms from the closet, where they were hung safely, and used to roam around the house wearing them. 
“He was very excited to go for ISSB after his Intermediate. However, he could not get recommended due to his flat feet at that time and, honestly, it was quite a relief for me at that point in time. This really saddened him, but he did not stop trying. Subsequently, he went to rehab on a friend’s advice and started wearing the sole for creating a curve in his flat feet. After a year of sheer determination and relentless effort, Saad got recommended for Pakistan Army. He was on cloud nine, the happiest I had seen him in a long time.”
His family remembers Capt Saad as very considerate in all his relationships. Being the first born and the eldest of the two brothers, Saad was very responsible and made every possible effort to keep his family happy. He was an obedient son of his widowed mother, very loving husband, and the most caring father to his little daughter, Arwa. All in all, Saad was a great human being.
He was also the family’s go-to person for everything. He loved hanging out and uniting the family for gatherings. Every time he came on leave, he would invite all relatives over and arrange get-togethers. He used to discuss with his wife how he wished he had a very big house where all the relatives could live together.
Capt Saad was very protective of his family. Talking about this aspect of his personality, his wife says: “A few months after our marriage, he got posted to Makeen, South Waziristan. He never shared with any of us the security situation there, as he did not want us to be worried. Every time we called him, he used to talk as if everything was great there. A few days before his martyrdom, a firing incident occured near their post. He never informed any of us about this incident. In fact, it was later revealed by his colleague that he requested everyone not to share details of the security situation with his family, as he did not want us to worry.”

Capt Saad embraced shahadat even before his first wedding anniversary leaving behind a very young wife. Despite, this she feels nothing but joy from the time they had together and the honor and pride of being a shaheed’s wife. “Though, we spent little time together after marriage, but since Saad was my cousin, we have a gazillion memories. He was the gem of the family and had his own charm. After Saad’s shahadat, when his belongings were delivered to us, I was surprised to see in his cell phone’s search history that he had been looking for anniversary gifts and surprise ideas. Also, Saad had ordered a dress for Arwa, just a night before his shahadat and it got delivered on Saad’s soyam,” says Hira. 
The pain of losing a loved one is unimaginable. And the shaheed’s family is no exception to this. About his untimely departure, Capt Saad’s wife says: “Honestly, it feels unreal. My heart still fails to accept that Saad is no more. After our marriage, we got to spend very little time together due to Saad’s postings. We only had short intervals together when he came home on leave. It feels like he is still away and will return home like before. Or maybe, my heart is at peace because he is a martyr, and martyrs don’t die. They’re alive.
“Now, when I recall our conversations, I have come to realize that Saad not only wished for shahadat, but he had probably also sensed it. I remember once we came across the news of an Army Officer’s wife, who had two daughters and was widowed twice as her first as well as second husband had embraced shahadat. While my heart sank, Saad comforted me saying that it was nothing to mourn, they were Allah’s chosen people. The calmness and confidence in his words reflected how deep inside, he also aspired to be a shaheed.
“It is difficult, to be honest. No doubt, the sense of pride is there but it is also very challenging. To know my Arwa’s father will not be here to celebrate her birthdays with us, he will not be here to hold her tiny hands, watch her first steps, hear her first words. This makes me sad, but it also gives me comfort to think he is a shaheed who sacrificed his life for many Arwas like mine.”
His courageous mother also shared her feelings saying: “Beta (a long pause) … I am proud of my son! But I also miss him … miss him more than words can ever say. Saad was my elder son, he was the man of our house, he was the strength of our family! He was an example for my younger son, Maj Abdul Wahab. He was everything a mother could ever ask for. There’s not a single day when I don’t think of Saad, but my heart is content for I know that my son is a shaheed. He fought valiantly against the forces of evil and sacrificed his life for the motherland’s security. He is among the chosen ones. But it is not easy, lets put it like this, it’s not easy to have a ‘darja’. The bigger the darja, the bigger is the sacrifice. I’m so grateful to Allah that He chose my Saad. But at the same time, I’m a mother; losing my elder son is like losing a piece of my heart and soul that has gone with him.
“My only message to everyone reading this is to do everything in life solely for the purpose of pleasing Allah SWT. When your actions are governed by the intention to oblige Allah SWT, then everything becomes easier.”
My interaction with the bereaved family unfolded many shades of the shaheed’s personality which often remain untold. To sacrifice one’s life is the choice of the individual, yet more commendable is the willingness of a family to devote and dispatch their loved ones to the battlefield for the higher cause of the motherland.

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