Pakistan Army Major Syed Moiz Abbas Shah, the officer who claimed the capture of Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman in 2019, has died during a deadly gunfight with Taliban militants at the Pak-Afghan border.
Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, attended Shah’s funeral at Chaklala Garrison, Rawalpindi, and praised his “ultimate sacrifice”, saying the country owed an “eternal debt” to its martyrs.
Shah Was Linked to 2019 Indo-Pak Air Clash
Shah served in the elite Special Services Group (SSG) of the Pakistan Army and played a key role in the 2019 aerial dogfight that followed India’s Balakot airstrike, which came in response to the Pulwama terror attack.
He was the one who claimed the capture of Abhinandan Varthaman, whose MiG-21 Bison was shot down on February 27, 2019. Just before being downed, Abhinandan had successfully taken down a Pakistani F-16.
Abhinandan was held in Pakistan for nearly 60 hours and returned to India on March 1, 2019, in what became a major international moment of diplomacy.
Killed Fighting the Taliban
Major Shah lost his life in Sararogha, South Waziristan, during a fierce encounter where the Pakistani Army killed 11 Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants. Munir described him as a “brave warrior” who upheld the highest traditions of sacrifice and patriotism.
“The entire nation stands united in grief and pride,” Munir said, emphasizing that the blood of martyrs like Shah forms the foundation of Pakistan’s strength.
