Soldier who returned after 40 years: The untold story of Sepoy Maqbool Hussain

 

Soldier who returned after 40 years: The untold story of Sepoy Maqbool Hussain

On 17 September 2005, at the Wagah Border, Indian authorities handed over a group of Pakistani prisoners to their counterparts. Among them were men carrying small bundles of belongings—clothes and personal items. But one frail, 65-year-old man stood out. Unlike the others, he had nothing in his hands. His emaciated body bore nothing but scars, burns, and skin clinging to bone. His hair was long, matted, and unkempt, as though untouched by oil or comb for decades. Most heartbreaking of all—his tongue had been cut.

Yet, despite the suffering written on his body, there was an extraordinary glow in his eyes—a defiance unbroken by time or torture.

While most prisoners reunited with their families that day, this old man set out on a different journey. With trembling hands, he scribbled broken words asking for directions, and people, mistaking him for a beggar, guided him along. His path eventually led him to the Azad Kashmir Regiment of the Pakistan Army, where he stunned officers with a declaration.

Saluting like a young soldier, he handed over a paper scrawled with shaking hands:
“Sepoy Maqbool Hussain, Number 335139, has reported on duty and awaits orders of his commander.”

The officers were stunned. Could this frail figure truly be a soldier? Military records were searched, and his family was traced. What followed was the rediscovery of a tale of sacrifice buried for four decades.

Captured in the 1965 war

Sepoy Maqbool Hussain had fought under Captain Sher during the 1965 war. On a mission to destroy an enemy arms depot, he engaged Indian forces with both gun and wireless set in hand, sending messages back to his officers even as he fought. Gravely injured, he ordered his comrades to leave him behind so he could cover their retreat. He was later captured by Indian forces.

But his name never appeared in any prisoner lists exchanged between the two countries. Believing him dead, the Pakistan Army declared him a martyr and inscribed his name on a memorial for fallen soldiers.

Four decades of torture

For 40 years, Sepoy Maqbool endured inhuman captivity. Locked in a 4x4 ft. cell, unable to sit or lie down properly, he was subjected to brutal torture meant to break him into revealing military secrets. Yet he revealed nothing.

Instead, when forced to chant “Pakistan Murdabad” (Down with Pakistan), he would summon his last strength to shout “Pakistan Zindabad!” (Long Live Pakistan)—a cry that infuriated his captors but became his unyielding identity.

His silence under interrogation and his resilience in the face of unimaginable torture earned him a reputation among Indian officers as “mad.” But in truth, he was Pakistan’s unsung hero, bearing the burden of loyalty alone behind enemy lines.

The hero returns

When Maqbool finally returned in 2005, his frail body carried the marks of torture, but his spirit remained unbroken. Soldiers of the Azad Kashmir Regiment saluted him not out of formality, but out of deep respect for a man who had endured the impossible for the honour of his country.

Sepoy Maqbool Hussain’s story is not just about war—it is about resilience, loyalty, and the unyielding spirit of Pakistan’s soldiers. A man believed dead for 40 years returned alive, not as a victim, but as a symbol of unwavering patriotism.