Subedar Major Pawan Kumar Jariyal of 25 Punjab Regiment, a resident of Shahpur in Kangra district, died in cross-border shelling by Pakistan Army in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch early on Saturday.
Jariyal, 50, who was slated to retire on August 31, had chosen the border town as his final posting a few months ago.
His father, 75-year-old Garaj Singh Jariyal, said he would have retired in three months after completing 32 years in service. “Just a couple of months ago, he chose to be posted in the border town when he was given the option to select his final posting. We were all planning his return, who would have thought that he would come home wrapped in Tricolour. I had spoken to him only once since the escalation of tension between India and Pakistan. He had said that they were staying in bunkers,” said Garaj, who retired as Havildar from the 25 Punjab Regiment.
Jariyal is survived by parents, wife Sushma Devi, and two children — son Abhishek, 22, and daughter Anamika, 21.
Abhishek, an undergraduate student at IGNOU Study Centre in Dharamsala, said that his father did a video call last night to his mother. “Every morning I used to wake up to a good morning message from my father and today there was none. Soon after we received a call from a senior officer, who told us that my father had suffered severe head injuries. Hours later, we got another call informing us that he has died,” said Abhishek, adding that Jariyal had joined the Army in 1992.
Kangra Hemraj Bawra said, “As per information shared by the defence authorities, his mortal remains will arrive at his house late on Saturday and the funeral will be held on Sunday with full state honours. His body has been transported from Poonch to Rajouri for post-mortem, after which the body will be brought by road to Shahpur.”
Meanwhile, CM said Jariyal made the supreme sacrifice to uphold the unity and sovereignty of the country, and people will remember him forever.
The state government stands with the bereaved family in this hour of grief and will extend all possible assistance, he said.
Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri, MP , Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur also expressed their condolences.
