Raheb said: “I was always determined to join the army after listening the heroic tales of his father and former Mujahideen commander, Mohammed Zarif Rashid, on how he fought the invading Soviet forces with his AK47 and a Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) on his soldier.”

“It was always my father’s dream to see me joining the army and I have grown up while listening to the tales of his valour and courage while fighting the Soviets in our country. I am happy that I have been able to live his dream and don the uniform,” said Raheb who was earlier in National Defence Academy, Pune before joining IMA.

Remembering the tales that his father used to narrate while he was a kid, he said, “I was always fascinated with the war tales which he used to narrate to me during childhood. I can remember, how he used to get passionate about our Afghanistan while narrating the tales of fighting against Soviet Union forces.

He wanted me to join the army, because he knows the importance of a country’s sovereignty.” Speaking to HT, he also claimed that one of the major reasons behind him joining the army, “is the fact that serving country is taken as matter of pride in our religion and country”.

“My father lived that pride while fighting against the enemy for the country. Also, many of his cousins and men were martyred in the war against Soviets.

He always wanted that there should be someone in his family to take the pride forward after him for which he wanted me to join the army and I proudly did. I am fully determined to fight them.

They are not Muslims as they are killing innocents in the name of Islam. I will fight them till the last drop of blood in my body,” he said.

To witness him becoming an army officer, his father Zarif, 63, had come all the way from Kabul to Dehradun along with his (Raheb) two cousin brothers. Zarif said: “I always wanted to see his son become an army officer and serve Afghanistan.”