Pakistanis love their heroes; nay, we worship them. The decade of the eighties was special for hero-worshippers, as we had leading sportsmen and film stars. But most of us had a hero like no other. He was neither a sportsman nor a film star. He was a soldier; a soldier par excellence, crème de la crème. He was loved by millions and worshipped by the younger generation: Brig Tariq Mehmood (Brig TM). For my generation, he was the embodiment of Colonel Faridee and James Bond. He made the Special Service Group (SSG) of the Pakistan Army a household name and part of the popular imagination throughout the country. Despite the fact that he passed away 37 years ago, he remains the poster boy and the most well-known member of the SSG.

What is the Special Service Group (SSG)? When was it established? And how has it evolved over the years?

A Special Operations Force is, by definition: “A small, carefully selected military and/or paramilitary unit with unique skills, trained for specific purposes, and to undertake unconventional tasks.”

In modern times, the first formal and arguably still the best SOF is the UK's Special Air Service (SAS), created in 1941. Interestingly, around the same time, General Sir Robert Cassels, C-in-C in India, established an airborne force in October 1941, headquartered in New Delhi. It conducted its first jump in Karachi and saw action in Burma. In October 1942, the Air Landing School was renamed the Parachute Training School and moved to Chaklala, while the 50 Indian Para Brigade moved to........

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