On the 6th of September 1965, the then 18-year old Pakistan, found itself face to face with an extremely challenging situation when India broke out a sudden and undeclared war. Nation took it by surprise but equally surprising was its response to the aggressor.
Not only the nation stood united and guarded behind our armed forces, the brave sons of soil, the soldiers, pilots and sailors proved that they could go to any extent in defence of their country whether on ground, in air or at sea. The world witnessed that Pakistan emerged out of the crisis triumphant, with dignity and success.
It was 1965 that provided us an opportunity to weigh our indigenous strength. Our Armed Forces for the first time found out what great potential they had and what dent they could pose to the ten time bigger enemy. That's why the ghazis, shaheeds are befittingly saluted, for, they laid down their lives while safeguarding frontiers of our country and above all our future. Indian army had been expecting a walk through in Lahore area, but the Indian dream could not materialise due to the heroic role of the sons of soil. Huge credit goes to the nation, the regiments, units, and the soldiers who were deployed in Lahore areas of Wagah, Burki etc.
India attacked Pakistan with high hopes of taking back the country into its fold 'to prove that the Two-Nation Theory was wrong'. But they were unaware that they were up against an army whose valor and professionalism was to write new chapters in warfare. Yes, the brave wrote the history with their blood and defeated the enemy's military might with their limited fire power through sheer will power and commitment.
According to one of the contemporary war experts, the 1965 Pak-India War was the most intense ever in the recorded history of military warfare since World War-II as close to a thousand tanks, on both sides, took part in the pitch battles and offensives. It is true that Pakistan Army was outnumbered with a ratio of 1:3 in almost every aspect of the war by India, but definitely not in gallantry, patriotism and the will and readiness to lay down lives for the motherland.
The spirit of `65 is the strength of character, the firm resolution and the fortitude that overwhelmed every Pakistani to stand up to be counted as a defender of the homeland. The army had the gun power, air force had accuracy while Navy did not miss its target when it mattered most.
Add all these virtues together with the nation's overwhelming support, Pakistan's Armed Forces proved to be an insurmountable wall. For 17 days the stories our war heroes wrote and which later became folklore, remain unparalleled even today. A search through the pages of history gives us a heart warming account of the heroes, some of whom were awarded while others remain un-sung.
Despite disadvantages, the PAF performed excellently in the war in September 1965. During this war, Sq. Ldr M M Alam set a world record by shooting down five Indian planes in just one sortie. By the time war ended, he had downed 9 Indian planes and damaged another two. PAF pilots proved their professional competence by bombing Pathankot there were many other bases and Kalaikunda Air Bases, two of the most important and heavily guarded bases of the IAF. When the war ended, PAF had shot down about 65 Indian planes while losing itself only 19 planes.
After the war ended, several IAF officers appreciated PAF's daring performance. Indian Air Marshal Raghavendran (in his article The Day the PAF Got Away) has, very rightly paid high accolades to the leadership of Air Marshal Asghar Khan and Nur Khan who converted the PAF into a formidable force.
Raghaven says, 'I also knew of Nur Khan, the Pakistani air chief, by reputation. He was an alumnus of my own school, the RIMC in Dehra Dun. He had been a 'killer' boxer and devout Muslim while at school. He had a plethora of professional role models from among older alumni of RIMC to base his conduct on, including Prem Bhagat, the first Indian Victoria Cross awardee in World War II. His predecessor as the air chief in Pakistan was Asghar Khan, also from the RIMC, who was another thorough professional. Between them, and with immense help from the USA, they had built up a tradition of professionalism and one couldn't possibly expect them to let the Indian Air Force get away with it'.
Raghaven gives a pictorial view of the destruction at Pathankot in following words, 'THAT IS WHEN THE PAF STRUCK! There was pandemonium. Bullets were flying all around. We all rushed to the nearest trench and dived in, not sitting and crouching as we should have been but piling ourselves flat on top of each other!! We could hear and see the Pakistani Sabres going round and round, as though in range practice, and picking off all the possible aircraft, including the two MiG-21s, in spite of the anti-aircraft guns blazing away. The rest is history.
Similar successes were achieved in the war in the Indian Ocean between the two arch rivals. Despite having limited number of war ships as compared to India's Pakistan Navy successfully defended its territorial waters through valour and acts of gallantry. As a result Indians were unable to take control around Karachi or elsewhere.
Operation Dwarka is considered one of the most significant events of 1965 war in which Pakistan Navy bravely faced the enemy onslaught and successfully repulsed it. On September 7, 1965, when the Pakistan Navy ships were on their war patrol, a signal was received from Naval Headquarters which ordered that the task group comprising PNS Babur, PNS Khyber, PNS Badr, PNS Jehangir, PHS Alamgir, PNS Shahjahan and PNS Tipu Sultan, was to be in position 120 miles from Dwarka light house.
They were to later bombard Dwarka around midnight and retreat. At midnight, the ships were ready to strike a punch in the face of the enemy which they have not forgotten even today. The city of Dwarka was completely blacked out and the target could only be identified on radar. It only took four minutes to complete the bombardment and the ships returned successfully without suffering any loss or damages.
Now it has been 43 years since our heroes like Major Raja Aziz Bhatti and other Shaheeds laid down their lives fighting gallantly against the enemy to save motherland during the 1965 war. By laying down their lives, they rekindled the flame of sacrifice among the nation and proved that nothing is greater a cause than one's beloved country. Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed, and many many others played a huge role in the outcome of the Lahore battle. The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding go out to meet it.
These soldiers laid their lives for a better future of our country. A better future is achieved by a better nation, and a better nation never forgets its history, especially the martyrs. They died so that we could hold our heads high whenever we speak of our country. They died so that we could live! The whole Pakistani nation is proud of them. We salute our national heroes.
The Pakistani nation is going to celebrate its 43rd Defence Day this year with a renewed resolve and commitment that it would defend the country by all means and at all costs. This time the security situation inside and around Pakistan is far more different and demanding from that of 1965. At that time it was one enemy against Pakistan.
But this time the collaborators of hate have joined hands with each other to 'give a punitive blow to Pakistan'. There is a growing demand in India to launch a Lebanon-like attack on Pakistan and eliminate the causes of terrorism, once and for all. President Pervez Musharraf has rightly and timely warned India that Pakistan would never allow anyone to move an inch into Pakistani territory. However, this should serve as an eye-opener for the sons of soil in particular and the people of the homeland in general. The enemy knows the capability of our defence, but war is a means to exploit the weaknesses of internal elements.
New Delhi must know that Israel fought a non-state group and has got bogged down; India would be facing a highly trained and motivated military. It would be stupidity on part of the enemy to discount it in Pakistan's case.
But General Patton was right in describing war as an orgy of disorder; the best plans tend to go awry after the shooting begins. So while it is all very well to talk about what the Indian military can, the plan is unlikely to survive the first shot. It is the call of time for India not to resort to committing any kind of blunder. But at the same time, it is the call of time for our soldiers to get ready and the nation to get prepared to thwart any kind of aggression against our country, on this historic day.