Since their independence from the British in 1947, Pakistan and India have clashed a number of times. The 1965 War wasn’t their first face-off; they had met, even if briefly, during 1947-1948 to claim Kashmir as their territory.
Since their independence from the British in 1947, Pakistan and India have clashed a number of times. The 1965 War wasn’t their first face-off; they had met, even if briefly, during 1947-1948 to claim Kashmir as their territory. The two countries clashed again in September 1965 when India attacked Pakistan. Our military heroes defended their homeland heroically, leaving behind a horde of stories for us to be proud of.
Flight Lieutenant Imtiaz Ahmad Bhatti and Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Ahmad Rafiqui
PAF fighters claimed an early victory when pitted against the Indians on September 1, 1965, due to the valour of two men: Flight Lieuteanat Imtiaz Ahmad Bhatti and Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Ahmad Rafiqui.
Seeing the enemy aircraft attacking the army forces in Chamb area, the two pilots on an air patrol decided to intervene and stop them, marking it as the first air encounter of the historic war. Being heavily out-numbered did not bother them; professionals and courageous, they ended up taking down four Indian Vampire fighters. The display of power by these two F-86 Sabers was such that no Vampires were to be seen for the rest of the war.
Flight Lieuteanat Imtiaz Ahmad Bhatti’s feat is inspiring; his Sitara-i-Juraat justified for the determination and dedication with which he fought.
Squadron Leader Sarfaraz Ahmad Rafiqui was in command of three F-86 aircrafts in the strike against Halwara airfield on September 6. His guns stopped firing for some reason, but Rafiqui, unarmed as he was, refused to give up and continued instead to provide protection to his co-fighters while ordering his No. 2 to take over as leader. The aircraft was shot down. However, he did allow others to hit three more of the ten Hunter aircrafts, which had intercepted them. Given his exemplary leadership in each of his exploits, he has been honoured with Sitara-i-Jurat and Hilal-i-Jurat.
Air Marshal Malik Nur Khan
Another national icon to emulate, Air Marshal Malik Nur Khan had many titles under his belt to be proud of: he was one of the founding fathers of the modern PAF as well as the former Commander-in-chief of PAF. Defeating a force four times larger than he was leading in 1965 war was a proof of his valour. He received Hilal-i-Jurat, Sitara-i-Quaid-e-Azam and Sitara-i-Pakistan. The King of Jordan bestowed upon him the Order of Istiqlal (Second Class).
Muhammad Mahmood Alam
The Pak-Indo war of 1965 also reminds us of M.M Alam who got highly popular for making a world record by downing five Indian aircrafts in less than a minute. He was a well-established leader and a pilot, but after his extraordinary performance, he received recognition as Pakistan’s top scoring fighter. Later, he was awarded Sitara-i-Jurat.
“The climb may be tough, but the view from the top is priceless.”
The following are two significant operations during the 1965 war.
Operation Dwarka: A successful operation led by Commodore S.M Anwar, Dwarka operation was a nightmare for the Indian army. It was for the first time Pakistan Navy participated in Indo-Pakistan wars and stood victorious. The objective of the operation was to annihilate the radar station Dwarka, which was providing guidance to the Indian bombers. The Pakistan Navy takes pride in celebrating the success of this operation on September 8.
Battle of Chawinda: Part of the Sialkot Campaign, the Battle of Chawinda is deemed as one of the biggest tank battles fought since the World War II. Indians intended to take control of the Grand Trunk Road and Sailkot-Pasrur railway, thereby disconnecting the supply line to Pakistani forces. With no definite result in sight, the UN was forced to step in and call for a ceasefire.
