By Adnan Yousuf
6th September is marked as the Defence Day of Pakistan which is celebrated each year across the nation to pay tribute to the brave sons of the soil, who sacrificed their lives while defending Pakistan during the 1965 War. It was a momentous day in the history of Pakistan when the war-mongering India invaded our motherland. But our armed forces with the people of Pakistan on their backs, stopped the Indian attacks dead in their tracks and the dream of the Indian Army to celebrate the evening at one of Lahore’s most well-known addresses, was broken into pieces.
In order to familiarize the young generation with the history of Pakistan and the sacrifices of their forefathers, the achievements of Pakistani forces must be recounted so that the younger ones may not be misled by false information propagated purposely by Pakistan’s enemies and opponents.
Pakistan’s armed forces have always played a substantial role in protecting its territorial integrity by rigorously dealing with any emerging threat or inimical situation. In fact, they know very well how to payback our enemies. The Indian side has been presenting severe challenges to Pakistan since 1947, but the acquiring of strategic capabilities has helped Pakistan turn back India’s malign intentions. The Pakistan Navy, along with the Pakistan Army and Air Force, defended the territorial water zones both during war and peace. Pakistan Navy’s history is filled with glory and eminence, exquisite skills and calamitous maneuverability, and tactical feats to defeat even the larger naval forces.
In the Indian offensive that began on 6th September, the joint action of the Pakistan Army, Navy, and Air Force effectively fended off the offensives and taught her a hard lesson on land, air, and maritime fronts. Two days after the initial attack, India employed its armored division and other striking formations to take Sialkot on 8th September. Resultantly, a large tank battle followed the largest since World War II. There were casualties on both sides in this bitter and long-lasting conflict fought over many days and nights. Eventually, the Indians were mauled and held. A very high loss of both men and materials forced India’s armored division into withdrawal. Immediately after the Sialkot attack, Pakistan waged a counter-attack in the south of Lahore and seized Indian territories of Khem Karan and beyond. As a result, the rear of the Indian troops facing Lahore was greatly threatened. In these two days, Pakistan Air Force also gave the enemy a tough time by launching continuous airstrikes from Pathankot to Agra. Besides the collateral damage caused during the night bombing, PAF destroyed 50 Indian aircraft and damaged eight for the loss of only six Pakistani aircraft.
On sea fronts, Pakistan Navy, despite having a comparatively lesser size and offensive capability, conducted several operations in order to create strategic deterrence and respond to the Indian Navy appropriately. As a result of the Pakistan Navy’s nautical prowess, the sea lanes and waters surrounding Pakistan remained open to incoming ships.
The major role Pakistan Navy played in the 1965 Indo-Pak War was launching the ‘Operation Dwarka’. On 7th September, PN sailed battle-tested and capable seven ships with 24 guns for Dwarka. Dwarka was enforcing a blackout and only identifiable by radar, but the lighthouse provided a very good point of reference in terms of positioning for the task force. Executing the ‘Operation Somnath’ every ship was authorized to fire 50 rounds of high ammunition. The ships opened fire from a distance of 5.5 to 6.3 miles, still closing the range. Approximately, four minutes was all it took to fire the allocated number of shells, and quickly alter course to exit the area.
On checking damage at Dwarka on 8th September, Indian navy officials acknowledged the damage caused as a result of this action. They found the radar station destroyed; the naval air station’s runway for test flights of INS Vikrant damaged; about 50 persons dead and a nearby cement factory also damaged. This official version of the Indian naval officials confirm that the Pakistan navy’s raid on Dwarka had been a stunning success as not only a massive material and psychological damage was done to the enemy but also Indian air raids on Karachi ceased, implying the radar station was knocked out.
The Pakistani fleet arrived back in home waters minutes after the attack, assumed their patrol stations 100 miles off Karachi, and ready for a possible Indian response, which through possible radar contacts were observed, never materialised. The sole Indian warship in the area, the Whitby Class frigate Talwar, had been undergoing repairs to her condensers in Okha and had not challenged the raid.
The Pakistani Navy’s strategic thinking and war planning cornered the Indian Navy as their operational plans were adversely affected. The PN had undertaken Operation Dwarka to achieve multiple objectives: destructing the Indian radar, and provoking its war craft stationed at Mumbai (then Bombay) port approach the Arabian Sea, where PN’s submarine ‘Ghazi’ was awaiting to engage and destroy Indian ships namely INS Vikrant and INS Mysore.
Having already proven its operational readiness, the Pakistan navy does not fall short when it comes to meeting the obligations at home. The recent historic monsoon rains and flooding in Pakistan have affected more than 30 million people and killed more than 900 people, according to the Minister for Climate Change, Sherry Rehman. In this hour of need, Pakistan Navy has initiated a wide scale Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in the far-flung rural areas of Sindh and Balochistan which are the most affected in the recent flooding. Pakistan Navy through utilizing its resources is providing support to Civil Administration of Balochistan in undergoing rescue and relief operations.
Pakistan Navy has set up a tent village at Bela near Uthal to provide shelter to the locals who have lost their homes in the flash floods. Food and health facilities are being provided to the displaced persons at the tent village. Moreover, free medical camps have been established in the area to provide first aid and free medical facilities to the locals. A dedicated team of doctors and paramedical staff is providing treatment and free medicines to aggrieved populace.
Pakistan Navy, alongwith civil government and various philanthropist organizations is providing continuous assistance to the flood stricken people while transitioning to rehabilitation operation in the worst affected areas. Relief operation in Balochistan is a practical manifestation of Pakistan Navy’s resolve to extend all out support to fellow countrymen in the hour of need.
This Defence Day reminds us to pledge as a nation that we will always remember the sacrifices of our brave soldiers and will stand by their side in the war and peace efforts. On this day, we must pray for those people who have lost their beloved ones during the recent flooding and show solidarity with them.
