Pakistan

Pakistan observes 50th Defence Day

Nation observes one-minute silence to pay homage to soldiers who lost their lives in 1965 war

Afp/web Desk September 06, 2015

Pakistani jets perform during the celebrations to mark the country s Defence Day at the Nur Khan military airbase in Islamabad on September 6, 2015. PHOTO: HUMA CHOUDHARY/ EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday marked the 50th anniversary of its second war with arch-rival India and paid tributes to the heroes of the 1965 war.

The major fighting of the war took place between August and September 1965, with both sides claiming victory after it ended in stalemate following the intervention of the United States and the Soviet Union.

Every year Pakistan celebrates September 6 as "Defence Day". Sunday's commemoration began with a 31-gun salute at dawn in the capital Islamabad and similar displays in other cities.

A minute's silence was observed across the country to pay tribute to the almost 4,000 troops killed in the fighting, with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif laying a wreath at the monument of war hero, Major Raja Aziz Bhatti, in Lahore.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif offers fateha at the monument of Major Aziz Bhatti in Lahore on September 6, 2015. PHOTO: PID

Air Force fighter jets carried out aerobatics displays across the country.

Read: Sindh government bans pillion riding in Karachi on Defence day

Sirens were sounded at 9:29am to herald a nation-wide one-minute silence to pay homage to soldiers who lost their lives in 1965-war. Following this the national anthem will be aired on all broadcasting networks in the country.

The central event was held at General Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi while Pakistan Air Force (PAF) presented a special air-show over F-9 Park in Islamabad.

The show, which began at 11:00am, featured fighter jets of the PAF, including JF-17 Thunder, F-16, Mirage and renowned aerobatic team of PAF, the Sher Dils. Besides this, Pakistan Army’s helicopters also participated in the event.

Pakistani jets perform during the celebrations to mark the country s Defence Day in Islamabad on September 6, 2015. PHOTO: AFP

Read: Nishan-e-haider: Gujar Khan to honour its two heroes

In Karachi, the day started with the change of guard ceremony at Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum where contingents of cadets of PAF assumed charge. Pillion riding has already been banned for Saturday and Sunday in the city due to security reasons.

The major event in Peshawar is an exhibition of aviation paintings and aircraft models arranged by the PAF at Nishtar Hall. The theme of the exhibition is “Pakistan Air Force – a saga of courage and sacrifice”.

In Multan, a two-day exhibition of Pakistan Army war weapons has been arranged for the general public at Ayub Stadium Garrison, while a major event will be held at Yadgar-e-Shuhada in Multan Cantt on Sunday evening to pay tribute to the martyrs of Pakistan Army.

Read: Nation to commemorate Defence Day celebrations with moment of silence

The main function of Defence Day in Gilgit-Baltistan will be held at Corps Headquarters Force Command Northern Areas while a ceremony will also be held at the tomb of Lalik Jan Shaheed (Nishan-e-Haider) at Hundur village in Ghizer district.

The day in Azad Jammu and Kashmir started with 21 gun salute. AJK President Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan will be chief guest of the Defence Day function to be held at Neelum Stadium on Sunday.

Security is already on high alert in the country and mobile phone services will remain suspended in the twin cities of Rawalpindi-Islamabad.

COMMENTS (29)

Ram Dargad | 8 years ago | Reply ET did not publish my following response to a comment addressed to me. Why? @Hassan: Yes, Asghar Khan had retired 3-4 weeks before Pakistanis entered Jammu. As per his statement, he met & advised Ayub Khan to refrain from this adventure & warned that India will react in Punjab. This was disclosed on Pak TV & now it is on You Tube. Also hear Hamid Bhashani & Najam Sethi on this subject.

INDOHawk | 8 years ago | Reply @PAKhtoon: and just after 6 years the same nation was humiliated !!

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Hassan | 8 years ago | Reply @Ram Dargad: Air Marshal Asghar Khan,retired on July 23, 1965 i.e. six weeks before the 1965 Indo-Pak War, was not even informed nor consulted before the launch of the Operation Gibraltar. Air Marshal Asghar Khan strongly opposed the war with India over the Bangladesh issue in 1971. that is it.

Ram Dargad | 8 years ago | Reply @Hassan: Do you know views of Air Marshal Asghar Khan ( Ex Air Chief of Pakistan) on this?

Hassan | 8 years ago | Reply @Ram Dargad: Initiated by India, check out the neutral observers. Pakistan won the war imposed by India.

Pakistani Sindhi | 8 years ago | Reply @Tarun Kumar: Where did you read that China had threatened India? If that would have been so, India wouldn't have invaded East Pakistan. Don't live in self-denial. While India was attacking Lahore and Sialkot, the Pakistani army had captured Kishangarh Fort in Rajahstan. Please don't leave biased comments and portray India as some sort of 'supreme power'.

Pakistani Sindhi | 8 years ago | Reply @Ravi:

But Kashmir, for which Pakistan started War in 1965 and 1999 still remains with India.

Kashmir has remained with India through military occupation and torture for more than six decades.

ABCD | 8 years ago | Reply @PK: Brother, liked your comment and wish you stay there(Baluchistan) for next hundred years as you have been staying since 1947 and keep alive your patriotism as it clearly is coming out from your heart without any inhibition.

Joe | 8 years ago | Reply Does Pakistan celebrate 16 December also ..?

Azi | 8 years ago | Reply Guys you don't need to convince Indians of anything. They suffer from depression over the losses they have faced and are facing even now. They claim victories over everything to help them sleep well then wake up terrified at night realizing the truth. I honestly don't know what victory is if we stopped the aggressor, repulsing it from Lahore and shattering Indian general's dream of a breakfast there. All that with army 5 times lesser. This day is for us to celebrate not make Indians weep further.

Rollin & Trollin | 8 years ago | Reply @Tarun Kumar: You're wrong there, Pops. Indian forces withdrew themselves from the Lahore front thinking that an ambush was afoot when, in reality, Pakistan had not factored in an Indian counterattack across the Wagah border into Lahore. And on the Sialkot front, Indian tanks were blown away by Pakistani soldiers strapping landmines across their chests and sliding under them in true Kamikaze spirit. Last but not least were the mystical, some say, supernatural interventions of the 'green militia' who scared the living daylights out of your fighter pilots when there bombing raids turned into raining duds. Alas, those were the days when the men of Pakistan, including a number of valiant East Pakistanis, showed their mettle and rose to the occasion.

Tarun Kumar | 8 years ago | Reply @Haider: The answer is China. China threatened to open a second front against india if it did not stop attack on lahore and sialkot. Since the aim of indian attack on lahore was to end op grandslam in which we succeeded, indian army felt that it was best to call a ceasefire before war expands to chinese theater. Had the war been one on one no way pakistan could have avoided a defeat

Ravi | 8 years ago | Reply A lot of bravado presented by Pakistani commentators is understandable. That's wat they have been told for last 50 years. But Kashmir, for which Pakistan started War in 1965 and 1999 still remains with India. In turn it has lost a lot. Half territory, trust and wat it got is known to everyone.

Ram Dargad | 8 years ago | Reply There is a lot of debate on who won the war, (which ended in a stalemate as per neutral observers). It is more useful to understand, who started it, with what purpose & what was achieved? On this question, ignore the hardliners & read those honest experts...

Glowing Pakistan | 8 years ago | Reply A heart touching poem by a SOLIDER: If I die in a war zone, Box me up & send mE home, Put my medals on my chest, Tell my mom I did my best, Tell my dad not to bow, He won't get tension from me now, Tell my brother to study perfectly, Keys of my car will be his permanently, Tell my sis not to be upset, Her bro will not rise after this sunset, Tell my love not to cry.. "BCOZ I AM A SOLDIER.. BORN TO DIE..! Dedicated to all martyrdom of 06-Sept 1965.!

Milind | 8 years ago | Reply @Pak - "An American weekly Newsweek magazine applauded the tactics of Pakistan’s armed forces who repulsed the attack by large Indian army and defended its territory." Tactics alone doesn't a war make, my dear friend.. Kargil to was brilliant tactic executed by Musharraf, but look at the fallout and losses. It was indecisive, did not achieve anything other than us securing our defences...

Rox | 8 years ago | Reply I love when indians dream and fulfill it in movies :). they say it's good to fulfill the dreams through the only means you can. Bollywood is the only mean for india.

PK | 8 years ago | Reply @Malatesh: It's in progress. In 1965 you wanted to breakup into Lahore, you had to face the worse. In 2007 you started promoting internal terrorism through a useless RAW, you succeed in start but us Pashtuns instead of breaking got more closer to Pakistan.You started killing Pashtuns, you started to destabilize Baluchistan. And finally in the end your terrorists are losing on every front-line. RAW is failing in Baluchistan not because of Pakistan Army but because Baloch Separatists are also coming back for talks. You can divide your community into cast. But Pakistanis are will and always will be UNITED. THIS IS WHAT YOU TRY TO BREAK BUT YOU FAILED ON EVERY SCALE TO THIS. So yes, you are failing again like 1965, probably worse than that because my love for Pakistan has rather increased infinite times more.

PAKhtoon | 8 years ago | Reply @Malatesh: The Time Magazine’s correspondent Louis Karrar wrote in a war dispatch on September 22, 1965, “Who can defeat a nation which knows to play hide and seek with death? Playing with fire to these men – from the Jawan to the General Officer Commanding – was like children playing with marbles in the streets. I asked the GOC, how is it that despite small number you are overpowering the Indians? He looked at me, smiled and said: If courage, bravery and patriotism was purchasable commodities, then India could have got them along with foreign aid.”

PAKhtoon | 8 years ago | Reply @Malatesh: Roy Meloni, a journalist of American Broadcasting Corporation summed up the events of the war on September 15, 1965 as follows, “I have been journalist now for 20 years and want to go on record that I have never seen a more confident and victorious group of soldiers than those fighting for Pakistan, right now.”

Point | 8 years ago | Reply @Malatesh: For that you will have to stop pointing guns at innocent people and man up and fire a bullet at a soldier of Pakistan. Well that need guts to fire at Pakistan army men on LOC. You currently have no such guts!!

Pak | 8 years ago | Reply @Malatesh: An American weekly Newsweek magazine applauded the tactics of Pakistan’s armed forces who repulsed the attack by large Indian army and defended its territory. “By just the end of the week, in fact, it was clear that the Pakistanis were more than holding their own.”

PAKtoon | 8 years ago | Reply @Malatesh: "India accept the ceasefire on September 21, 1965 while Pakistan agreed to it on September 22, 1965." tells the whole story.

Rana Haani | 8 years ago | Reply Shaheed ki jo moot h, wo qoum ki hayat h

Rana Haani | 8 years ago | Reply Pakistan ZIndabad Lob You :-*

Hassan Shah | 8 years ago | Reply Long live Pakistan....

Malatesh | 8 years ago | Reply I hope there will be another war like 1965, and Pakistan get the same 'victory' as it got in 1965, and let India to 'lose' as it lost 1965 war.

Neutral | 8 years ago | Reply May Allah Bless the Shohda's payed their lives to save the Motherland. From Siachine to Thar, and Waziristan to Gilgit, We salute our brave forces. Love from People of Pakistan.

Haider | 8 years ago | Reply Proud of Army men who successfully defended Lahore and Sialkot Battle of Chawinda,Ariel Strikes....1965 where both sides claim victory.... Read 1965 War on wikipedia only thing confused me when signing ceasefire agreement...PM of India asked commander that we can delay ceasefire if we have chance to win...Commander in chief said the almost all ammunation used with considerable tank losses.....then later it was figured out only 14% used.... If only 14% was used why did commander lied to PM....

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