The 6th of September is a golden chapter in the history of Pakistan, when Pakistan, its military and people stood united in 1965 in defense of Pakistan. Later in 1971, taking advantage of the civil war in East Pakistan, attacked and dismembered Pakistan in a humiliating defeat. In the first war the nation was united in the second war it was fighting with itself.

“Why is it, one may ask, that we still celebrate this day as the Defense of Pakistan Day when during the passage of 35 years since, we had another war thrust on us by India, with disastrous results and dismemberment of the country. In many ways people strongly feel that it is now more important to recall and remember the 6th of September as it was our ‘finest hour’ to borrow a famous Churchillian phrase. The 6th of September is important to us as a nation because the Indo-Pakistan war that followed was fought by Pakistan as a nation united in its determination and resolve to halt and beat back Indian multi-dimensional attacks against Pakistan,” as Lt. Gen. (Retd) Sardar F. S. Lodi states in The Nation newspaper, on Sept. 6, 2000.

While a number of decisions made by the Army High Command during the four wars fought by the country have been the subject of controversy, what has remained unquestioned is the valour displayed by thousands of jawans and young officers in all these conflicts.

The following selection of thought-provoking articles and analyses would further enrich our discussion, lessons, and memories on this year’s Defense Day, which we suggest should be renamed as memorial day:


Revealed: Official history of 1965 war
Thirty-six years ago on September 6, the Indian Army crossed the Wagah border at 4 a.m. and moved towards Lahore. This attack touched off the second Indo-Pakistan war. The Times of India has acquired a copy of the official history of the 1965 war, finalised by the defence ministry in 1992 after years of research, but suppressed ever since. Contemporary accounts, generated by a jingoistic press, saw the war as a spectacular victory on almost every front. But the truth — which cannot be hidden despite the best efforts of the official historians — is that the war was, in the words of one its most distinguished commanders, Lt. Gen. Harbakhsh Singh, “a catalogue of lost victories”.

Sadly but this Year no celebration

No Defence Day celebrations due to unstable law and order

LAHORE: Due to the country’s unstable law and order situation, this year’s Defence Day is not being celebrated in the traditional manner with no military parade, exhibition or air show, today (Saturday) or tomorrow. The nation celebrates Defence Day (September 6) every year to commemorate its victory over India during the 1965 war. The next day, September 7, is celebrated as Air Force Day to pay tribute to the Pakistan Air Force who demonstrated their skills by defeating the Indian air force. Major Farooq of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed that the army did not have any plans for the two days this year. In the four decades since 1965, the country had celebrated the two days with great patriotic passion and the army held military parades, ammunition exhibitions, and air shows in which air force pilots performed stunts. People thronged the airports and parade avenues to see these shows. According to the ISPR, this year, the army will only hold flag hoisting ceremonies in which the soldiers and army officers will salute the national flag. They will also visit the graves and monuments of the war heroes to pay tribute to their services for the country. Talking to Daily Times, Air Force engineer Qasim Ali Khan said that September 6, 1965, was a golden chapter in Pakistan’s history as it was a unique event in which the nation, its army and people stood united to safeguard the country’s frontiers. staff report

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