Political, HindustanSeptember 7, 2005 3:14 pm
September 6 is Defence Day in Pakistan. It commemorates that fateful day in 1965 when the “cowardly Indian army” launched a surprise attack on Lahore, only to be driven back by the “ferocious resistance” of the “Pak” army. Our gallant troops, despite being outarmed and outnumbered, managed to keep the nefarious enemy at bay. And earned a mighty victory.
Or so children learn in school. Operation Gibraltar does not feature in schoolbooks.
This year, like all others, Defence Day was celebrated with “traditional solemnity and fervour”. The usual pompous shows of militarism and noxious patriotism were on display.
This year was a little different in one respect. Air Marshal Nur Khan spoke at length about the 1965 war and demythified some of the “heroics” of the army.
“They [the generals] had planned ‘Operation Gibraltar’ for self-glory rather than in the national interest. It was a wrong war. And they misled the nation with a big lie that India rather than Pakistan had provoked the war and that we were the victims of Indian aggression.”
and:
Since the 1965 war was based on a big lie and was presented to the nation a great victory, the Army came to believe its own fiction and has used since, Ayub as its role model and therefore has continued to fight unwanted wars — the 1971 war and the Kargil fiasco in 1999.
Pakistan needs more hard-hitting truth speakers like him. You have our respect, sir.
Update: Daily Times ran a related editorial.
