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Remembering the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War

© AFP 2023 -A picture dated September 13, 1965 shows a column of Indian soldiers progressing in the Haji-Pir gorge during the Second Indo-Pakistani War.
A picture dated September 13, 1965 shows a column of Indian soldiers progressing in the Haji-Pir gorge during the Second Indo-Pakistani War. - Sputnik India, 1920, 23.09.2023
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India and Pakistan today exist as rival neighbors who have fought four wars, including two over Kashmir and one linked to the formation of Bangladesh.
India is commemorating the 58th anniversary of the 1965 war with Pakistan. The war culminated with a ceasefire and peace was achieved by USSR mediation on September 23.
Although both claimed victory at the time, the 1965 India-Pakistan war ended in a stalemate, and both parties signed the Tashkent peace agreement later.

How Did the War Start?

As per the reports in August 1965, Pakistan launched 'Operation Gibraltar' in which somewhere between 7,000-30,000 fighters in disguise were pushed across the ceasefire line into Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indian Army was tipped off about the insurgence by locals, and it reportedly arrested most of these insurgents and retaliated. By the end of August, the Indian Army captured the Haji Pir pass, 8 km into Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and Pakistan made progress in areas such as Tithwal, Uri and Poonch on the Indian side.
On September 1, Pakistan launched Operation Grand Slam to capture Akhnoor, a small town in Jammu, which was an important communications location for Indian troops. The 15th Infantry Division of the Indian Army crossed the International border on September 6, officially entering the war.
On September 8, Special Service Group commandos from Pakistan were parachuted onto three Indian airbases, and a tiny flotilla of the Pakistan Navy carried out a bombardment of the Indian Navy’s radar station coastal town of Dwarka in Gujarat state.

How Did The War End?

By the second week of the war, it had already drawn the attention of international leaders and many countries wanted to play the role of mediator. However, it could only be achieved by the initiative of Soviet Union representative Alexei Kosygin who talked to both nations.
Both nations accepted a United Nations resolution for a ceasefire which took effect from September 22.
The warring sides signed a peace deal, known as the Tashkent Declaration, on January 10, 1966, in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Who Won?

Each side blamed the other for having opened fire first and claimed to have fought the battle to save their country. However, these claims could not be verified independently.
Pakistan marks 'Defense Day' on September 6 to commemorate the country’s 1965 victory against India.
Meanwhile, India, in 2015, commemorated its 50 years of "triumph" over Pakistan in 1965 in more than three weeks of celebrations.
The celebrations began on August 28, the day Indian troops captured the strategic Haji Pir Pass in Pakistan, and continued until September 22, the day India and Pakistan agreed to a UN-sponsored ceasefire.

The Tashkent Agreement

Then Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, while accepting Soviet mediation, said at the Indian Parliament, “No one can ever contest the view that ultimately India and Pakistan will have to live together as peaceful neighbors. We cannot therefore say no to any efforts, which may help bring about such a situation, made by those who are sincere and genuine in their feelings of goodwill and friendship.”
© AFP 2023 -Picture released on January 10, 1966 of Prime Minister of India Lal Bahadur Shastri (L), President of Pakistan Muhammad Ayub Khan (C) and Soviet Prime minister Alexei Kosygin meeting for the Tashkent conference and the signature of a peace treaty after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
Picture released on January 10, 1966 of Prime Minister of India Lal Bahadur Shastri (L), President of Pakistan Muhammad Ayub Khan (C) and Soviet Prime minister Alexei Kosygin meeting for the Tashkent conference and the signature of a peace treaty after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. - Sputnik India, 1920, 23.09.2023
Picture released on January 10, 1966 of Prime Minister of India Lal Bahadur Shastri (L), President of Pakistan Muhammad Ayub Khan (C) and Soviet Prime minister Alexei Kosygin meeting for the Tashkent conference and the signature of a peace treaty after the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965.
Even before leaving the country, Shastri said, “Jawaharlalji (first Indian Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru) used to say the Soviet Union had given us many gifts; the most precious gift was the gift of friendship. I can do better than [that] to echo these sentiments.”
The talks began in Tashkent on January 3, 1966, with Kosygin meeting Shastri and Pakistan’s President Mohammad Ayub Khan.
The Tashkent Agreement was signed on January 10, 1966, agreeing that both sides will exert all efforts to create good neighborly relations in accordance with the United Nations Charter.
Also, all armed personnel of the two countries were withdrawn by February 25 to the positions they held prior to August 5, 1965, and both sides observed the ceasefire terms on the ceasefire line.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pose for a photo prior to their talks on a sideline of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, June 13, 2019 - Sputnik India, 1920, 13.09.2023
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