60 Years Since 1965: Tracing the Timeline of the Indo-Pak War That Shaped South Asia

The year was 1965. After frequent skirmishes, the flash point came in April, when Pakistan initiated Operation Desert Hawk in the Rann of Kutch. An uneasy ceasefire followed, but the tension simmered under the surface.

By August, Pakistan launched Operation Gibraltar, sending thousands of armed infiltrators into Jammu & Kashmir, disguised as locals. The plan was to incite rebellion against Indian rule. But the gamble failed—locals informed Indian authorities, and the infiltrators were hunted down.

Also read: Role of the Indian Navy in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965

In response, India mounted counter-operations to neutralise infiltration routes. One of the most decisive actions came between 26 and 28 August 1965—the Battle of Haji Pir. Indian forces, led by 1 Para and 19 Punjab, undertook a daring assault across steep, rain-soaked mountain terrain to capture the Haji Pir Pass, a crucial infiltration point linking Pakistan-administered territory with the Poonch sector. Despite heavy resistance, bad weather, and challenging altitudes, Indian troops secured the pass, cutting off one of Pakistan’s primary supply and infiltration routes. The capture of Haji Pir, led by Major Ranjit Singh Dyal, PVSM, MVC, became a strategic and morale-boosting victory, showcasing India’s ability to seize high-value terrain under hostile conditions.

This series of setbacks forced Pakistan into a corner, setting the stage for an all-out confrontation in September.

On 1 September, Pakistan launched Operation Grand Slam, directing a massive armoured thrust toward Akhnoor in an attempt to sever India’s vital link to Srinagar. India met this aggression head-on. On 6 September, the Indian Army crossed the international border near Lahore in a bold three-pronged assault—advancing along the Wagah–Dograi axis, the Khem Karan–Kasur sector, and the Khalra–Barki front—catching Pakistani forces by surprise.

The following days saw some of the most intense battles of the war. In the Battle of Asal Uttar (8–10 September), Indian forces under Brigadier Theograj, MVC, lured Pakistan’s 1 Armoured Division into a well-prepared defensive trap near Khem Karan. The result was the destruction of over 100 US-supplied Patton tanks, earning the area the nickname ‘Patton Nagar’.

Meanwhile, in the Battle of Dograi, fought twice during the war, Indian troops from the 3 Jat Battalion made a daring night assault on 21 September, capturing the heavily fortified Dograi village just 12 km from Lahore, after fierce close-quarter combat.

In the Battle of Barki (6–10 September), the 4 Sikh Battalion captured the strategically important Barki village east of the Ichhogil Canal, opening a direct route toward Lahore. The operation was marked by fierce resistance and significant casualties but ended in a decisive Indian victory.

The skies, too, became a battleground. The Indian Air Force played a crucial role in blunting Pakistan’s armoured advances and providing close air support. On 3 September 1965, Flight Lieutenant Trevor Keelor, VrC, VM, of No. 23 Squadron, scored India’s first-ever air-to-air kill, downing a Pakistani F-86 Sabre jet with his Folland Gnat over Chamb—an achievement that boosted Indian morale and cemented the Gnat’s reputation as the ‘Sabre Slayer’.

For 22 days, the conflict raged across deserts, fields, rivers, and skies, with India holding firm, repelling Pakistan’s offensives, and making significant gains across multiple fronts.

Also read: Role of the IAF in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965

As hostilities continued into mid-September, the United Nations intervened. The Security Council adopted Resolution 209 on 4 September, urging an immediate ceasefire and cooperation with UN observers.

Fighting persisted. On 20 September, Resolution 211 imposed a ceasefire effective 22 September, calling for withdrawal to pre-5 August positions. A UN observer mission, UNIPOM (United Nations India-Pakistan Observation Mission), was set up to monitor compliance outside Kashmir, while UNMOGIP (United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan) continued observing within Kashmir.

The UN further reiterated its demands with Resolution 214 on 27 September, emphasising that previous resolutions had gone unheeded, and again demanding an unconditional ceasefire.

Officially, Pakistan accepted the ceasefire on 23 September, albeit with visible dramatics. India, having largely gained on the battlefield, had already accepted it in principle earlier.

However, Pakistan’s official narrative resisted defeat. State-controlled media painted the war as a heroic stand rather than a setback. Public backlash ensued, fuelled by belief in ‘fabricated official reports’ suggesting a Pakistani victory.

With diplomacy under strain, the Soviet Union, led by Premier Alexei Kosygin, stepped in as a neutral mediator. Hosted in Tashkent from 4 to 10 January 1966, the talks between India’s Lal Bahadur Shastri and Pakistan’s Ayub Khan yielded the Tashkent Declaration on 10 January.

Under the agreement, both nations pledged to:

• Withdraw forces to pre-August lines by 25 February 1966.
• Respect each other’s sovereignty and not interfere in internal affairs.
• Resume diplomatic and economic ties, exchange prisoners, and undertake goodwill gestures.

In India, the accord drew criticism for not including a no-war clause or a Kashmir-specific resolution. In Pakistan, it triggered unrest, with protests against perceived surrender.

The UN-brokered ceasefire on 22 September—enforced by UNIPOM and UNMOGIP—halted the guns. The Tashkent Declaration followed, sealing the ceasefire in a diplomatic framework. Yet Kashmir remained unresolved, and hostility simmered beneath the surface.

Sixty years on, the 1965 war remains a defining chapter in South Asia’s history—shaping military strategies, national memories, and regional politics. By mid-September, both India and Pakistan had suffered heavy losses, but India held the battlefield advantage. Global powers, wary of Cold War spillover, pushed for an immediate halt.

The UN-brokered ceasefire took effect on 23 September, leading to the Soviet-mediated Tashkent Agreement in January 1966. India returned captured territory as a gesture toward peace, while Pakistan, lacking a formal surrender, fostered a domestic narrative of parity. The war’s legacy endures—a reminder that in this region, victories in battle are often tempered by diplomacy at the negotiating table.

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