The 2nd Battalion of the Punjab Regiment fought in the 1965 war against India. While it received several gallantry awards, the document argues that its role was exaggerated and it did not actually face most of the major Indian attacks. Only one company saw direct fighting on the first day, and it dispersed against heavy odds. The battalion was deployed away from the main sites of battle and did not face significant enemy forces apart from this initial engagement. Its impact on the decisive Battle of Chawinda was marginal.

1. 1
1

2. 2
2
The battalion was commanded by LTC Mohammad
Jamshed , MC and Bar . 1
This battalion was 24 Infantry Brigade and fought the
most decisive battle in 1965 war .However being an old
and well linked battalion, its role was much exaggerated.
The battalion was deployed as below :--
1
Page-493- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-Op Cit

3. 3
3
As the map above indicates only D Company of this
battalion was deployed at the border , while three
companies were safely deployed many miles in depth at
Chawinda.

4. 4
4
Indian armour commander lost his nerve because of
aggressive employment of two squadrons of Pakistan’s
25 cavalry although he was outnumbering the Pakistani
tanks by nine squadrons against two squadrons and
ordered withdrawal .

5. 5
5
2 Punjab was ordered to occupy Gadgor only after
Indians had withdrawn from it as proven by direct
participant Major Shamshad’s (25 Cavalry) testimony.

6. 6
6
Surprisingly the battalions lieutenant Farooq Adam was
awarded an SJ for the supposed attack on Gadgor , which
as per direct participant Major Shamshad of 25 Cavalry
was totally undeserved , because there was no enemy at
Gadgor and no fighting took place.

7. 7
7
On night 10th September 1965, 2 Punjab was withdrawn
and re-deployed in the depth at Chawinda .

8. 8
8
Thus 2 Punjab did not face the main Indian attack
launched at Phillora on 11th September 1965:--

9. 9
9

10. 10
10
The battalion again did not face the most dangerous
Indian attack on Chawinda as map below indicates.

11. 11
11
Most of the fatal casualties of the total 23 (twenty three)
2
casualties of the battalion were suffered by its D
Company which faced the massive Indian divisional
attack on 7th September 1965.
23 casualties do not indicate that the battalion fought
very seriously heavy battles.
The 2017 Punjab Regiment official history inflated 2
Punjab’s 23 killed to 25 killed ! 3
No officer of the battalion was killed in 1965 war . This
may be attributed to the fact that the battalion did not
see much direct fighting apart from the first day of the
war when its D company simply dispersed in face of
heavy odds and was recollected after two days .
2
Page-509- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-
3
Page-349- THE STORY OF PUNJAB REGIMENT-Op cit.

12. 12
12
On 8th September 1965 when the battalion claimed to
have attacked Gadgor , the Indians had already vacated
the village.
In most of the Indian attacks on Chawinda the brunt of
attacks was faced by 14 Baluch and 3 FF while most of
the battalion was deployed on the southern and eastern
side of Chawinda as the above map indicates.
One may state that the battalion being old and well
linked received more than the share of gallantry awards
that it deserved. Thus it received :-- 4
1. SITARA E JURRAT (SJ) - FOUR
2. TAMGHA I JURRAT - FOUR
3. IMTIAZI SANAD - FOUR
The battalion performed well but at no stage faced the
brunt of the Indian attack except on night 7thSeptember
1965 when its D Company was simply scattered and
4
Pages-228 and 229- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF
THE PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-Op cit.

13. 13
13
dispersed and failed to contest the overwhelmingly
superior Indian attack.
On 8th September 1965 the battalion was ordered to
attack Gadgor only after it had been abandoned by the
Indians.
As earlier discussed the battalion did not face any major
Indian attack after 7th September 1965 .
The battalion performed outstandingly but its role was
much exaggerated after the war thanks to highly
exaggerated gallantry award citations and the old boy
network in the army.
The battalion claimed to have played leading role in
repelling Indian armoured division attack on 8th
September 1965 . This was a ludicrous claim as the attack
was repelled by 25 Cavalry. Thus its impact and
contribution in the decisive battle of Chawinda was
marginal .
This was a case of battalions from Pakistan’s military
dictators Punjab Regiment being given preferential
treatment .