A retired Indian Army Colonel Praveen Sawhney made a confession according to which “Pakistan never lost a war on India’s western border”. When the statement came over the internet, netizens started talking about the 1971 episode of disintegrating western Pakistan or present-day Bangladesh. It is a fact that it was a most horrendous day where almost half of Pakistan was wiped out of the map of the world. But here if we try to carefully understand the statement made by the Indian Colonel, he is stating that Pakistan never lost a war on the ” Western border” while the 1971 event transpired on the Eastern half which was a setback for Pakistani forces.
The argument presented by the former Colonel was that in all the three wars of 1947- 48, 1965, and 1971 the line of control was never breached by the Indian forces on the western sphere which depicts that India never won. However, Pakistan did capture the Azad Kashmir area known most famously as Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) in India.
Talking about the 1965 war, the Indian dream of having breakfast in Lahore was also shattered by not just the Pakistan army but the common people who laid their lives for the country as well. Our fighter pilot M.M Alam also made a world record in bringing down five Indian aircraft in a single blow. The formally undeclared Indian attack at night turned against them as they asked the United Nations for an armistice.
The other clashes in Siachen and the Kargil also never went into the Indian favour solely. After India occupied the Siachen sector in 1984, Pakistan launched the Chumik operation in 1989 and eventually brought India to the negotiation table where it was finally declared as a demilitarized zone. In the Kargil clash as well, there were no territorial changes but 553 officers and soldiers were arrested with 527 being killed by the Pak army with 357 soldiers from Pakistan claiming martyrdom as well as per the reports by economic times.
The most recent Abhinandan episode of 2019 also depicts the Pakistani influence over the mighty Indian force. Keeping these facts in mind, it can be concluded that the claims of Colonel (r) Sawhney are not vague and do amass some weight.
Author: Ali Ayub