A Tank Regiment forces a Tank Division to Retreat -25 Cavalry on 8 September 1965

In March 2001 I was Assistant Editor of Defence Journal Karachi and a chapter from my book Pakistan Army till 1965 was serialized in Defence Journals March 2001 issue assessing 25 Cavalry’s true role on 8 September 1965. The account ruffled many feathers in Pakistan.Below is a account of this debate. In 1965 War Pakistan Army was still a very intellectually backward and biased army. Old units regarded themselves as families and regimentation was a religion combined with ethnic chauvinism. In this situation the fact that a newly raised tank regiment actually repelled an entire Indian tank division to retreat was unpalatable to the forces that controlled Pakistan Army ! Field Marshal Ayub Khan a self promoted Field Marshal saw his parent Punjab Regiment as ultimate army and was heavily biased in favour of Punjab Regiment. Other infantry units and other arms like armour were looked down.Partly it was a Britis inherited tradition. In this situation 25 Cavalrys crucial role was simply downplayed. Truth slowly emerged when Pakistan Armys official history was written and published around 1985-89.