The battalions commanding officer LTC Syed Asghar
Hussain was on attachment with Japanese Army in
Japan. Acting command was held by major Kazim
Hussain. 1 During operations command was assumed
by LTC Syed Ali Zamin Naqvi.2
5 Punjab , the battalion of Pakistan’s military ruler in
1965 was part of 7 Division in 1965.
1
Page-195- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-Op Cit
2
Page-494- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-Op Cit
The later more famous colonel S.K Tressler who
commanded 42 Punjab in Chhamb in 1971 most
outstandingly was also serving in 5 Punjab in 1965 war.3
The battalion was much shifted and shuffled as maps
below illustrate , but saw near zero action in 1965 war !
:-
3
Page-195- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-Op cit.
Contrary to brigadier Rizvi’s roundabout claim the
battalion was not directly sent to Tithwal but initially
moved to Batrasi 4 probably, because, the officers
incharge in GHQ were keen to please the military
usurper Ayub Khan !
4
Page-55- HISTORY OF INDO PAK WAR-1965-Op cit.
5 Punjab was most reluctantly and hesitatingly deployed
by the Pakistani army headquarters, GHQ at Tithwal in
parts !
An operational crisis developed in Tithwal when 1 Sikh
attacked the crucial Pir Sahaba feature and the sector
commander brigadier Khilji , requested 12 division
headquarters to release 5 Punjab ! However 12 Division
headquarters hands were tied as they had to request
specific permission of the GHQ to deploy 5 Punjab in
actual operations ! 5
Since the situation was desperate finally after seeking
clearances from the obsequesous military operations
directorate under Gul Hassan Khan , a company of 5
Punjab was miserly released !
5
Page-55- HISTORY OF INDO PAK WAR-1965-Op cit
The first company of 5 Punjab , hesitatingly employed
arrived too late to save Pir Sahaba and was deployed at
Ali Koh.
Second precious company of 5 Punjab was released on
27th August 1965 6 and reached Nauseri.An unfortunate
incident occurred, in which bridge protection troops at
Nauseri bridge mistook the second company of 5 Punjab
6
Page-55- HISTORY OF INDO PAK WAR-1965-Op cit.
for enemy troops and a fire fight erupted , resulting in
casualties including death of 5 Punjab’s major Nazar
Mohammad Niazi.7
Lieutenant General Mahmud had complete access to all
official documents while writing his officially sponsored
and supported book. So it is shocking when Mahmud
falsely claims that Major Shah 8 of 5 Punjab was killed in
this incident.Mahmuds claim was outrightly false and
incorrect and three reputable Pakistani books of Rizvi 9 ,
Mukhtar Gillani, 10 and official Punjab Regiment history
of 2017 11 , disproved it in favour of Major Nazar
Mohammad Niazi. Colonel Mukhtar Gillani however
whitewashed and hid the fact that major Nazar
Mohammad Niazi was killed by friendly fire.
The 2017 official Punjab regiment history also
whitewashed , hoodwinked and hid the fact that major
Nazar Mohammad Niazi was killed by friendly fire.
7
Page-506- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-Op cit.
8
Page-55- HISTORY OF INDO PAK WAR-1965-Op cit.
9
Page-506- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-Op cit.
10
Page-70- PAKISTAN BHARAT JANG-SEPTEMBER 1965-Op
cit.
11
Page-349- THE STORY OF PUNJAB REGIMENT-Op cit.
At least Mahmud came with the truth as far as cause of
death of Major Nazar Mohammad Niazi whose name
Mahmud changed to Shah, was concerned !
Interestingly major Shah who Mahmud falsely claimed
as killed was not even in Tithwal but in totally different
Jhelum valley commanding A Company 5 Punjab at
Tithwal as per colonel Mukhtar Gillanis book ! 12
On 29th August 1971 lieutenant colonel Syed Ali Zamin
Naqvi with battalion headquarters of 5 Punjab and its
third company reached Nauseri and was deployed
opposite Pir Sahaba south of Jhelum river .13
12
Page-70- PAKISTAN BHARAT JANG-SEPTEMBER 1965-Op
cit.
13
Page- 55- HISTORY OF INDO PAK WAR-1965-Op cit.
Lieutenant general Mahmud is intellectually honest in
admitting that no major fighting took place in 5 Punjab
area of deployment as “Indians did not descend into the
valley because of lack of sufficient strength , for further
operations, towards Nauseri and beyond”.14
Colonel Mukhtar Gillani who we thought was
arespectable historian made a totally false claim in his
book that 5 Punjab killed 300 Indians ! 15
5 Punjab lost four 16 killed in entire 1965 war including
major Niazi who died because of friendly fire !
Mahmud totally omitted , if any soldier in addition to
Major Niazi died of friendly fire , so this would remain a
mystery. Thus three soldiers killed in actual fighting
makes Gillanis claim that 5 Punjab killed 300 Indians
totally bogus and ridiculous !
14
Page-55- HISTORY OF INDO PAK WAR-1965-Op cit.s
15
Page-70- PAKISTAN BHARAT JANG-SEPTEMBER 1965-Op
cit.
16
Page-509- VETERAN CAMPAIGNERS-A HISTORY OF THE
PUNJAB REGIMENT-1759-1981-Op cit.
5 Punjab lost only one officer as already discussed , but
this was not in actual fighting with the enemy but by
friendly fire.
The battalion hardly fought the war and was
conveniently shielded and protected by the Pakistani
army GHQ from the war !
NIL Impact .
This was a case of sheer parochialism protecting a
battalion from the ravages of war because it was the
countrys military rulers battalion .
