The Battle of Burki during the 1965 Indo-Pakistani War was a crucial defense of Lahore, where Pakistani forces, led by Major Raja Aziz Bhatti, successfully halted a major Indian advance despite being outnumbered. Major Bhatti's valor in this decisive battle is celebrated as a symbol of courage and national pride.

One of the most crucial battles of the 1965 War was the Battle of Burki, where Pakistani forces faced a ferocious onslaught from the Indian juggernaut of armor and infantry forces. Burki is a small village situated southeast of Lahore, near the border with Indian Punjab, just eleven kilometers from Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport. It is connected to Lahore by a bridge built over the famous BRB (Bambawali-Ravi-Bedian) link canal. The village of Burki was the site of one of the most intense and bloody battles of the 1965 War with India.
The Indian army began their attack from the town of Kalra under the command of Major General Har Krishan Sibal. Lieutenant Colonel Anant Singh commanded the armored columns and initially made a rapid advance into Pakistani territory. The advancing Indian forces overran the village of Jahman, and the Pakistani forces regrouped to make a stand at the village of Burki, fighting all along the way to slow down the Indian advance. The aim of the Indian armored division, supported by infantry and air cover, was to encircle and possibly besiege Lahore. This was made evident when Indian Army Chief General Chowdhury boasted that he would enjoy a "Patiala Peg" in the Lahore Gymkhana by the end of the day.
To counter the Indian offensive, the Pakistan Army mobilized its forces and mounted a three-pronged counterattack. The Battle of Burki was subsequently fought on the Kalra-Burki-Lahore Road. The main objective of the Pakistan Army was to force the Indian infantry to retreat before the arrival of the armored units and supply columns, and to regain the territory occupied by Indian forces during their initial thrust into Pakistani territory. The Indian aim was to capture and hold the village of Burki until their armor and supply units could catch up.

Numerous feats of valor and bravery beyond the call of duty were witnessed during the Battle of Burki. According to a frontline infantry officer, "The trenches are our home. This is where we live, and this is where we die." The gallant actions of Major Raja Aziz Bhatti will be remembered in glowing words in the annals of military history.

Pakistan launched a gallant counterattack on September 8 with a massive artillery barrage and continued pounding the advancing Indian infantry on September 9-10. Immediately after this, the 1st Armored Division of the Pakistan Army counterattacked, and the Indian infantry division clashed with Pakistani troops at Burki, resulting in massive damage to the Indian infantry and armored columns by September 10. The fierce battles raged on, and the Indian forces continued to resist until units of the 18th Cavalry Regiment reinforced them. They launched their main assault on September 10 with heavy armor and air support. The Indians then advanced to the town of Dograi near Lahore, putting the city of Lahore in danger of being within range of Indian tank fire.
At this critical juncture, the heavily outnumbered and outgunned infantry units, commanded by Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed (Nishan-e-Haider), forced the Indian units into hand-to-hand combat during the night of September 7-8. No quarter was asked, and none was given, as the fierce battle continued for the next three days despite the overwhelming strength of the Indian army. The numerical advantage of the Indians came to naught, and the Indian armored columns came to a dead stop. Their dream of capturing Lahore and enjoying a Patiala Peg at the Lahore Gymkhana was shattered. The Indians then shifted their focus to securing the Burki sector and destroying the bridge connecting the BRB Canal.
Numerous feats of valor and bravery beyond the call of duty were witnessed during the Battle of Burki. According to a frontline infantry officer, "The trenches are our home. This is where we live, and this is where we die." The gallant actions of Major Raja Aziz Bhatti will be remembered in glowing words in the annals of military history.
Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed, NH, was an army officer who received the highest award for gallantry. Born in Hong Kong in 1928, he moved to Pakistan before independence, where his family settled in the village of Ladian in the Kharian District of Gujarat. He was commissioned in 1950 after graduating from the 1st Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Long Course and winning the Sword of Honour. During the Battle of Burki, he was a company commander who stayed with his men under incessant artillery and tank attacks for five days and nights while gallantly defending the strategic BRB Canal. Major Aziz continuously reorganized his company and directed the gunners to shell enemy positions. To observe every move of the enemy, this brave son of the soil placed himself in an elevated position, leading his men from the front under constant attack from Indian artillery batteries. He countered every Indian offensive in his area until he was struck in the chest by an enemy tank shell while monitoring the enemy's movements and was martyred on September 12, 1965.
It is pertinent to note that the Nishan-e-Haider is conferred upon soldiers who perform acts of great heroism in circumstances of extreme danger or those who demonstrate bravery of the highest order and devotion to the country in the presence of the enemy. The Battle of Burki sent an unequivocal message to the international community that, regardless of the ruthlessness or cowardice of the adversary, our nation and its military were fully prepared and capable of defending their sovereign territory.
Our country takes immense pride in the extraordinary and incomparable sacrifices made by its armed forces to protect our homeland.

The writer serves as an English Language and World History teacher and holds the position of Head of the English Department at Headstart School. Additionally, he works as a teacher and trainer for the GRE and SAT at the United States Educational Foundation in Islamabad.
E-mail: [email protected]