In the intense 1965 War, the Pakistan Army’s triumph was marked by extraordinary valor and strategic brilliance, captured in monuments like Munawan and Batapur. These memorials pay tribute to the fearless 1 Baloch Regiment, 16 Frontier Force (FF) Regiment, and 3 Baloch Regiment, whose sacrifices turned the tide of battle.

War is a domain of uncertainty. As Field Marshal Erwin Rommel once said, "The best plan is made after the war." Nevertheless, amid the fog of confusion, the atmosphere of blindness, and moments of perplexity, some aspects of battle remain certain.
A soldier’s charge to gain critical ground and the fierce response to deny that position to advancing forces are absolute certainties. Units win victories in war, and the triumphs or defeats of these units determine the outcome of the war. However, it's not as simple as it sounds. Victory is achieved through the courage and sacrifice of officers and soldiers facing fire, bombs, shells, and obstacles. It is in this brief span of time and space that men achieve honor and glory.

The Munawan War Monument was established to commemorate the heritage of the 1965 War. They serve as a memorial to celebrate, reflect upon, pay homage, salute, and show respect to the martyrs of the 1 Baloch Regiment and 16 Frontier Force (FF) Regiment. These units, operating under the banner of the 10th Division, defeated the Indian Army on the battlefields around Lahore during the 1965 War.

In the 1965 War, the Pakistan Army emerged victorious by defeating and destroying the enemy through courageous and successful operations and brave unit actions. The dedication and sacrifices made by the rank and file of the Pakistan Army made this victory possible.
The Munawan War Monument was established to commemorate the heritage of the 1965 War. They serve as a memorial to celebrate, reflect upon, pay homage, salute, and show respect to the martyrs of the 1 Baloch Regiment and 16 Frontier Force (FF) Regiment. These units, operating under the banner of the 10th Division, defeated the Indian Army on the battlefields around Lahore during the 1965 War. The monument encapsulates the story of those rare moments in a soldier's life that render him glory within the fleeting nature of time and space in war.
Munawan War Monument: 10^th Division
Headquarters 10^th Division was raised in 1914 in Egypt. It participated in World War I in Palestine. The division was demobilized in 1919 but was re-raised in 1941 in Ahmad Nagar, India. It then participated in World War II and saw action in Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. After independence, the division was re-raised in 1948.
In the 1965 War, the 10^th Division defended Lahore, and its valiant units fought and defeated the enemy in different sectors. The war monument at Munawan was constructed on August 12, 2011, in memory of the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives in defense of their motherland during the 1965 War.
Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed, Nishan-e-Haider (NH), and Lance Naik Mehfooz Shaheed, Nishan-e-Haider, were from the 10^th Division units. They were awarded the highest gallantry award of the Pakistan Army for their bravery, courage, leadership, and sacrifice.
Munawan War Monument: 1 Baloch Regiment
In the 1965 War, the 1st Baloch Regiment Headquarters was located at the 17th kilometer on the Lahore-Amritsar Road, famously known as the Grand Trunk (GT) Road, which connects Pakistan and India.
On September 22, 1965, the 1^st Baloch Regiment was assigned as the divisional reserve component to recapture Dograi. In a courageous attack led by Captain Zahur Afridi, two Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and thirty-one soldiers embraced martyrdom, and fifty-seven men were injured. To commemorate the battle of Dograi, the Munawan War Monument was built by the 1st Baloch Regiment under the supervision of Lieutenant Colonel Muhammad Amin Mirza, the Commanding Officer (CO) during the 1965 War. Construction began in 1965 and was completed in 1966. The first guard mounting at the monument was carried out in 1966.
In May 2006, the Punjab Government decided to expand the GT Road. The battalion was asked to relocate the monument as it was within the space earmarked for the road expansion. After much deliberation, it was decided to construct a replica of the old memorial at Manawan. Upon completion of the project, a guard mounting ceremony at the new site was held on September 6, 2011. Major General Zafar Iqbal, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 10th Division, laid a wreath at the ceremony.
The Munawan War Monument is 'The Gallant One's' tribute to the unit's martyrs. It symbolizes the battalion's firm resolve to keep the memory of its fallen sons alive and its commitment to defend the sacred motherland against all enemies, no matter the cost.
Munawan War Monument: 16 FF Regiment
The 16th FF Regiment was raised on September 12, 1965 in Abbottabad. The unit reached Lahore on September 21, 1965, and on the same day, the brave men of the unit took up defensive positions near Batapur along the Bambanwala-Ravi-Bedian (BRB) Link Canal in the Wagah Sector under the command of the 114th Brigade.

The war monument at Munawan was constructed on August 12, 2011, in memory of the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives in defense of their motherland during the 1965 war.

During their move and occupation of defenses, the enemy subjected them to heavy artillery and mortar fire as it attempted to cross the BRB Link Canal. However, due to our soldiers' bold response and fight, despite taking up defenses in unprepared positions, the enemy could not cross the BRB Link Canal and finally ceased its fire and movement by 0325 hours on September 23, 1965. In the morning, the enemy was seen retrieving their dead, and many vehicles were destroyed. During the war, one soldier, Shah Muhammad, embraced martyrdom, and fifteen soldiers were injured.

Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed, Nishan-e-Haider, and Lance Naik Mehfooz Shaheed, Nishan-e-Haider, were from the 10th Division units. 

In memory of the daring actions and fight against the enemy despite being a newly raised unit, a war monument was constructed at the location where the forwardmost company of the unit was deployed. During the GT Road expansion in 2012, the monument was relocated to its present site. The monument reflects the glorious war history of the regiment and acts as a symbol of honor and inspiration for the present and future generations of this great Piffer Regiment.
Batapur War Monument: 3 Baloch Regiment
On September 6, 1965, at 0600 hours, one of the Indian leading columns attacked our main positions along the famous BRB Link Canal in the area between Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) and the Minhala Jalloi Track. This attack was repulsed with heavy losses to the enemy. Another infantry column supported by tanks simultaneously advanced along the GT Road. The leading tanks of this force reached as close as about 680 yards from the bridge. Just outside the village of Dograi, one of our antitank recoilless rifles sited behind a bullock cart (at the current location of the monument) and fired at the leading tanks, temporarily halting their advance. The enemy made repeated attempts to capture the bridge, but each time, it failed to break through the heavy concentration of our artillery and small arms fire.
On September 7, 1965, at 2130 hours, the enemy launched another major attack on our front. Fierce battles continued throughout the night, and by the morning of September 8, 1965, the enemy retreated, leaving hundreds of dead on the battlefield.
The Battle of Batapur fought on September 6-7, 1965, will serve as a classic example of defense in the history of warfare. God forbid, had we lost this first major strategic battle for the defense of Pakistan, subsequent war events would probably have taken a different turn. In this battlefield lies the blood of many unknown heroes from different units, but all fighting for the same cause—those who gave their today for our tomorrow. 

The writer holds a degree in Asian Studies with a major in Archaeology from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. She has served as Curator-Research and PRO at the Army Museum Lahore and has been associated with the museum since its thematic inception and gallery design. She has also served as a Research Officer at the Military Heritage Branch, HQ Lahore Corps.