Then on September 12th, 1965, at 0900 hours while directing fire on the Indians and destroying two tanks, Bhatti was himself struck by a tank shell which tore through his body, killing him
instantaneously. Bhatti became a Shaheed, a Martyr, after 120 hours of ceaseless fighting against enormous odds. President Field Marshal Ayub Khan awarded the Nishan-e-Haider (posthumously), Pakistan's highest medal for valour, to Major Raja Aziz Bhatti (Shaheed).
Author's photo of the Nishan-e-Haider.
Before Bhatti left for the front, his eldest son, Zulfiqar Ahmed, said to his father, "Dad, fight with courage and never show any cowardice."
Bhatti laughed. Patting Zulfi on the head, he replied, "Sonny, I shall ever remember your words." (Pakistan's Finest Hour, page 53).
Bhatti told this to his friend Major Shafqat Baluch. After Bhatti became a martyr, Major Baluch said to Zulfi, "Dear, you have lost your father, but mind he fought with such valour and gallantry that he will go down in history as a rare example of courage." (Pakistan's Finest Hour, page 53).
A day before Bhatti's death, his Commanding Officer came to him and told him that he would be relieved because of the severe fatigue he had undergone, caused by many days and nights of ceaseless fighting. To that Bhatti replied, "I will not come back, I shall die defending this place." (Pakistan's Finest Hour, page 52). Bhatti remained true to his word, and died fighting gallantly after 120 hours of non-stop fighting.
With only a hundred Pakistani troops, he repulsed wave after wave of Indian Brigade and Divisional attacks. Such was the courage of Major Raja Aziz Bhatti (Shaheed), and such was the courage of thousands of other Pakistani men of Army, Airforce, and Navy, who helped Pakistan win the war of 1965.
Bibliography
Cloughley, Brian. A History of the Pakistan Army: Wars and Insurrections.
Karachi: Ameena Saiyid, Oxford University Press, 2000.
Riza, Shaukat. The Pakistan Army War 1965. Lahore: M/S Wajidalis LTD,
Services Book Club, 1984.
Syed, Rahman and Syed Mohammad. Pakistan's Finest Hour. Chittagong: The
Printers, 1965.
More Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Battle of Burki: Sep 7 1965
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© Copyright 2002 by Shahram Khan.
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