Since independence, Pakistan has faced a perpetually aggressive and hostile Indian stance. Pakistan, as a peace-loving nation, has endeavored to promote peace in the region but has also shown meritorious feats of valor in the battleground during wars. Indo-Pak war of 1965 went down in history as a witness to the courage and surprising maneuverability the armed forces of Pakistan showed in the face of the enemy.
During the war, Pakistan’s armed forces answered the Indian offensive with a massive retaliation on all battlefronts. The Pakistan Navy fought shoulder to shoulder with its sister services helping them gain ground on the Indian forces. Among many other acts of bravery, Operation Dwarka holds great significance in our national history as it played an important role in the victory Pakistan earned against a formidable enemy. The account of PNS Ghazi deterring the Indian fleet even won compliments from an Indian Vice Admiral Mihir Roy. The Indian Admiral wrote in his book “War in the Indian Ocean”, “[With] Jamnagar attacked and Dwarka shelled and the Indian fleet still preparing to sail was an affront to the sailors in white who could not understand what was holding the fleet back.”[1]
As the war broke out, all units of the Pakistan Navy were instructed to adopt a defensive position and be ready to launch an offensive if needed. They were tasked to maintain normalcy in the harbors, ensuring the safety of the merchant navy and guarding the Sea Lines of Communications (SLOCs). However, the repeated attacks by the Indian Air Force necessitated offensive action. In the course of the war, the Pakistan Navy was tasked to attack and maim the Indian radar system in Dwarka, an Indian naval station 300 km south of Karachi. A small assortment of warships could not have been a match to a sizeable enemy; however, the courage combined with planning resulted in success. A flotilla consisting of seven warships (one cruiser, four destroyers, one frigate, and one submarine) was tasked to attack the Indian naval station in Dwarka. In those testing times, Operation Dwarka showed the professional capabilities of the Pakistan Navy despite difficulties and logistic imbalance.
The Indian Navy was caught off-guard by this unperceivable audacious naval offensive from the Pakistan Navy. Indian Naval Command did not expect an enemy by far smaller in size to launch such a daring offensive on one of its important radar stations. Structured around the flagship INS Vikrant, the only aircraft carrier in the region, the Indian Navy could project airpower at long ranges in the Indian Ocean. But still IN failed to timely detect and counter the Pakistan Navy’s flotilla. This astonishing maneuverability and professional acumen can best be described in the words of Sun Zu, a great military strategist and philosopher. He writes in his famous book ‘The Art of War’, “Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”
Operation Dwarka aimed to hunt heavy enemy units out of Bombay to be attacked by a submarine and to destroy the radar system that provided valuable information to the enemy. While the PN flotilla was six miles away from Dwarka, it launched a massive artillery attack and surprisingly destroyed the target in four minutes. On the other side, PNS Ghazi turned the tables against India. Its aggressive patrol across the North Arabian Sea discouraged the Indian fleet so much that it was unable to patrol in the Indian Ocean. This unparalleled performance in the face of a formidable enemy won PNS Ghazi multiple awards and citations from the then-president. Cast in stone the audacious account of PNS Ghazi and the unflinching courage it showed in the face of uncertainty will never fade away from the memory of the nation and will continue to inspire generations of naval officers. It continuously reminds them that although the numerical superiority of an army holds its importance, superior professional efficiency, high morale, and effective planning have many times outweighed numerical strength.
Pakistan Navy commemorates 8th September as the day of victory and honors its valiant soldiers who fought for the motherland. However, the historical importance of Operation Dwarka extends beyond its being a victory. It has other aspects, too. The operation marked the beginning of naval rivalry between Pakistan and India and has been a driving force behind further naval developments on both sides. It also serves as a reminder that we have an aggressive enemy against us and we must always be prepared to respond to any future offensive. Moreover, the Indian Ocean Region is highly volatile with regards to security and rapidly changing geopolitical situations demand persistent readiness and professional competence.
Pakistan Navy has continued to enhance its operational capabilities and professional excellence to date and has emerged as an important regional force. Besides remarkable performance during wartime, the Pakistan Navy has contributed greatly towards building regional peace and fighting non-traditional threats existing in the region. Through participating in various international peace efforts, and taking various initiatives, Pakistan Navy has earned a respectable status as a peace-loving and responsible navy. Pakistan Navy has Commanded CTF-150 and CTF-151 for multiple times and taken initiatives such as establishing the Joint Maritime Information Coordination Centre and holding the multilateral naval exercise AMAN along with several others. It all shows Pakistan’s stance towards its international obligations and the positive use of its naval force to promote peace and stability in the region.
Gul Hameed
The Author is an Independent Researcher and Specializes in Political Linguistics and Maritime Affairs. He can be reached at gulhameedpnwc@gmail.com.
