SIALKOT - The people of Sialkot, along with the armed forces of Pakistan, wrote history in the form of unmatched examples of courage and bravery during the Sept 1965 Indo-Pak war.
These glorious tales of Pak armed forces’ bravery were saved in the world history forever. There is no denying the fact that the world history also felt proud of the armed forces and people of Pakistan, which defeated an invading enemy, which was five times bigger in size than Pakistan.
In Sept 1965, the invading Indian war-planes badly bombed the civilian population in Sialkot during the 17-day-long war, which left dozens of innocent people of Sialkot martyred. However, the spirits of loyalty, national defence and courage of Sialkot people went up with the passing days of Indian bombing.
The people from the surrounding areas of Sialkot including Daska, Sambrial, Chawinda and Chobara moved to Sialkot and then onward to the frontlines to save their region shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces of Pakistan. The sky was filled with the slogans of “Na’ara-e-Takbeer, Allah Hu Akbar” by thousands of people of Sialkot including women, children, youngsters and the old men as well.
The people of Sialkot and Chawinda showed their marvelous hospitality to the people coming to Sialkot city from the border villages, by sheltering them in their houses and offering them everything.
During these history-making times, the people of Sialkot and Chawinda stood united and they raised a slogan “Sialkot Tu Zinda Rahey Ga” with the pledges to sacrifice even their lives to defend their city.
The Pakistan government officially recognised the slogan, ‘Sialkot Tu Zinda Rahey Ga’ and it conferred the great Hilal-e-Istaqlal Award on Sialkot on May 7, 1967 over high spirits of bravery, courage and loyalty, shown by the people of Sialkot during the war. The award was the fruit of the sacrifices of the armed forces of Pakistan and the people of Sialkot, who defended the motherland near Sialkot by sacrificing their lives.
The history reveals that the brave people of Sialkot and Chawinda, while battling shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces of Pakistan, had repulsed the biggest ever attack of the invading Indian army with 600 tanks at Chawinda while laying down under the moving tanks after tying bombs with their bodies, as these sons of soil of Sialkot sacrificed their lives to repulse the major Indian army attack on Sept 6, 1965.
Pak Army’s brave soldiers and the people of Sialkot and Chawinda turned Chawinda and surrounding areas into the graveyard of Indian tanks.
