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 KARACHI: A day ago passed the 45th death anniversary of Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed. He was a Pakistan Army Staff Officer who received Pakistan's highest award for valor, Nishan-e-Haider. He embraced martyrdom during the Indo-pak war on September 11, 1965.He was born in Hong Kong in 1928. He moved to Pakistan before it became independent in 1947, and lived in Ladian village, a district of Gujrat. There he enlisted with the newly formed Pakistan Army and was commissioned to the Punjab Regiment in 1950. He was from a Muslim Rajput family. His father's name was Master Abdullah Bhatti, and his mother Bibi Amna. Aziz Bhatti had four brothers, Nazir, Bashir, Sardar and Rashid; and two sisters, Rashida and Tahira. His brother Bashir was killed during the Second World War by the Japanese while leaving Hong Kong. He himself had six children: four sons named Major Zafar Javed Bhatti, Dr. Zulfiqar Ahmad Bhatti, Rafique Ahmad Bhatti and Iqbal Javed Bhatti; and daughters Riffat Bhatti and Zeenat Bhatti. Throughout his career, he was a brilliant officer who stood out in his class. He did very well at the Academy and was awarded the Sword of Honour in his year's batch of 300 officers, and the Norman Medal. He received his honours from Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan, who was later assassinated. After midnight on 5/6 September 1965, without a formal declaration of war, the Indian Army crossed the international border and attacked Lahore and Kasur fronts. Pakistan Army and Pakistan Air Force halted the attack in its tracks, inflicting heavy casualties on the aggressor. Major Raja Aziz Bhatti was posted in the Burki area of Lahore sector. As the company commander, Major Bhatti chose to move his platoon forward under constant firing from Indian tanks and artillery. On September 6, 1965 as Company Commander in the Burki area of Lahore, Major Raja Aziz Bhatti choose to stay with his forward platoon under incessant artillery and tank attacks for five days and nights in the defence of the strategic BRB Canal. Throughout, undaunted by constant fire from enemy small arms, tanks and artillery. He was reorganizing his company and directing the gunners to shell the enemy positions. In order to watch every move of the enemy, he had to place himself in an elevated position, where he was exposed to Indian fury. He led his men from the front under constant attack from Indian Artillery batteries. Although he tried to counter every Indian offensive in his area, he was hit by an enemy tank shell in the chest while watching the enemy's moves, and embraced martyrdom on September 11, 1965. A day before his Shahadat (martyrdom), the commanding officer had sent to him word that since he had been fighting untiringly for the last five days and nights, he would be relieved to to rest, and replaced by another officer. Major Aziz, who was filled with battle spirit and the will for martyrdom replied, "Do not recall me. I don't want to go back. I will shed the last drop of my blood in the defence of my dear homeland." | |