I am proud of our brave soldiers, but 1965 war should not have been fought

Our soldiers make the greatest sacrifice, that of life, in defense of our nation. They deserve our highest regard. But I am convinced that 1965 war should not have been fought. While war won us nothing, we lost brave soldiers, allies, and later East Pakistan.

The war was the brainchild of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the then foreign minister. It was Bhutto's delusional Bonapartist expansionist tendencies that pushed for wresting Kashmir by force on two baseless assumptions: Kashmiris will rise up and join ranks of Pakistani militias, and that India will not breach international borders. Both proved wrong.

Kashmiris didn't rise. Pakistan faced casualties. India opened multi-front war along international borders. And no one, especially no Muslim country, came to Pakistan's rescue. In fact, America sanctioned us. It sanctioned India as well, but India's war needs were taken care of by Russians who ensured supply of military hardware.

Since in those days state had complete monopoly on information, state's propaganda machine misled the gullible but patriotic people of Pakistan into believing that Pakistan was winning and the outcome on Kashmir would be in Pakistan's favor. People were euphoric. But little did they know the reality that far from winning even the restoration of pre-1965 status-quo would have accounted for an outstanding achievement. Luckily, that is what happened.

Soviet premier Alexei Kosygin invited Ayub Khan and Lal Bahadur Shastri, then Indian PM, to Tashkant. People of Pakistan believed that Tashkant agreement would reflect the "propangandized" gains on Kashmir. The reality was different, however. Civil-military elite's desperation in restoring pre-war status-quo could be seen in that not even a mention was made of Kashmir in the final declaration. That somewhat bursted the state's propaganda bubble. Ayub lost his regime in Tashkant. Perhaps, Bhutto won his'.

The war could not achieve any of its objectives. In fact, we got sanctioned by our only economic benefactor - USA. India's heavy hand on Kashmir got heavier. And India took its revenge in 1971 by playing its part in dismembering Pakistan. Only brave young men were lost in pursuit of Bhutto and his military comrades' delusions of Napoleon-style victory.

Our valiant soldiers are our pride. But '65 war was elite's war which was planned and executed in distant corridors of power; a war of impractical delusions that brought clouds of fear, then hope, then disappointment for the innocent, proverty stricken, patriotic but pliable people of Pakistan.

Like every Pakistani, I too wish to see a Kashmir that is free of Indian oppression. But building a strong economy with stakes of the world in it and being a responsible nation-state - not war - will win us Kashmir. Nation-building, not irrational jingoistic nationalism, will win us our objectives.

As I listen to mili-naghmay today, I listen to them not for celebrating the decisions of civil-military elite of 1965 but for celebrating the sacrifices of our soldiers who did not hesitate from challenging a much stronger enemy.