Defence Day
| Defence Day یومِ دفاع | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also called | Youm-e-Difa |
| Observed by | Pakistan |
| Type | National |
| Celebrations | Flag hoisting, parade, military exhibitions, award ceremonies, singing patriotic songs, entertainment and military programmes, speeches, fire works, etc. |
| Date | 6 September |
| Next time | 6 September 2025 |
| Frequency | Annual |
Defence Day (Template:Lang-ur ALA-LC: Yaum-i Difāʿ IPA: [jɔːm-e d̪ɪfɑː]) is celebrated in Pakistan as national day to commemorate the sacrifices made by Pakistani soldiers in defending its borders.[1][2] The date of 6 September marks the day in 1965 when Indian troops crossed the international border to launch an attack on Pakistani Punjab, in a riposte to Pakistan's Operation Grand Slam targeting Jammu.[3] While it is officially commemorated as an unprovoked surprise attack by India, which was repulsed by the Pakistan Army despite its smaller size and fewer armaments.[2][4] The celebration of this day has been criticised by Pakistani commentators as representing false history.[2][5]
War
attacked.[6]
ceasefire.[a]
aggression."[8]
Celebrations and Parades
The Pakistan Army displays its latest missiles, tanks, guns, Pakistan Army Aviation helicopters and armament being used by Engineers, Electrical and Mechanical Corps, Army Air Defense, Signals, Army Service Corps and the Army Medical Corps.[9] Everyone is allowed to watch such functions live by going to specific places. These shows are also displayed on national TV channels. National songs, special documentaries about 6 September 1965 and the stories of the people who were martyred on that day are displayed on TV. The facts are told of how people sacrificed their lives for the defense of the country and what the responsibility is of the younger generation, the children, who are the future of Pakistan.[citation needed]
The change of guard ceremony takes place at Mazar-e-Quaid, Karachi, where the cadets of Pakistan Air Force Academy present the Guard of Honour and take the charge.[10]
Notes
References
- ^ "September 6: A day to remember the sacrifices of Pakistan's martyrs". Dawn. 7 September 2018.
- ^ a b c Taha Siddiqui, Dear Pakistanis, this Defence Day, please stop celebrating hate, Al Jazeera, 6 September 2018.
- ^ Nawaz, Crossed Swords 2008, p. 227: "Opposing it was the Indian I Corps with its 1st Armoured Division and three infantry divisions, with orders to secure the Pathankot-Jammu road by launching a riposte to an anticipated move by Pakistan against Jammu, the private plan of General Akhtar Malik that his superiors had thwarted."
- ^ Kumar, Prejudice and Pride 2001, p. 45: "Young Nation, a youth supplement published by the liberal Friday Times of Lahore wrote: It tells an epic tale of our soldiers who being a very small number compared to the Indian and having very little ammunition, weapons and machinery, fought with such spirit, bravery and courage that it stunned the Indian forces, and of the unity of our people."
- ^ Air Marshal Nur Khan, Dawn, 6 September 2005, quoted in Hiranandani, Transition to Guardianship 2013, pp. 1963–1964: "It was a wrong war and they misled the nation with a big lie that India, rather than Pakistan, had provoked the war and that we (Pakistanis) were the victims of the Indian aggression."
- ^ Paul, Asymmetric Conflicts 1994, p. 112.
- ^ Joshi, Kashmir, 1947–1965 2008, p. 215: "in his report of September 16, the Secretary-General chose to be even-handed and told the Council that India had accepted the suggestion, and Pakistan was yet to reply."
- ^ Hiranandani, Transition to Guardianship 2013, p. 1964.
- ^ Defense Day Celebrations. Illustrated weekly of Pakistan. 1968. p. 22.
- ^ "Defense Day: Soldiers honoured 46 years on". The Express Tribune. 6 September 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2012.
Bibliography
- Hiranandani, Vice Admiral GM (2013), Transition to Guardianship: The Indian Navy 1991–2000, Lancer Publishers LLC, ISBN 978-1-935501-66-4
- Joshi, Manoj (2008), Kashmir, 1947–1965: A Story Retold, India Research Press, ISBN 978-81-87943-52-5
- Kumar, Krishna (2001), Prejudice and Pride: School histories of the freedom struggle in India and Pakistan, Viking, ISBN 9780670049134
- Nawaz, Shuja (2008), Crossed Swords: Pakistan, Its Army, and the Wars Within, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-547660-6
- Paul, T. V. (1994), "The Pakistani Offensive in Kashmir, 1965", Asymmetric Conflicts: War Initiation by Weaker Powers, Cambridge University Press, pp. 107–125, ISBN 978-0-521-46621-9
