KARACHI: It is heartening to note there are rational voices in the country who are willing to undertake soulsearching with respect to the 1965 war.

Even more reassuring is the introspection that comes from a former army officer. One is referring to the seminar on `Learning Lessons from 1965 IndoPak War`, organised by International Relations Department of Karachi University, on Thursday.

Retired brigadier Abdur Rehman Siddiqi, a veteran of the 1965 and 1971 wars, was the keynote speaker.

Before Brig Siddiqi could share his thoughts on the subject, director of the Sardar Yasin Malik Professional Development Centre retired brigadier Muzaffarul Hasan insisted on sharing his memories of the war. He spoke about acts of valour by soldiers and spontaneous outpouring of public support. He recalled `a dogfight with enemy aircraf t which he had witnessed from his rooftop`. Brig Hasan also mentioned Shakeel Ahmed, newscaster at the time, and mimicked his style of broadcasting rather confidently. He exhorted students and teachers to have the same fervour so the nation can become united once again.

Brig Siddiqi, who was director-general of ISPR from 1967 to 1973, began his talk by clarifyinginaccuratefacts.

`It was not a 17-day war, in fact, it lasted over five months. It began on May 17 and was led by General AkhtarMalik. It was in the Rann of Kutch the military hostilities really began in 1965. During the war, Pakistan managed to claim 1,600 square miles of Indian territory, but most of it was difficult terrain that contained Munabao railway station [in Rajasthan] which was of no importance at all. Even though India occupied 350 square miles of Pakistani territory but that was of significance as it was near Lahore and Sialkot,` said the nonagenarian war veteran who held the rank of a major during the `65 war and was working for the ISPR at the time.

Referring to Operations Gibraltar and Grand Slam, he said the plans were not good enough and change of command midway during the operation made no sense whatsoever.

`Foreign Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto assured us India would not attack the international border but this was wishful thinking, because earlier Indian Prime Minister Shastri had said `the next war will be at a time and place of our choosing`. I don`t know why his statement was not taken seriously.

When the attack tool< place, it came as a surprise. We were not quite prepared. It was India who asked for a ceaseBre because they ran out of ammunition. This is how it happened because I was there.

He quickly ended his talk, perhaps disturbed by the continuous din in the lawn of the IR department caused by activities related to the Students` Week, but in his final remarks he said we should try to analyse the war and the subsequent ones as best as we can.`The 1965 war was winnable that we did not win.

Scholar Dr Syed Jaffar Ahmed acknowledged the public support and courage of the soldiers, `this is a historical truth but it is necessary to carry out stocktaking of the past. Rejoicing is not enough.

Stocktaking, he said, included asking questions about the war. For instance: `Why are we told the war began on Sept 6 when it began five months ago? What was the rationale behind Operations Gibraltar and Grand Slam? Who were the Azad Kashmir forces, mentioned in Dawn newspaper at the time during the runup to the war that entered Kashmir? Why was there a surprise element when for months earlier there was a war-like atmosphere? Why did the government at the time rely only on foreign ministry`s statements? Why were the troops [6 Armoured Division, under General Abrar Husain] ordered to move to Pasrur on the night of Sept 6/7 and then at midnight ordered to return to their previous position in Gujranwala? Why was East Pakistan ignored?` Coming to the ramifications of the war, he said: `There was a psychological impact and political fallout. East Pakistan felt isolated so much so that a few months after the Tashkent Accord Sheikh Mujib presented his Six Points.

Moreover, wars are terrible for there is a human cost.` Finally, he wanted everyone consider `why is it necessary to be united as a nation it could only be done using a war narrative?`